Hester Roberts

Biography

Hester Roberts – Ministry of Primary Industries

Hester is a Research Scientist with MPI’s Plant Health and Environment Laboratory. The Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) identifies pests and diseases that affect plants and the environment – bacteria, fungi, liberibacter, insects, mites, nematodes, phytoplasmas, viroids, viruses, and unwanted invasive plants. Hester trained as a geneticist and molecular biologist at Otago University, where she worked on a wide range of organisms and received her PhD in Health Sciences. She has since spent her research journey expanding her skillset – working in cellular biology, wildlife forensics, and conservation genetics. Her current research focuses on developing diagnostic methods for detecting high-risk pathogens in greenhouse irrigation systems –  such as pepino mosaic virus. This work aims to improve pathogen surveillance systems and support biosecurity decision making.

Needle vs. Haystack: Using greenhouse wastewater to detect plant pathogens

As commercial greenhouse cultivation is becoming more popular in New Zealand, the intensive operational activities and the importation of new varieties also increase the risks of introducing new and emerging exotic pests and diseases. Recently a number of incursions have been detected in this pathway (e.g. pepino mosaic virus, tomato spider mite etc.). Most of the pests and diseases affecting the crops in this pathway could also have an adverse impact on other cultivated crops and NZ native species. One of the outcomes of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been a wider acknowledgement of environmental testing for monitoring viruses. Environmental RNA and DNA (eRNA/eDNA) can be used for the detection of specific species in soil, air, and water. Hester will be sharing the progress made by MPI in detecting high-risk pathogens in greenhouse irrigation water.