A PhD Thesis at the University of Kerbala Discusses the Genetic Diversity of Pathogenic Fungi Transmitted by Wheat Grains

A PhD thesis at the Faculty of Education for Pure Sciences at the University of Kerbala, titled “Determining the Genetic Diversity of Pathogenic Fungi Transmitted by Wheat Grains in Kerbala Governorate and Their Resistance Using Integrated Pest Management,” was discussed by Zainab Latif Hamid Al-Tamimi.

The thesis aimed to diagnose the pathogenic fungi associated with wheat grains in Kerbala using both morphological and molecular analysis. New fungal species were recorded for the first time in Iraq, belonging to the genera Alternaria, Stemphylium, and Cladosporium, with Alternaria alternata being the most widespread species.

The thesis concluded with the determination of the whole genome sequencing (WGS) for the first time in Iraq for the fungi A. alternata, alongside a study of the mitochondrial genome and pathogenic genes Chlamydosporigena simmonsii. The success of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology was also highlighted.

The study recommended the use of NGS (Metagenomics) technology for directly diagnosing pathogenic causes from plant samples, without the need for isolation and cultivation in the laboratory.