Current Research

• Development and exploitation of genetic markers (SSR, SNP) for examining the population biology, epidemiology and management of Phytophthora infestans (potato late blight).
• Technical chair of European project examining populations of Phytophthora infestans (Eucablight).
• Evolution and population genetics of the genus Phytophthora.
• Detection and diagnosis of Phytophthora species.
• Soft fruit Phytophthora species: detection and control.
• British Potato Council funded project: Survey of GB Phytophthora infestans populations 2006-2008. 
• British Potato Council funded project: Aggressiveness of the changing P. infestans population in GB

Research History

• First Class Honours Graduate in Agricultural Botany, University of Wales Aberystwyth.
• PhD Plant Pathology, University of Wales Aberystwyth.
• Employed at SCRI since 1994 as a Project Leader in Plant Pathology.

Recent Publications

• Schena, L., Duncan, J.M., Cooke, D.E.L. 2008. Development and application of a PCR based “molecular tool box” for the detection of Phytophthora species damaging forests and natural ecosystems. Plant Pathology 57, 64-75.
• Cooke, D.E.L. 2007. Tracking the sudden oak death pathogen. News and Views article. Molecular Ecology 16, 3735-3736.
• Cooke, D.E.L., Schena, L., Cacciola, S.O. 2007. Tools to detect, identify and monitor Phytophthora species in natural ecosystems. Journal of Plant Pathology 89, 13-28.
• Dick, M.A., Dobbie, K., Cooke, D.E.L., Brasier, C.M. 2006. Phytophthora captiosa sp. nov and Phytophthora fallax sp. nov. causing crown dieback of Eucalyptus in New Zealand. Mycological Research 110, 393-404.
• Lees, A.K., Wattier, R., Sullivan, L., Williams, N.A., Cooke, D.E.L. 2006. Novel microsatellite markers for the analysis of Phytophthora infestans populations. Plant Pathology 55, 311-9.
• Schena, L., Hughes, K.J.D., Cooke, D.E.L. 2006. Detection and quantification of P. ramorum, P. kernoviae, P. citricola and P. quercina in symptomatic leaves by multiplex real-time PCR. Molecular Plant Pathology 7, 365-379.
• Schena, L., Cooke, D.E.L. 2006. Assessing the potential of regions of the nuclear and mitochondrial genome to develop a “molecular tool box” for the detection and characterization of Phytophthora species. Journal of Microbiological Methods 67, 70-85.
• Donahoo, R., Blomquist, C.L., Thomas, S.L., Moulton, J.K., Cooke, D.E.L., Lamour, K.H. 2006. Phytophthora foliorum sp. nov., a new species causing leaf blight of azalea. Mycological Research 110, 1309-1322.
• Cacciola, S.O., Cooke, D.E.L., Raudino, F., Magnano di San Lio, G. 2006. First Report of Phytophthora megasperma on fennel in Italy. Plant Disease 90, 110-110.
• Cooke, D.E.L., Jung, T., Williams, N.A., Schubert, R., Oßwald, W., Duncan, J.M. 2005. Genetic diversity of European populations of the oak fine-root pathogen Phytophthora quercina. Forest Pathology 35,  57-70.
• Cacciola, S.O., Chimento, A., Pane, A., Cooke, D.E.L., Magnano di San Lio, G. 2005. Root and Foot Rot of Lantana Caused by Phytophthora cryptogea. Plant Disease 89, 909-909.
• Hussain, S., Lees, A.K., Duncan, J.M., Cooke, D.E.L. 2005. Development of a species-specific and sensitive detection assay for Phytophthora infestans and its application for monitoring of inoculum in tubers and soil. Plant Pathology 54, 373-82.
• Silvar, C., Duncan, J.M., Cooke, D.E.L., Williams, N.A., Díaz, J., Merino, F. 2005. Development of specific PCR primers for identification and detection of Phytophthora capsici Leon. European Journal of Phytopathology 112, 43-52.
• Brasier, C.M., Kirk, S.A., Delcan, J., Cooke, D.E.L., Jung, T., Man in’t Veldt, W.A. 2004. Phytophthora alni sp. nov. and its variants: designation of emerging heteroploid hybrid pathogens spreading on Alnus trees. Mycological Research 108, 1172-1184.
• Cooke, D.E.L., Lees, A.K. 2004. Markers, old and new, for examining Phytophthora infestans diversity. Plant Pathology 53, 692-704.

Posters

(View all posters)

Attachment	Size
The use of microsatellite markers to examine European P. infestans populations using the EUCABLIGHT database	218.37 KB
The use of SSR markers to examine Scottish Phytophthora infestans populations	189.16 KB
Using SSR markers to investigate Scottish Phytophthora infestans populations and the epidemiology of potato late blight	787.86 KB
Eucablight	513.17 KB
A new molecular tool box for the detection of Phytophthora species threatening forests and other natural ecosystems	297.75 KB
Genetic analysis of Scottish Phytophthora infestans populations with emphasis on within-outbreak diversity in 2004	720.8 KB
The monitoring of GB blight outbreaks: mating type and genetic fingerprint analysis	381.34 KB
Validation and Exploitation of a PCR-based Diagnostic for Detecting Phytophthora in Strawberry and Raspberry	146.81 KB
Detection of Phytophthora in plants by the Polymerase Chain Reaction	65.8 KB
Detection of Phytophthora species in Strawberry in Plantations in S. Italy by a PCR-based Diagnostic	267.66 KB
Relationships Within and Between Phytophthora and Other Oomycetes as Revealed by Two Types of Molecular Markers	244.61 KB
Tracking Late Blight in the Field	118.5 KB
Does Phytophthora idaei pose a threat to the raspberry crop?	402.88 KB
Changing GB blight populations: mating type and genotype fingerprint analysis	905.72 KB
Drivers and possible consequences of a changing population of Phytophthora infestans on the GB potato industry	805.63 KB
Using molecular tools to investigate the role of tuber and soil-borne inoculum of Phytophthora infestans	775.52 KB
Tracking Phytophthora in natural ecosystems	936.66 KB