State-of-the-Art Plant Virus Research in Australasia

Dear Colleagues,

Why a Special Issue on plant virology in Australasia? Australasia is unique in that although people have lived on the continent for about 65,000 years, there was very little contact with the outside world for about 98% of this time. This is important from a plant virology perspective because exotic viruses were not introduced by people until Eurasians began to arrive, in force, from 1788 onwards, bringing with them exotic plant viruses and their vectors. Thus, all exotic viruses currently present in Australasia have been established there relatively recently. Australasia’s isolation provides a relatively pathogen-free environment for primary production, and the strict biosecurity measures implemented at her borders to prevent entry of new viral pathogens are well known to international travellers and importers. Australasia’s unique flora has its own virome, which is largely unexplored. Indigenous viruses have already spilled over into introduced plant species, and exotic viruses have spilled over to indigenous plant species. Nicotiana benthamiana and N. occidentalis, mainstays of plant virology labs internationally, originate from Australasia. Australasia has a history of outstanding plant virology, from GG Samuel of the Waite Institute who published the first Australian virus research paper in 1934 to the virologists of today undertaking cutting-edge science in managed and natural systems across the continent.

Dr. Steve Wylie
Dr. Nuredin Habili
Guest Editors

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