Progress in Phytophthora research

Researchers at the University of Groningen and Wageningen University have succeeded in synthesizing the mating hormone of the plant pathogen which causes potato disease, Phytophthora. The synthetic hormone initiates the production of sexual spores in the same way the natural hormone does. According to the research team, the findings can be used in the fight against potato disease. The results of the study are being published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) this week.

The development of the synthesized hormone makes it possible to broaden the scope of research into the pathogen Phytophthora. The sexual volatiles found can be produced in large quantities, enabling experiments not just in a test tube, but also with real plants.