Black root rot is a recognised threat to the cotton industry, yet current management strategies are insufficient for disease control. Thus, further research is required in order to develop new strategies to reduce the impact of the disease on the cotton industry. To achieve this, we must first gain understanding of the steps crucial for completing the life cycle of the pathogen, T. basicola, to be able to control the disease in a sustainable manner, i.e. with reduced input, increased profit and reduced negative environmental impact.Understanding the interactions between the pathogen and the plant requires a multidiscipline study involving collaborations among scientists expert in research fields such as microbiology, plant biology, soil biology, fungal genetics, molecular biology and agronomy. It is extremely important to train and educate students in these fields towards understanding plant disease and its management.The summer student Ms Anna Balzer, got intensive training in molecular biology and microbiology, particularly in handling the fungal pathogen T. basicola, and in conducting pathogenicity assays to assess black root rot in cotton. She also conducted assays to examine pathogenicity-related properties in T. basicola, to further our understanding of factors involved in its virulence towards plants. One of the highlights from the results is the optimisation of a minimal growth medium for the fungus, which will facilitate further studies of pathogenicity related traits of T. basicola.