Dr. Andrea Harper – Rising from the Ashes: Why do some trees survive ash dieback disease?
Dr. Andrea Harper is a Senior Lecturer in Plant Biology at the University of York
Thursday 27 November 2025
Lecture Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh
Date: Thursday 27 November 2025 Edinburgh, from 6:00-7:00pm – (Tea/coffee and biscuits will be available from 5:30 pm as usual).
Venue: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Science Building, 20a Inverleith Row, EH3 5LR
Venue Note: To access the lecture please enter via the Science Buildings main reception, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR. Note this is NOT the public entrance to the gardens. what3words ///ROPES.DINNER.CLUBS
Title: Rising from the Ashes: Why do some trees survive ash dieback disease?
Abstract: The arrival of Ash Dieback, a serious fungal disease of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior), prompted the large-scale, collaborative Nornex project in the UK. As part of this effort, we applied an innovative genetic approach—Associative Transcriptomics—to investigate why some ash trees can withstand infection while others succumb to the disease.
Using a well-characterized collection of Danish ash trees, we identified patterns of gene activity associated with lower disease susceptibility. Many of the genes linked to these patterns are involved in developmental timing processes, such as flowering and bud break, suggesting that natural differences in seasonal growth cycles may influence a tree’s susceptibility or its ability to respond to infection. These insights provide valuable tools for selecting and breeding trees with more favourable responses, helping to safeguard ash populations for the future.
This presentation will introduce the fungus and its disease process, outline our research methods, and share key discoveries about the genetic and biological factors that shape disease progression in ash. Together, our results enhance understanding of how trees naturally avoid or limit infection and point toward sustainable strategies for managing Ash Dieback.
BIO: Dr. Andrea Harper is a Senior Lecturer in Plant Biology at the University of York, specializing in statistical genetics. Her research focuses on equipping major crops to be more resilient to environmental stress.
She develops and integrates cutting-edge ‘omics’ methods, such as Associative Transcriptomics, to rapidly uncover the genetic basis of complex traits, providing the crucial genetic markers that drive modern molecular breeding programs.
Specifically, Dr. Harper’s research group investigates how plants respond and tolerate both abiotic stresses (like drought and heat) and biotic stresses (including major plant pathogens that cause diseases such as bacterial wilt and potato brown rot) in important crops. A notable example of the translational impact of her work is her ash dieback disease research, which led to the discovery of genetic markers that can be used to identify trees with reduced disease susceptibility, providing a valuable tool for disease management and forest conservation.
