Dr Elena Arrigoni
Research Assistant
Department
Team
Conservation Genetics and Molecular Ecology
Specialism
Plant-fungal interactions, fungal ecology, endophytic fungi, mycorrhizal fungi
I have a keen interest in studying the relationships between plants and fungi and how they are shaped by the environment. My research activities are mainly focused on plant-fungal interactions and fungal ecology. I am involved in the “Darwin Tree of Life (DToL)” project which aims at sequencing the genomes of all Eukaryotes in the UK, to which I contribute with my expertise in culturing, barcoding and sequencing fungi. I am also working on a heathland vegetation conservation project, where I apply my expertise in molecular biology to study the relationships between fine root endophytic fungi and the clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata. Furthermore, I am studying the endophytic fungal communities of roots and leaves of several plant species living across diverse habitats in Colombia’s Boyacá region, using metabarcoding techniques. Before joining Kew, I obtained my PhD in Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology. My work focused on the influence of environmental factors, plant genotype and agronomic practices on fungal and bacterial communities of apple and pear plants.
- PhD in Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Udine (Italy)/Edmund Mach Foundation (Trento, Italy), 2019
- MSc in Plant and Microbial Biotechnology, University of Pisa (Italy)
- 2015 BSc in Biotechnology, University of Florence (Italy), 2012
Kowal J., Arrigoni E., Serra J. & Bidartondo M. (2020)
Prevalence and phenology of fine root endophyte colonization across populations of Lycopodiella inundata.
Mycorrhiza 30: 577-587
Kowal J., Arrigoni E., Lane S. (2020)
Acidified blue ink-staining procedure for the observation of fungal structures inside roots of two disparate plant lineages.
Bio-Protocol 10: e3786
Arrigoni E., Albanese D., Oliveira Longa C.M., Angeli D., Donati C., Ioriatti C., Pertot I. & Perazzolli M. (2020).
Tissue age, orchard location and disease management influence the composition of fungal and bacterial communities present on the bark of apple trees.
Environmental Microbiology 22: 2080–2093
Arrigoni E., Oliveira Longa C.M., Angeli D., Soini M., Pertot I. & Perazzolli M. (2019)
A fast and reliable method for Diplodia seriata inoculation of trunks and assessment of fungicide efficacy on potted apple plants under greenhouse conditions.
Phytopathologia Mediterranea 58: 163-173.
Arrigoni E., Antonielli L., Pindo M., Pertot I. & Perazzolli M. (2018)
Tissue age and plant genotype affect the microbiota of apple and pear bark.
Microbiological Research 211: 57–68.