PhD Student

Berlaine Quime

A photo of one of our researchers in their office

Bio

I completed my Master’s degree at the University of the Philippines Los Baños with a major in Plant Pathology and a cognate in Plant Breeding. I have always been interested in developing disease-resistant crops. I worked on breeding for disease resistance against rice blast by introgressing known resistance genes into widely cultivated rice cultivars. I also monitored the pathogen population structure of Magnaporthe oryzae by determining the prevalent avirulence genes present in the field in order to deploy the appropriate resistant varieties.

I started my PhD studies in October 2020 on a Halpin Rice Blast PhD Studentship. My project aims to investigate the cell biology of the rice blast pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae, by defining the host-pathogen interface, looking at the major cellular changes in the host and focusing on the secretory route of effector proteins during plant infection.

Job history

  • 2020 -

    PhD Student

    The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK
  • 2017 - 2020

    Assistant Scientist

    International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
  • 2016 - 2017

    Researcher

    International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
  • 2016 - 2016

    Intern

    International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
  • 2013 - 2015

    MSc Research Scholar

    International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
  • 2012 - 2013

    Research Technician III

    International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines