We are interested in understanding how plants defend themselves against pathogens. We study the HopZ family of type III effector proteins from Pseudomonas syringae and the immune responses they elicit in plant hosts. We use many different techniques to investigate plant immunity, including genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, genomics, high-throughput screens, and next-generation sequencing. Our long-term goals are to understand the molecular mechanisms of plant immunity, and to identify strategies for durable resistance in plants. We are a collaborative group of scientists who are committed to creativity, curiosity and excellence in science, training the next generation of scientists, and fostering a welcoming environment that values all people.
 
The Lewis Lab is located at the Plant Gene Expression Center (PGEC) in Albany, California and is part of a unique collaboration between the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture and the Plant and Microbial Biology Department at the University of California, Berkeley.
 
 

Lab interacts with local farmers

Live Earth Farm
Fresh from the Farm: A conversation with growers, connecting farmers with scientists.

Rachelle presents at the RCNR research symposium!

Undergraduate student Rachelle Punsalan presented her research at the RCNR honors symposium!

Congratulations Lewis Lab Graduates 2025!

Graduation cap
Congratulations to Rachelle Punsalan, Alisia Silva and Louis Sharratt on obtaining their B.Sc. degrees!

Research Highlight

Our collaborative paper with Bryan Swingle has been accepted at Frontiers in Microbiology!

Research Highlight

The Plant Cell
Our collaborative paper with Yasu Kadota and Ken Shirasu is now available online at The Plant Cell!

Research Highlight

Frontiers
Jana's first-author paper is available online in Frontiers in Plant Science!

Research Highlight

Plant Physiology
Nate's first-author paper is available online in Plant Physiology!

Congratulations Dr. Nathan Diplock!

Nate Commencement 2024
Nate Diplock has successfully finished his dissertation and is now Dr. Diplock!

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