B. McDonald

Genome-wide association studies reveal a rapidly evolving candidate avirulence effector in the Cercospora leaf spot pathogen Cercospora beticola

This study identifies a rapidly evolving avirulence effector gene, AvrCR4, in Cercospora beticola using GWAS, showing its association with virulence to the resistance gene BvCR4.

Combining high-resolution imaging, deep learning, and dynamic modelling to separate disease and senescence in wheat canopies

This paper develops a deep learning method to separate chlorosis and necrosis in wheat canopies, revealing their distinct contributions to greenness decay and enabling genetic studies of disease resistance.

Atlas-Guided Discovery of Transcription Factors for T Cell Programming

The paper identifies transcription factors driving distinct CD8+ T cell states and shows their impact on tumor control and immunotherapy.

Multi-drug resistant E. coli displace commensal E. coli from the intestinal tract, a trait associated with elevated levels of genetic diversity in carbohydrate metabolism genes.

This study shows that multi-drug resistant E. coli outcompetes non-MDR E. coli in the gut, linked to higher genetic diversity in carbohydrate metabolism genes.

A microglia-CD4+ T cell partnership generates protective anti-tumor immunity to glioblastoma

This study identifies a microglia-CD4+ T cell interaction that enhances anti-glioblastoma immunity through IFN-gamma-mediated tumor surveillance and phagocytosis.

SMAD4 and TGFβ are architects of inverse genetic programs during fate-determination of antiviral memory CD8 T cells

This study shows SMAD4 and TGFβ regulate gene expression in opposite ways to determine whether antiviral CD8 T cells become circulating or tissue-resident memory cells.

An Immune Cell Atlas Reveals Dynamic COVID-19 Specific Neutrophil Programming Amenable to Dexamethasone Therapy

This study identifies distinct neutrophil states in COVID-19 compared to bacterial ARDS and shows dexamethasone alters these states, reducing mortality risk.

Oxidized Lipids and CD36-Mediated Lipid Peroxidation in CD8 T Cells Suppress Anti-Tumor Immune Responses

This study identifies CD36-mediated lipid peroxidation driven by oxidized lipids as a mechanism suppressing anti-tumor CD8 T cell functions in murine tumors.

Natural selection drives population divergence for local adaptation in a wheat pathogen

The paper uses QST-FST comparison and common garden experiments to show that natural selection drives local adaptation in wheat pathogen populations across different environmental conditions.

Functional delineation of tissue-resident CD8 T cell heterogeneity during infection and cancer

This study identifies distinct CD8+ T cell subsets in non-lymphoid tissues during infection and cancer, revealing their functional roles and regulatory mechanisms.

Precision phenotyping reveals novel loci for quantitative resistance to septoria tritici blotch in European winter wheat

The paper uses high-throughput automated phenotyping to identify novel genetic loci associated with quantitative resistance to septoria tritici blotch in wheat.