Pathogen Biology and Genetics (PBG)
| PBG Research Area Committee Members as of: 1/1/20 |
| Chair, Todd Ward, USDA-ARS, Peoria, IL |
| Vice-Chair, Tom Baldwin, USDA-ARS, Aberdeen, ID |
| Lisa Vaillancourt, University of Kentucky |
| Martha Vaughan, USDA-ARS, IN |
Program Description
Research in this area includes studies that address mycotoxin biosynthesis in vivo or in planta, host/parasite interactions, and host resistance mechanisms that target the pathogen. Research in PBG should complement and be linked to whole plant research that will lead to disease control and/or toxin reduction strategies.
FY20-21 Research Priorities Derived from Action Plan Goals:
- Characterize plant-fungal interactions to identify important genes, proteins or small molecules that may be used to develop FHB resistance or to reduce DON contamination in barley and wheat.
- Gain new understanding of initial fungal infection that may be utilized to boost FHB resistance.
- Discover epiphytic or endophytic microbes or microbial communities and viruses that may be useful for development of effective biological control practices for FHB.
- Develop an improved understanding of plant-pathogen interactions in relation to abiotic factors and identify genes or genetic variants that contribute to pathogen adaptation to wheat and barley agroecosystems.
Current version of Action Plan (Updated: 5/31/19)
| Summary of Funding | ||
| FY18 (2018-19) | FY19 (2019-20) | |
| Number of Projects: | 6 | 5 |
| Number of PIs: | 6 | 5 |
| Total Award Amount: | $250,182 | $254,420 |
| % Total Rec. Funding: | 4.24% | 4.18% |
| Research Projects: | FY18 | FY19 |
Research Reports/Publications
- Regional and field-specific differences in Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with blighted North Carolina wheatInternational Journal of Food Microbiology, June 2020, Volume 323
- Variable interactions between non-cereal grasses and Fusarium graminearum
Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, May 2019, Volume 41, Issue 3, Pages 450-456 - Population Genetics of Fusarium graminearum at the Interface of Wheat and Wild Grass Communities in New York
Phytopathology, May 2019, Volume 109, No. 12, Pages 2124-2131 - Surface interactions of Fusarium graminearum on barley
Published in Molecular Plant Pathogology,(2018)19(6), pp. 1332–1342 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12616 - Report: 2008 USWBSI PBG Planning Meeting
- Gene Sequencing Data - Fusarium graminearum Genomics
- Histology of Fusarium Head Blight - Selected References (PDF)
