Professor Dr. Gail Preston

Biography

Gail Preston's research focuses on molecular plant-microbe interactions with particular emphasis on bacterial diseases in plants and the mushroom microbiome. She aims to understand how the microenvironment and host organisms affect disease development, as well as how environmental factors alter the balance between disease resistance and susceptibility. Her studies explore how metabolic regulatory networks and the biosynthetic capabilities of plant-associated microorganisms contribute to disease development. This knowledge of host-microbe interactions is being exploited for biotechnological applications in disease control. Recent work has involved developing cutting-edge techniques to study the role of RNA binding proteins in plant-microbe interactions and image plant-pathogen interactions. She completed her undergraduate studies in Natural Sciences at Christ’s College, University of Cambridge, followed by a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at Cornell University. In 2001, she was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. Currently, she is the Director of the UKRI-BBSRC-funded Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership and the co-Director of the MPLS Doctoral Training Centre, while also being a fellow at Linacre College. Additionally, she serves as a senior editor for the journal Microbiology and is the President of the British Society for Plant Pathology for 2024.

Research Interests

Experience