Sharmila Ghosh

My research is focused on evaluation of natural and naturally inspired antifungal compounds against rice blast fungi. Magnaporthe oryzae is responsible for 10% to 30% yearly rice yield losses. The extensive use of strobilurine fungicides for the controlling the disease and its single site mode of action are responsible for the emergence and quick spread of fungicide resistance. The PhD project aims to analyse the antifungal activity of nature-derived, and nature-inspired compounds which can act on diverse cellular targets and can exhibit dual or multiple mode of action. I investigated numerous naturally and nature inspired compounds which showed good inhibitory activity. The mode of action will be my next quest at The Sainsbury laboratory.