Fabio Dos-Santos Barbosa

Fabio discovered his passion for mycology while studying at the University of Cambridge, where he co-founded the Cambridge University Mycological Society. He’s now a fungal geneticist at The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, working on his PhD to better understand the complex strategies fungi use to infect crop plants.His focus is on the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, a tiny but powerful organism that can wipe out up to 30% of the world’s rice crops each year. While fungal pathogens can cause serious damage to our agricultural systems, they’re also a vital part of nature. They recycle nutrients, shape ecosystems, and support biodiversity. Understanding these fungal pathogens helps us find a balance between protecting our food supply, while maintaining the essential role fungi play in keeping ecosystems healthy.Fabio’s research explores how Magnaporthe uses a specialised structure called an appressorium to punch its way through the hard surface of a plant leaf, by building and directing a pressure more than 40 times that of a car tyre. By studying how this microscopic invasion works, he hopes to help contribute to the protection of our food supply, while better understanding the essential and often beautiful role fungi play in the natural world.