Plant Pathology

Dr. Teddy Garcia-Aroca

PLANT PATHOLOGY

Characterizing soil-borne fungal pathogens composition, evolution 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. In this research project, students will collect soil samples from managed/agricultural fields (i.e. soybean, corn, and potato) and unmanaged ecosystems in Nebraska to isolate fungal isolates and assess and quantify pathogen diversity and prevalence by Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region barcoding using phylogenetics and population genetics approaches.

Dr. Hernan Garcia-Ruiz

PLANT PATHOLOGY

Unraveling plant susceptibility to viruses

Research in the Plant Virology Laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant-virus interactions, specifically identifying and characterizing plant genes, determining susceptibility to viruses, deciphering antiviral immunity in plants, and gaining insight into the mechanisms of pathogenicity in viruses. 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 Kim

PLANT PATHOLOGY

Identifying genes conferring resistance to rust pathogens in corn

Corn rust diseases, caused by the obligate biotrophic fungi Puccinia sorghi and Puccinia polysora are among the most significant diseases in corn and a critical area of study in plant pathology. In this REU site, students will inoculate corn progeny lines  with P. polysora 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 P. polysora 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. Thiago Maia

PLANT PATHOLOGY

Understanding the impact of salt stress effects on flowering transition and photosynthesis

Soil salinization is a global challenge, affecting more than one-third of irrigated farmland. In contrast to other abiotic stressors, salinity persists throughout the plant’s life cycle and often co-occurs with biotic stress, increasing crop vulnerability and limiting productivity in salt-affected regions. Students participating in this REU will conduct experiments in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to evaluate how flowering time and photosynthetic efficiency are co-regulated under salt stress.

Dr. Clemencia Rojas

PLANT PATHOLOGY

Identifying bacterial virulence factors targeting plant vesicle trafficking pathways underlying defense responses

The plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae causes disease in a wide range of plants. To cause disease, this pathogen injects bacterial proteins into the plant cytoplasm, but the specific function of those proteins enabling disease is still unknown. In this REU, students will evaluate how bacteria proteins interfere with the function of plant proteins that are part of the plant defense apparatus.

Dr. Richard Wilson

PLANT PATHOLOGY

Elucidating the integration of growth in living plant cells with host innate immunity suppression by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

Magnaporthe oryzae is a fungal pathogen causing a devastating disease in rice. During plant infection, M. oryzae intracellular invasive hyphae that are wrapped in host-derived membranes, forming an interface for deploying plant-immune suppressing protein effectors and for exchanging nutrients.  The students involved with this REU project will help generate and/ or characterize mutant strains of M. oryzae, which lack genes required for balancing fungal growth with plant defense suppression.