Current and Recent Projects

• Spatio-temporal dynamics

• Control of epidemics

• Soil-borne epidemics and biocontrol

Spatio-temporal dynamics

• Invasion, persistence and variablity of epidemics including antibiotic and pesticide resistence. (BBSRC)
• Spread of GM crops in the landscape (BBSRC) in collaboration with Dr Frank van den Bosch, Rothamsted Research.
• Analysis of temporal (pulsed and seasonal) heterogeneities in annual and deciduous systems. (BBSRC)
• Development and testing of thresholds for invasion and persistence of disease and pesticide-resistant parasites. (BBSRC)
• Analysis of population and enviornmentally-driven spatial heterogeneities, including metapopulation dynamics. (BBSRC, NERC)
• Sampling and estimation of microbial, root lesion densities using molecular methods and other imaging techniques. (BBSRC)

Control of epidemics

• Spatial and temporal dynamics of bubonic plague. (Royal Society, Leverhulme Trust) in collaboration with Dr Matt Keeling, Warwick University.
• Analysis of the dynamics of Rhizomania disease in the U.K. (MAFF) in collaboration with Dr Mike Asher, Broom's Barn.
• Metapopulation dynamics of Dutch Elm Disease and Phoncine Distemper Virus. (NERC) in collaboration with Prof. Bryan Grenfell, Dept Zoology and Prof. John Harwood, Sea Mammal Reseach Unit.

Soil-borne epidemics and biocontrol

• Scaling-up from individual to population behaviour in the control of plant disease. (BBSRC/EPSRC)
• Estimation of parameters of ecological models for interacting populations. (BBSRC)
• Modelling of soil biodiversity (NERC) in collaboration with Prof. Alastair Fitter, Univeristy of York
• Biological control of Rhizoctonia solani by Trichoderma spp. and nematodes by Verticullium spp. (BBSRC) in collaboration with Professor Bryan Kerry, Rothamsted Reasearch