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Bevan Weir

Senior Researcher - Mycologist/Bacteriologist
Systematics
Bevan Weir
Location
Auckland
Contact Bevan

Research interests

My research field is the systematics and phylogenetics of fungi and bacteria. I work on a diverse range of organisms, such as bacteria, fungi and chromists for different clients or projects, however many of the techniques, applications, and skills are common across taxa.

I am particularly interested in symbiosis and pathogenicity between microorganisms and their hosts, my PhD was on a group symbiotic nitrogen-fixing plant bacteria 'rhizobia', and my postdoc was on a group of plant pathogenic fungi “Colletotrichum”. Systematics (taxonomy and nomenclature) have played a large role in my research projects, and I have a good knowledge of the respective nomenclatural codes of Bacteria and Fungi.

I actively use the latest phylogenetic applications and theory, including species-tree delimitations for refining species concepts in Colletotrichum. One of the most popular pages on my personal website is a tutorial on the use of model testing software in analysing DNA sequences.

Genomics is becoming a large part of my research activities, for my previous two contract reports for MPI Biosecurity NZ I have sequenced and analysed bacterial genomes to obtain a robust identification as well as identify determinants of pathogenicity and sub-specific strain differences.

I am curator of one of New Zealand’s 'nationally significant' collections, the ICMP collection of 21,000 living cryopreserved fungi and bacteria. This resource is used extensively for biosecurity, taxonomic, and plant pathogenic research by the NZ and international research community, and recently I have begun to use the collection to discover useful bioactive compounds, for example we have a bacterium that produces a peptide antimicrobial that is very specific in killing the Psa disease affecting kiwifruit in New Zealand. I also conduct contract and consulting work for local biotechnology companies that produce novel biological fungicides and insecticides that have lower environmental impacts than traditional chemical compounds.

External publication profiles

Qualifications

Auckland
PhD Biological Sciences
2007

Auckland
BTech (Hons) Biotechnology
2002

Publications

Broders K, Aspin A, Bailey J, Chapman T, Portier P, Weir BS 2022. Building more resilient culture collections: a call for increased deposits of plant-associated bacteria. Microorganisms 10(4). WOS:000785058900001 https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10040741

Cadelis MM, Nipper NSL, Grey A, Geese S, van de Pas SJ, Weir BS, Copp BR, Wiles S 2022. Antimicrobial Polyketide Metabolites from Penicillium bissettii and P. glabrum. Molecules 27(1). WOS:000751372600001 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010240

Shi WY, Sun QL, Fan GM, Hideaki S, Moriya O, Itoh T, Zhou YG, Cai M, Kim SG, Lee JS, Sedlacek I, Arahal DR, Lucena T, Kawasaki H, Evtushenko L, Weir BS, Alexander S, Denes D, Tanasupawat S, Eurwilaichitr L, Ingsriswang S, Gomez-Gil B, Hazbon MH, Riojas MA, Suwannachart C, Yao S, Vandamme P, Peng F, Chen ZH, Liu DM, Sun XQ, Zhang XJ, Zhou YC, Meng Z, Wu LH, Ma JC 2021. gcType: a high-quality type strain genome database for microbial phylogenetic and functional research. Nucleic Acids Research 49(D1): D694-D705. WOS:000608437800088 https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaa957

Crous PW, Lombard L, Sandoval-Denis M, Seifert KA, Schroers HJ, Chaverri P, Gene J, Guarro J, Hirooka Y, Bensch K, Kema GHJ, Lamprecht SC, Cai L, Rossman AY, Stadler M, Summerbell RC, Taylor JW, Ploch S, Visagie CM, Yilmaz N, Frisvad JC, Abdel-Azeem AM, Abdollahzadeh J, Abdolrasouli A, Akulov A, Alberts JF, Araujo JPM, Ariyawansa HA, Bakhshi M, Bendiksby M, Amor AB, Bezerra JDP, Boekhout T, Camara MPS, Carbia M, Cardinali G, Castaneda-Ruiz RF, Celis A, Chaturvedi V, Collemare J, Croll D, Damm U, Decock CA, de Vries RP, Ezekiel CN, Fan XL, Fernandez NB, Gaya E, Gonzalez CD, Gramaje D, Groenewald JZ, Grube M, Guevara-Suarez M, Gupta VK, Guarnaccia V, Haddaji A, Hagen F, Haelewaters D, Hansen K, Hashimoto A, Hernandez-Restrepo M, Houbraken J, Hubka V, Hyde KD, Iturriaga T, Jeewon R, Johnston PR, Jurjevic Z, Karalti I, Korsten L, Kuramae EE, Kusan I, Labuda R, Lawrence DP, Lee HB, Lechat C, Li HY, Litovka YA, Maharachchikumbura SSN, Marin-Felix Y, Kemkuignou BM, Matocec N, McTaggart AR, Mlcoch P, Mugnai L, Nakashima C, Nilsson RH, Noumeur SR, Pavlov IN, Peralta MP, Phillips AJL, Pitt JI, Polizzi G, Quaedvlieg W, Rajeshkumar KC, Restrepo S, Rhaiem A, Robert J, Robert V, Rodrigues AM, Salgado-Salazar C, Samson RA, Santos ACS, Shivas RG, Souza-Motta CM, Sun GY, Swart WJ, Szoke S, Tan YP, Taylor JE, Taylor PWJ, Tiago PV, Vaczy KZ, van de Wiele N, van der Merwe NA, Verkley GJM, Vieira WAS, Vizzini A, Weir BS, Wijayawardene NN, Xia JW, Yanez-Morales MJ, Yurkov A, Zamora JC, Zare R, Zhang CL, Thines M 2021. Fusarium: more than a node or a foot-shaped basal cell. Studies in Mycology(98). WOS:000709872500001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.simyco.2021.100116

Grey ABJ, Cadelis MM, Diao YW, Park D, Lumley T, Weir BS, Copp BR, Wiles S 2021. Screening of fungi for antimycobacterial activity using a medium-throughput bioluminescence-based assay. Frontiers in Microbiology 12. WOS:000717534900001 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.739995

O'Hanlon R, Destefanis M, Milenkovic I, Tomsovsky M, Janousek J, Bellgard SE, Weir BS, Kudlacek T, Jung MH, Jung T 2021. Two new Nothophytophthora species from streams in Ireland and Northern Ireland: Nothophytophthora irlandica and N. lirii sp. nov. PLOS One 16(5). WOS:000664633500010 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250527

Cadelis MM, Gordon H, Grey A, Geese S, Mulholland DR, Weir BS, Copp BR, Wiles S 2021. Isolation of a Novel Polyketide from Neodidymelliopsis sp. Molecules 26(11). WOS:000660387000001 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113235

Cadelis MM, Geese S, Uy BB, Mulholland DR, van de Pas SJ, Grey A, Weir BS, Copp BR, Wiles S 2021. Antimicrobial Metabolites against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from the Endophytic Fungus Neofusicoccum australe. Molecules 26(4): 1094. WOS:000624139600001 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26041094

Shi WY, Sun QL, Fan GM, Hideaki S, Moriya O, Itoh T, Zhou YG, Cai M, Kim SG, Lee JS, Sedlacek I, Arahal DR, Lucena T, Kawasaki H, Evtushenko L, Weir BS, Alexander S, Denes D, Tanasupawat S, Eurwilaichitr L, Ingsriswang S, Gomez-Gil B, Hazbon MH, Riojas MA, Suwannachart C, Yao S, Vandamme P, Peng F, Chen ZH, Liu DM, Sun XQ, Zhang XJ, Zhou YC, Meng Z, Wu LH, Ma JC 2021. gcType: a high-quality type strain genome database for microbial phylogenetic and functional research. Nucleic Acids Research 49(D1): D694-D705. WOS:000608437800088 https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaa957

Bradshaw RE, Bellgard SE, Black A, Burns BR, Gerth ML, McDougal RL, Scott PM, Waipara NW, Weir BS, Williams NM, Winkworth RC, Ashcroft T, Bradley EL, Dijkwel PP, Guo Y, Lacey RF, Mesarich CH, Panda P, Horner IJ 2020. Phytophthora agathidicida: research progress, cultural perspectives and knowledge gaps in the control and management of kauri dieback in New Zealand. Plant Pathology 69(1): 3-16. WOS:000494520200001 https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.13104

Cadelis MM, Geese S, Gris L, Weir BS, Copp BR, Wiles S 2020. A Revised structure and assigned absolute configuration of Theissenolactone A. Molecules 25(20). WOS:000585532300001 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25204823

Dillon MM, Almeida RND, Laflamme B, Martel A, Weir BS, Desveaux D, Guttman DS 2019. Molecular evolution of Pseudomonas syringae Type III secreted effector proteins. Frontiers in Plant Science 10. WOS:000463470400001 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00418

Pain NA, Weir BS, Burgess LW, Phanthavong S, Balmas V, Schneider M 2019. First report of Coniella hibisci causing leaf and stem canker in the Lao PDR. Australasian Plant Disease Notes 14(1). WOS:000475522500001 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13314-019-0352-7

Dillon MM, Thakur S, Almeida RND, Wang PW, Weir BS, Guttman DS 2019. Recombination of ecologically and evolutionarily significant loci maintains genetic cohesion in the Pseudomonas syringae species complex. Genome Biology 20. WOS:000454891900003 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-018-1606-y

Fokin M, Fleetwood D, Weir BS, Villas-Boas S 2017. Genome sequence of the saprophytic ascomycete Epicoccum nigrum strain ICMP 19927, isolated from New Zealand. Genome Announcements 5(24): e00557-17. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00557-17

Shirouzu T, Hosaka K, Nam K-O, Weir BS, Johnston PR, Hosoya T 2017. Phylogenetic relationships of eight new Dacrymycetes collected from New Zealand. Persoonia 38: 156–169. https://doi.org/10.3767/003158517X695280

Lopes-Santos L, Castro DBA, Ferreira-Tonin M, Corrêa DBA, Weir BS, Park D, Ottoboni LMM, Neto JR, Destéfano SAL 2017. Reassessment of the taxonomic position of Burkholderia andropogonis and description of Robbsia andropogonis gen. nov., comb. nov. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 110(6): 727–736. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-017-0842-6

Johnston PR, Weir BS, Cooper JA 2017. Open data on fungi and bacterial plant pathogens in New Zealand. Mycology 8(2): 59–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/21501203.2016.1278409

Phillips RL, Song B, McMillan AMS, Grelet G, Weir BS, Palmada T, Tobias C 2016. Chemical formation of hybrid di-nitrogen calls fungal codenitrification into question. Scientific Reports 6: 39077. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep39077

Shivas RG, Tan YP, Edwards J, Dinh Q, Maxwell A, Andjic V, Liberato JR, Anderson C, Beasley DR, Bransgrove K, Coates LM, Cowan K, Daniel R, Dean JR, Lomavatu MF, Mercado-Escueta D, Mitchell RW, Thangavel R, Tran-Nguyen LTT, Weir BS 2016. Colletotrichum species in Australia. Australasian Plant Pathology 45(5): 447–464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13313-016-0443-2

Réblová M, Miller AN, Rossman AY, Seifert KA, Crous PW, Hawksworth DL, Abdel-Wahab MA, Cannon PF, Daranagama DA, De Beer ZW, Huang S-K, Hyde KD, Jayawardena R, Jaklitsch W, Jones EBG, Ju Y-M, Judith C, Maharachchikumbura SSN, Pang K-L, Petrini LE, Raja HA, Romero AI, Shearer C, Senanayake IC, Voglmayr H, Weir BS, Wijayawarden NN 2016. Recommendations for competing sexual-asexually typified generic names in Sordariomycetes (except Diaporthales, Hypocreales, and Magnaporthales) IMA Fungus 7(1): 131–153. https://doi.org/10.5598/imafungus.2016.07.01.08

Callaghan SE, Puno VI, Williams AP, Weir BS, Balmas V, Sengsoulichan K, Phantavong S, Keovorlajak T, Phitsanoukane P, Xomphouthilath P, Phapmixay KS, Vilavong S, Liew ECY, Duckitt GS, Burgess LW 2016. First report of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum in the Lao PDR. Australasian Plant Disease Notes 11: 9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13314-016-0191-8

Thakur S, Weir BS, Guttman D 2016. Phytopathogen genome announcement: draft genome sequences of 62 Pseudomonas syringae type and pathotype strains. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 29(4): 243–246. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-01-16-0013-TA

Macedo DM, Pereira OL, Hora Júnior BT, Weir BS, Barreto RW 2016. Mycobiota of the weed Tradescantia fluminensis in its native range in Brazil with particular reference to classical biological control. Australasian Plant Pathology 45(1): 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13313-015-0388-x

Phillips R, Grelet G, McMillan A, Song B, Weir B, Palmada T, Tobias C 2016. Fungal denitrification: Bipolaris sorokiniana exclusively denitrifies inorganic nitrogen in the presence and absence of oxygen. FEMS Microbiology Letters 363(4): fnw007. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnw007

Lopes-Santos L, Castro DBA, Ottoboni LMM, Park D, Weir BS, Destéfano SAL 2015. Draft genome sequence of Burkholderia andropogonis type strain ICMP2807, isolated from Sorghum bicolor. Genome Announcements 3(3): e00455-15. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00455-15

Weir BS, Paderes EP, Ananth N, Uchida JY, Pennycook SR, Bellgard SE, Beever RE 2015. A taxonomic revision of Phytophthora Clade 5 including two new species, Phytophthora agathidicida and P. cocois. Phytotaxa 205(1): 21–38. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.205.1.2

Liu F, Weir BS, Damm U, Crous PW, Wang Y, Liu B, Wang M, Zhang M, Cai L 2015. Unravelling Colletotrichum species associated with Camellia: employing ApMat and GS loci to resolve species in the C. gloeosporioides complex. Persoonia 35: 63–86. https://doi.org/10.3767/003158515X687597

Ireland KB, Weir BS, Phantavong S, Phitsanoukane P, Vongvichid K, Vilavong S, Tesoriero LA, Burgess LW 2014. First report of Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group AG-4 HG-I in the Lao PDR. Australasian Plant Disease Notes 10: 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13314-014-0152-z

Taylor RK, Chapman JR, Romberg MK, Weir BS, Vanneste J, Everett R, Ward LI, Liefting LW, Lebas BSM, Alexander BJR 2014. Diagnostic challenges for the detection of emerging pathogens: a case study involving the incursion of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae in New Zealand. In: Gullino ML, Bonants PJM ed. Detection and diagnostics of plant pathogens. Plant Pathology in the 21st Century. 5. Dordrecht, Springer Netherlands. Pp. 71–86https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9020-8_5

Weir B 2014. How to get good fungal and bacterial identifications from GenBank sequences. NZ Rhizobia. http://www.rhizobia.co.nz/ids-using-genbank, updated 29 October 2014.

Schoch CL, Robbertse B, Robert V, Vu D, Cardinali G, Irinyi L, Meyer W, Nilsson RH, Hughes KJD, Miller AN, Kirk PM, Abarenkov K, Aime MC, Ariyawansa HA, Bidartondo M, Boekhout T, Buyck B, Cai Q, Chen J, Crespo A, Crous PW, Damm U, De Beer ZW, Dentinger BTM, Divakar PK, Dueñas M, Feau N, Fliegerova K, García MA, Ge Z-W, Griffith GW, Groenewald JZ, Groenewald M, Grube M, Gryzenhout M, Gueidan C, Guo L, Hambleton S, Hamelin R, Hansen K, Hofstetter V, Hong S-B, Houbraken J, Hyde KD, Inderbitzin P, Johnston PR, Karunarathna SC, Kõljalg U, Kovács GM, Kraichak E, Krizsan K, Kurtzman CP, Larsson K-H, Leavitt S, Letcher PM, Liimatainen K, Liu J-K, Lodge DJ, Luangsa-ard JJ, Lumbsch HT, Maharachchikumbura SSN, Manamgoda D, Martín MP, Minnis AM, Moncalvo J-M, Mulè G, Nakasone KK, Niskanen T, Olariaga I, Papp T, Petkovits T, Pino-Bodas R, Powell MJ, Raja HA, Redecker D, Sarmiento-Ramirez JM, Seifert KA, Shrestha B, Stenroos S, Stielow B, Suh S-O, Tanaka K, Tedersoo L, Telleria MT, Udayanga D, Untereiner WA, Uribeondo JD, Subbarao KV, Vágvölgyi C, Visagie C, Voigt K, Walker DM, Weir BS, Weiß M, Wijayawardene NN, Wingfield MJ, Xu JP, Yang ZL, Zhang N, Zhuang W-Y, Federhen S 2014. Finding needles in haystacks: linking scientific names, reference specimens and molecular data for Fungi. Database 2014: bau061. https://doi.org/10.1093/database/bau061

Weir BS, Johnston PR 2013. [Abstract] Recent changes in Colletotrichum taxonomy. Proceedings: 19th Australasian Plant Pathology Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 25-28 November 2013. http://www.apps2013.co.nz/file/APPS2013-full-programme-final.pdf

Dhami MK, Weir BS, Taylor MW, Beggs JR 2013. Diverse honeydew-consuming fungal communities associated with scale insects. PLOS One 8(7): e70316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070316

Padamsee MB, S., Dickie I, Fraser S, Park D, Stevenson B, Weir B 2012. [Poster abstract] Stuff in Duff: a metagenomic study of fungi in kauri forests. Proceedings: 80th Meeting of the Mycological Society of America, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 15-18 July 2012. http://msafungi.org/wp-content/uploads/Inoculum/63%283%29.pdf

Cannon PF, Damm U, Johnston PR, Weir BS 2012. Colletotrichum - current status and future directions. Studies in mycology 73(1): 181-213. https://doi.org/10.3114/sim0014

Weir BS, Johnston PR, Damm U 2012. The Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex. Studies in mycology 73(1): 115-80. https://doi.org/10.3114/sim0011

Tan HW, Weir BS, Carter N, Heenan PB, Ridgway HJ, James EK, Sprent JI, Young JPW, Andrews M 2012. Rhizobia with 16S rRNA and nifH similar to Mesorhizobium huakuii but novel recA, glnII, nodA and nodC genes are symbionts of New Zealand Carmichaelinae. PLOS One 7(10): e47677. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0047677

Chapman JR, Taylor RK, Weir BS, Romberg MK, Vanneste JL, Luck J, Alexander BJR 2012. Phylogenetic relationships among global populations of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. Phytopathology 102(11): 1034-1044. https://doi.org/10.1094/phyto-03-12-0064-r

Schoch CL, Seifert KA, Huhndorf S, Robert V, Spouge JL, Levesque CA, Chen W, Weir BS, Johnston PR, Park D, Consortium FB 2012. Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region as a universal DNA barcode marker for Fungi. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109(16): 6241-6246. WOS:000303246100068 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1117018109

Damm U, Cannon PF, Woudenberg JHC, Johnston PR, Weir BS, Tan YP, Shivas RG, Crous PW 2012. The Colletotrichum boninense species complex. Studies in mycology 73: 1-36. https://doi.org/10.3114/sim0002

Hawksworth DL, Crous PW, Redhead SA, Reynolds DR, Samson R, Seifert KA, Taylor JW, Wingfield MJ, Johnston P, Pennycook SR, Weir B, al. e 2011. The Amsterdam declaration on fungal nomenclature. IMA fungus 2(1): 105-112. https://doi.org/10.5598/imafungus.2011.02.01.14

Weir BS, Johnston PR 2010. Characterisation and neotypification of Gloeosporium kaki Hori as Colletotrichum horii nom. nov. Mycotaxon 111: 209-219.

Liefting LW, Sutherland PW, Ward LI, Paice KL, Weir BS, Clover GRG 2009. A new 'Candidatus Liberibacter' species associated with diseases of solanaceous crops. Plant disease 93(3): 208-214. https://doi.org/10.1094/pdis-93-3-0208

Cai L, Hyde KD, Taylor PWJ, Weir BS, Waller JM, Abang MM, Zhang JZ, Yang YL, Phoulivong S, Liu ZY, Prihastuti H, Shivas RG, McKenzie EHC, Johnston PR 2009. A polyphasic approach for studying Colletotrichum. Fungal diversity 39: 185-206.

Hyde KD, Cai L, Cannon PF, Crouch JA, Crous PW, Damm U, Goodwin PH, Chen H, Johnston PR, Jones EBG, Liu ZY, McKenzie EHC, Moriwaki J, Noireung P, Pennycook SR, Pfenning LH, Prihastuti H, Sato T, Shivas RG, Tan YP, Taylor PWJ, Weir BS, Yang YL, Zhang JZ 2009. Colletotrichum - names in current use. Fungal diversity 39: 147-183.

Liefting LW, Weir BS, Pennycook SR, Clover GRG 2009. 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum', associated with plants in the family Solanaceae. International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology 59(9): 2274-2276. https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.007377-0

Graham AB, Johnston PR, Weir BS 2009. Three new Phaeoacremonium species on grapevines in New Zealand. Australasian plant pathology 38(5): 505-513. CCC:000268975700010

Weir BS, Graham AB 2009. [Poster abstract] Simultaneous identification of multiple fungal pathogens and endophytes with database t-RFLP. Phytopathologia mediterranea 48(1): 163-164. ISI:000268263600032

Weir BS, Turner SJ, Silvester WB, Park D-C, Young JA 2004. Unexpectedly diverse Mesorhizobium strains and Rhizobium leguminosarum nodulate native legume genera of New Zealand, while introduced legume weeds are nodulated by Bradyrhizobium species. Applied and environmental microbiology 70(10): 5980-5987.

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Memberships

  • Zespri Crop Protection and Market Access Steering Group, Zespri
  • Leadership Group, EcoGene®
  • Professional Member, Royal Society New Zealand
  • Curator, ICMP culture collection
  • Treasurer and Webmaster, Fungal Network of New Zealand (FUNNZ)
  • Secretary, International Sub commission on Colletotrichum Taxonomy (ISTC)
  • Councillor, Australasian Mycological Society
  • Deputy Theme Leader, Theme 3 - Diagnostics, B3