The Doctoral Biotechnology Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) is proud to announce that Ayu Lestiyani, one of its doctoral candidates, has successfully completed a three-month research stay at Nodai University, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan, from September 10 to December 9, 2024 under the Student Mobility Program.
Ayu’s research stay at Nodai University was part of a joint supervision agreement between UGM and Nodai University. Her dissertation, titled “Identification of Citrus Relative, Murraya spp., and the Gene Expression Analysis on Citrus and Murraya Against Serralysin Toxin of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the Huanglongbing Pathogen,” is supervised by Prof. Siti Subandiyah and Prof. Tri Joko from UGM, and Prof. Toru Iwanami from Nodai University. While at Nodai, Ayu’s research activities were specifically guided by Prof. Toru Iwanami, who provided hands-on supervision for her work at the institution.
During her time at Nodai University, Ayu conducted advanced whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis of chloroplasts from several Murraya species. This research aims to understand the genetic and molecular responses of Citrus and Murraya plants to the serralysin toxin produced by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, a pathogen causing the devastating Huanglongbing disease.
The research was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) through a collaborative project led by Ayu’s supervisors. This collaboration highlights UGM’s commitment to fostering international research opportunities for its students. A part of Ayu’s dissertation has already been published in the reputable journal Plant Disease, under the title “Natural Infection of Murraya paniculata and Murraya sumatrana with CLas in Java.” This publication offers valuable insights into the natural infection of Murraya species by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus in Java, a key step in understanding the epidemiology of Huanglongbing disease. The article is available online at Plant Disease Journal.
Having returned to UGM, Ayu is now focused on completing the writing of her dissertation. Her work is expected to make a significant contribution to combating Huanglongbing, which continues to threaten citrus production globally.
The Doctoral Biotechnology Program at UGM remains committed to supporting student mobility and fostering international collaborations. These initiatives provide students with global perspectives and opportunities to address pressing challenges in biotechnology research.
Link journal: https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/PDIS-12-23-2593-RE