Dr Dodds' focus is on fungal rust diseases, which constitute one of the most significant threats to cereal crops worldwide. The recent emergence of the highly virulent wheat stem rust strain Ug99 is of particular concern to world food security.
Dr Dodds' research has used the pathogenic interaction between flax and the flax rust fungus as a model for understanding the basis of rust disease as well as host resistance mechanisms.
Plant and Microbial Biology Plant Seminar: "Harnessing plant immune receptors for resistance to wheat stem rust"
