Immunity and Crop Species

Tomato leaves infected with Pseudomonas syringae (top) or uninfected (bottom)

Pathogens cause significant crop losses in the absence of durable resistance. This can be exacerbated as pathogens move into new territories. We are interested in using natural genetic diversity to identify genes that can protect plants from pathogens. We have developed new approaches to identify resistance to pathogens in a variety of plant species.