S. M. Latorre

Multiple horizontal mini-chromosome transfers drive genome evolution of clonal blast fungus lineages

The paper identifies horizontal mini-chromosome transfers in clonal blast fungus lineages, showing genetic exchange between host-associated isolates.

A weaponized phage suppresses competitors in historical and modern metapopulations of pathogenic bacteria

The paper identifies a tailocin, a phage-derived element, used by Pseudomonas spp. to suppress competitors in metapopulations, showing its persistence over 170 years.

Century-long timelines of herbarium genomes predict plant stomatal response to climate change

The paper uses historical A. thaliana genomes and genetic knowledge to show a decrease in stomatal density over time linked to climate change.

Wild grass isolates of Magnaporthe (Syn. Pyricularia) spp. from Germany can cause blast disease on cereal crops

The paper identifies wild grass hosts of the blast fungus Magnaporthe in Germany, showing their potential to infect cereal crops and spread disease.

A pandemic clonal lineage of the wheat blast fungus

The paper identifies a pandemic clonal lineage of the wheat blast fungus that originated in South America and spread to Asia and Africa, showing it can be controlled by Rmg8 but may develop fungicide resistance and recombine with African lineages.

Rapid weed adaptation and range expansion in response to agriculture over the last two centuries

The paper studies how modern agriculture has driven the evolution and range expansion of common waterhemp over the last two centuries through genome analysis of historical and present-day samples.

Fine-scale Population Structure of North American Arabidopsis thaliana Reveals Multiple Sources of Introduction from Across Eurasia

This study identifies multiple introduction sources of North American Arabidopsis thaliana from Eurasia using genomic data and finds evidence of admixture increasing haplotype diversity and immune-related selection.

Museum phylogenomics of extinct Oryctes beetles from the Mascarene Islands

This study uses museum specimens to generate whole-genome phylogenies of extinct Oryctes beetles, revealing taxonomic misclassifications and independent colonization events on the Mascarene Islands.

Recently expanded clonal lineages of the rice blast fungus display distinct patterns of presence/absence of effector genes

The paper reconstructs the genetic history of the rice blast fungus, identifying three clonal lineages with distinct effector gene presence/absence patterns associated with rice blast pandemics.