Gayan Abeysinghe

Gayan Abeysinghe, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral research associate in the Texas A&M University Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology. During his doctoral research, he characterized the mutualistic relationship between the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans and the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis providing evidence of their spatial and metabolic interaction that facilitates inter-species communication, thereby exploring untraveled environmental niches and obtaining nutrients. He further explored environmental fungal and bacterial species specific and global regulators of the interaction dynamics which are important in driving the fungal-bacterial dialog in their natural ecological context. His current research includes investigating plant-pathobiome as it harbors a unique niche for microbial interactions. This work will impart insights into the inter-kingdom interactions in the mycosphere and the influence of microbiota on the virulence of the pathogen. As an early career researcher, Gayan has authored and coauthored journal articles, book chapters, and conference abstracts and also works as a peer reviewer for select journals.