REU site: Immersive research experiences in Plant Pathology to inspire emerging scientists
Plants get sick too
Pending funding approval.
Description
Plant Pathology is a scientific discipline that investigates plant diseases, which traditionally have been explained by the “disease triangle” model, comprised of host, pathogen and environment and their interactions. These three components frame Plant Pathology in the intersection of other scientific disciplines such as Plant Biology, Plant Physiology, Microbiology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology.
In this REU, students will participate in research activities on fundamental aspects of Plant Pathology including the diversity of plant pathogens, mechanisms of pathogenesis by different groups of plant pathogens, and processes operating in plants to recognize and respond to those pathogens and other types of stress.
See the list below for associated mentors and projects.
Benefits
- Competitive stipend: $6,500
- Suite-style room and meal plan
- Travel expenses to and from Lincoln
- Campus parking and/or bus pass
- Full access to the Campus Recreation Center and campus library system
- Wireless internet access
Learn more about academic and financial benefits.
Events
- Department seminars and presentations
- Professional development workshops (e.g., applying to graduate school, taking the GRE)
- Welcome picnic
- Day trip to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
- Outdoor adventures
- Research symposium
Questions about this program?
Please direct any questions related to this program to:
Clemencia Rojas: 314-600-7329 • crojas2@unl.edu
Assistant Professor > Department of Plant Pathology
Who Should Apply
Related Fields of Study
- Plant Breeding
- Plant Production and Management
- Plant Biology
- Rangeland Ecology
- Soil Management
- Environmental Sciences
- Microbiology
- Agricultural Technology
- Environmental Horticulture
Eligibility
Participation in the Nebraska Summer Research Program is limited to students who meet the following criteria:
- U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Current undergraduate with at least one semester of coursework remaining before obtaining a bachelor's degree
See Eligibility for more information.
How to apply
Follow the application steps to submit the following materials.
Mentors and Projects
| MENTORS | PROJECTS |
|---|---|
Dr. Teddy Garcia-ArocaPLANT PATHOLOGY | Soil-borne fungal pathogen evolution, diversity and prevalence across ecosystems Soil-borne fungal plant pathogens are a significant concern in agriculture and natural ecosystems as they can lead to substantial crop losses and affect plant health and biodiversity. Studying their distribution and diversity is crucial for understanding their ecological roles, predicting disease outbreaks, and developing effective management strategies. To better understand soil-borne pathogen prevalence, students will use representative isolates from genetically distinct populations to conduct in vitro tests using different physical conditions such as temperature, pH gradients, and nitrogen concentrations to determine optimum growth rates and predict pathogen resilience under complex environmental conditions. |
Dr. Hernan Garcia-RuizPLANT PATHOLOGY | Unraveling plant susceptibility to viruses Plant viruses suppress plant antiviral mechanisms to cause disease. In this REU site, students will use a combination of genetic, genomic, and bioinformatic approaches to identify and characterize plant susceptibility genes to plant viruses and with antiviral activity, as well as identify and characterize silencing suppressors in plant viruses and non-viral pathogens. |
Dr. Saet-Byul KimPLANT PATHOLOGY | Identifying genes conferring resistance to rust pathogens in corn Corn rust diseases are among the most significant diseases in corn. Despite their importance, much remains to be learned about rust disease resistance. In this REU site, students will inoculate corn with rust-causing pathogens and will use genetic markers to genotype those lines and associate genotypes with resistance or susceptible phenotypes. In parallel to investigating the genetic basis of resistance in corn, students will also contribute to gaining insight into rust pathogenesis by cloning fungal genes as translational fusions to the gene encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP) to evaluate their subcellular localization in plants. |
Dr. Clemencia RojasPLANT PATHOLOGY | Identifying bacterial virulence factors targeting plant vesicle trafficking underlying defense responses The pathogenic bacterium of P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) causes disease in tomato and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Pseudomonas syringae causes diseases in a wide range of host plants. The pathogenicity of Pst DC3000 is due to the injection of a plethora of 36 bacterial proteins known as effectors into plants via the type III secretion system. In this REU project, undergraduate students will monitor how bacterial proteins counteract plant defense responses by live-cell imaging and molecular and biochemical assays. |
Dr. Richard WilsonPLANT PATHOLOGY | Elucidating the integration of growth in living plant cells with host innate immunity suppression by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae The fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae is a threat to rice production worldwide. The fungus causes disease by establishing intimate contact with living host cells. The students involved with this REU project will help generate and/ or characterize mutant strains of the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae using diverse microscopy techniques to visualize specific infection structures and omics approaches to gain deeper understanding of how the pathogen thrives in the host plant. |
Dr. Lirong ZengPLANT PATHOLOGY | Characterizations of epitaxial complex oxide thin films and heterostructures The endoplasmic reticulum plays an essential role in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stress. In this REU, students will contribute to the molecular characterization ER proteins participating in these plant responses to stress. |
Funding
Funding for this research program will generously be provided by grants from:
NSF - National Science Foundation
