Dr Ralf Dietzgen

Honorary Associate Professor

Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
r.dietzgen@uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 66503

Overview

Plant viruses and horticultural crop improvement

Dr Dietzgen is internationally recognised for his work on plant virus characterisation, detection and engineered resistance. Before joining UQ, Dr Dietzgen was a Science Leader in Agri-Science in the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. He previously held research positions at the University of Adelaide, University of California, Cornell University and University of Kentucky. Dr Dietzgen’s research interests are in molecular virus-plant-insect interactions, virus biodiversity and evolution, and disease resistance mechanisms. His focus is on the biology of RNA viruses in the family Rhabdoviridae and the molecular protein interactions of plant-adapted rhabdoviruses and tospoviruses. He has published extensively on plant virus characterisation and genetic variability, RNAi- mediated virus resistance and diagnostic technologies with 20 review articles and book chapters and over 65 peer-reviewed publications.

Research Interests

  • Pest and disease management and control
    Study of molecular plant-virus-insect interactions to identify novel targets for plant disease & pest control. Main focus on negative strand RNA virus (rhabdovirus, tospovirus) characterization, biodiversity, taxonomy and interactions with their hosts and insect vectors. Host-delivered RNA silencing for disease resistance against pests and diseases. Application of next generation sequencing technologies for virus characterization and diagnostics.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Eberhard-Karls- Universitat, Tubingen

Publications

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Grants

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Publications

Featured Publications

Book Chapter

  • Dietzgen, Ralf G., Goodin, Michael M. and Li, Zhenghe (2021). Plant Rhabdoviruses (Rhabdoviridae). Encyclopedia of Virology. (pp. 567-580) edited by Bamford, D.H. and Zuckerman, M.. Oxford, United Kingdom: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-809633-8.21340-X

  • Trusov, Yuri, Dietzgen, Ralf G., Maruta, Natsumi and Botella, Jose R. (2016). Simplified assays for evaluation of resistance to Alternaria brassicicola and Turnip Mosaic Virus. In Botella, JR and Botella, MA (Ed.), Plant Signal Transduction (pp. 219-228) New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-3115-6_18

  • Innes, David J, Dillon, Natalie L., Smyth, Heather E., Karan, Mirko, Holton, Timothy A., Bally, Ian S.E. and Dietzgen, Ralf G. (2015). Mangomics: Information systems supporting advanced mango breeding. Genomics and Proteomics - Principles, Technologies, and Applications. (pp. 281-307) edited by Thangadurai, Devarajan and Sangeetha, Jeyabalan. Oakville, Ontario, Canada: Apple Academic Press/CRC Press.

  • Dietzgen, Ralf G. and Kuzmin, Ivan V. (2012). Introduction. Rhabdoviruses: Molecular taxonomy, evolution, genomics, ecology, host-vector interactions, cytopathology and control. (pp. 1-3) edited by Ralf G. Dietzgen and Ivan V. Kuzmin. Norfolk, England, UK: Caister Academic Press.

  • Dietzgen, Ralf G. (2012). Morphology, genome organization, transcription and replication of rhabdoviruses. Rhabdoviruses: Molecular taxonomy, evolution, genomics, ecology, host-vector interactions, cytopathology and control. (pp. 5-11) edited by Ralf G. Dietzgen and Ivan V. Kuzmin. Norfolk, England, UK: Caister Academic Press.

  • Dietzgen, Ralf G. and Kuzmin, Ivan V. (2012). Taxonomy of rhabdoviruses. Rhabdoviruses: Molecular taxonomy, evolution, genomics, ecology, host-vector interactions, cytopathology and control. (pp. 13-22) edited by Ralf G. Dietzgen and Ivan V. Kuzmin. Norfolk, England, UK: Caister Academic Press.

  • Dietzgen, Ralf G. (2011). Cytorhabdovirus, Rhabdoviridae. The Springer index of viruses. (pp. 1709-1713) New York , United States: Springer. doi: 10.1007/3-540-31042-8_180

  • Dietzgen, R. G., Calisher, C. H., Kurath, G., Kuzmin, I. V., Rodriguez, L. L., Stone, D. M., Tesh, R. B., Tordo, N., Walker, P. J., Wetzel, T. and Whitfield, A. E. (2011). Rhabdoviridae. Virus taxonomy: Ninth report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. (pp. 654-681) edited by Andrew M. Q. King, Michael J. Adams, Eric B. Carstens and Elliot J. Lefkowitz. Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-384684-6.00136-1

  • Jackson, A. O., Dietzgen, R. G., Fang, R. X., Goodin, M. M., Hogenhout, S. A., Deng, M. and Bragg, J. N. (2008). Plant rhabdoviruses. Encyclopedia of Virology. (pp. 187-196) edited by Brian W. J. Mahy and Marc H. V. Van Regenmortel. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier . doi: 10.1016/B978-012374410-4.00492-1

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Note for students: Dr Ralf Dietzgen is not currently available to take on new students.

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

Completed Supervision