Rahim Mehrabi

Rahim Mehrabi is a researcher affiliated with the Laboratory of Phytopathology at Wageningen University & Research, focusing on fungal pathogens affecting major crops. His work spans genetics, genomics, and molecular mechanisms of plant-pathogen interactions.

Research Interests

Mehrabi’s research centers on:

• Genetic and molecular characterization of effectors in wheat and tomato pathogens
• Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for disease resistance in cereals and legumes
• Functional analysis of fungal enzymes related to virulence and host interaction
• Comparative genomics of agricultural pathogens

Recent Publications

His recent work includes:

• Genome assembly of Zasmidium syzygii (2024)
• Role of catalase-peroxidases in Zymoseptoria tritici virulence (2024)
• Identification of QTLs for wheat resistance to septoria blotch (2022)
• Mapping chickpea resistance to Ascochyta rabiei (2022)
• Landmark genome analysis of banana black sigatoka pathogen (2016)

Supervision

He has supervised or co-supervised multiple PhD projects, including studies on:

• Cladosporium fulvum protease inhibitors
• Mycosphaerella graminicola effectors

Laboratory & Collaborations

As part of the Laboratory of Phytopathology, Mehrabi collaborates internationally on crop disease research, particularly focusing on wheat, tomato, and banana pathogens. His team contributes to open-access datasets and bioinformatics resources.