First name,Last name,Preferred title,Overview,Position,Department,Individual
Elizabeth,Pierson,Professor,"Dr. Pierson's areas of research include plant-microbe interactions, biological control, and sustainable agriculture. She also conducts research related to zebra chip disease of potato, microbe-insect interactions, and terrestrial plant ecology. She teaches the undergraduate course Garden Science and the graduate course Plant-associated Microorganisms, which is available to students in three different graduate programs. Dr. Pierson is active in graduate education, currently serving as a member of the Horticultural Sciences Graduate Program Committee and the MEPS admissions committee and as the advisor for the Horticulture Graduate Council. She also serves as a chair or member of graduate research committees and provides undergraduate laboratory research experience.",Professor||Adjunct Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology||Horticultural Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1757e534
Won-Bo,Shim,Professor and Associate Department Head,"Fungal pathogens of cereal crops can cause devastating disruption to the global food supply, and the economic loss due to crop diseases can add up to billions of dollars annually worldwide. The Shim lab at Texas A&M University focused on studying fungal pathogens of field crops, particularly Fusarium species. Notably, hazardous Fusarium mycotoxins pose a significant threat to global food safety and human health. Crop losses as well as the regulatory, testing, and management costs associated with mycotoxins in the US tops $1 billion annually.
The Genus Fusarium has had a great negative impact on agriculture and food safety but also presents a great opportunity for answering many fundamental questions. We are pursuing new discoveries that will ultimately lead to innovative tools for controlling crop diseases and mycotoxin contamination. To broaden the impact, we are actively collaborating with colleagues at Texas A&M as well as other prominent institutions worldwide. We are also very excited about our collaborations with colleagues in Texas A&M Engineering to spearhead multidisciplinary projects that can innovate plant pathology research.",Professor and Associate Department Head,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n28234bb8
Herman,Scholthof,Professor,,Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2c6ec1cb
Charles,Rush,Professor,"The TAES plant pathology program in Amarillo/Bushland, lead by Dr. Charlie Rush, was initiated in 1986 to conduct research on economically damaging diseases of crops produced in the Texas Panhandle. Currently the lab is composed of three post docs, three technicians, and several graduate students and student workers from West Texas A&M University. Major research projects, all funded by external competitive grants, include ecology and epidemiology of karnal bunt, remote sensing to differentiate between biotic and abiotic stresses, management of sorghum ergot, and genomic variability among Benyviruses. Although Dr. Rush has no official extension responsibilities, his lab has provided plant disease diagnostic services since the lab's inception, and recently they have established a satellite diagnostic laboratory to the Great Plains Regional Diagnostic Laboratory at Kansas State University, part of the Homeland Security Plant Disease Diagnostic Network. Dr. Rush's lab is the only USDA-APHIS approved Karnal Bunt Quarantine Research Lab in the Southern Great Plains, and as such, provides a phytosanitary seed certification service that allows Texas producers to sale seed wheat outside of the state.","Director, Plant Pathology Research Program||Professor",Amarillo Research and Extension Center||Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3e78975e
Leland,Pierson,Professor and Head,,Professor and Head,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4162e884
Olufemi,Alabi,Professor & Extension Specialist,"I conduct translational studies that address immediate and long-term needs of growers and other stakeholders involved in the production of fruit and vegetable crops. My research program emphasizes virus discovery and characterization, genetic diversity and population genetics studies, and understanding of disease epidemiology. The overarching goal is to utilize the results of these studies to develop science-based disease management strategies.",Associate Professor & Extension Specialist||Professor & Extension Specialist,Plant Pathology and Microbiology||Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n61ed5404
Michael,Kolomiets,Professor,The focus of research interests of my laboratory is to investigate genes and metabolites of lipid-based biochemical and signal transduction pathways and the role they play in plant development and survival in response to pathogens.,Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n64753966
Gary,Odvody,Associate Professor,"Major diseases (pathogens) occurring on sorghum and maize. These include: charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina), sorghum downy mildew (Peronosclerospora sorghi), head smut (Sporisorium reilianum), aflatoxin (Aspergillus flavus), several foliar diseases, sorghum ergot (Claviceps africana) and grain mold (Fusarium moniliforme and F. thapsina).
Research areas for pathogens include ecology, survival, initial inoculum, pathogen variability, and host:parasite interaction (especially under stress environments). Part of a large interdisciplinary sorghum improvement team at Texas A&M that is active globally through INTSORMIL research activities.",Associate Professor||Associate Professor,Corpus Christi Research and Extension Center||Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n6f440d68
Carlos,Gonzalez,Professor,Research in my laboratory encompasses a range of studies that address the genetics of virulence and pathogenicity. The model systems used in our studies are members of the Burkholderia Cepacia Complex (BCC) composed of nine species. The BCC are recognized as significant pathogens in cystic fibrosis patients. We are currently studying secretion systems responsible for export of a cytotoxic protein(s) in both B. cepacia (plant pathogen) and B. cenocepacia (human pathogen) to determine common mechanisms for pathogenicity. In addition we are conducting genomic analysis of BCC bacteriophage.,Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7a3b6b1f
Sanjay,Antony Babu,Assistant Professor,"Plants are in constant interactions with a large diversity of microorganisms, that belong to various biological kingdoms including archaea, bacteria, fungi and protista. In nature, these inter-kingdom interactions can be both cooperative and detrimental to the host-plants. My major research focus is to understand the dynamics of inter-kingdom microbiome-interactions and how it affects the crop production. We use cutting-edge culture-independent (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metabolomics) and culture-dependent (culturomics) methods combined with computational biology. We especially employ a systematics-based approach, so that we can identify individual organisms involved in these interactions, their biological functions, impacts on neighboring niches, and metabolic activity.
Current research projects
The research has several direct biotechnological applications, and the research in our lab focuses on the following:
1. Develop bioferlitizers/biopesticides: By disentangling the microbial functions that are essential for different growth stages of crop plants, we intend to develop ""soil probiotics"" to improve crop health. In order to achieve this, we study natural ecosystems and wild plants related to crops. The technology developed will be sustainable and environmentally friendly. Our current research focuses on developing microbial inoculum assemblages from teosinte (ancestor of modern maize) and transferring the microbiota to maize to improve pest and pathogen resistance.
2. Pathobiomes of plants: The concept of pathobiome is an emerging field in pathogen biology. In recent times, it has been noted that pathogens do not act alone in natural ecosystems, but along with a mob of other microorganisms. Deciphering the interaction between a plant pathogen and its associated microbiomes is necessary to understand pathogensis and also to design control measures. Research in my lab specifically focusses on mycosphere bacterial microbiota of pathogenic fungi. Our recent research focusses on pathobiomes associated with Fusarium wilt of cotton.
3. Indicators of microbial dysbiosis: Dysbiosis is a microbial imbalance caused by perturbation in an ecosystem or a niche. Plant microbiomes experience dysbiosis during biotic (disease) and abiotic (drought, flooding, heat etc) stress. We study dysbiosis to understand shift in microbial processes, detect stress indicators and design stress alleviation measures including developing microbial inoculum (biofertilizers).",Assistant Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n809679df
Daniel,Ebbole,Professor,"Development and pathogenesis share the common features of responding to environmental conditions to execute a program of gene expression resulting in new cell types.
An important question in plant pathogenesis is to understanding the functions of pathogen effectors and their host target(s). Fungal effectors play roles in suppressing host defense mechanisms, however, other biotrophic functions, such as manipulating host physiology to promote nutrient acquisition and cell-to-cell movement are possible. Therefore, identification of the full set of fungal proteins secreted during host invasion is a major effort in plant pathology research. Candidate effectors are generally identified by virtue of i) their expression in planta ii) assessing their activity on the host using purified proteins or by manipulating expression iii) detecting the rapid evolution of effector genes due to selective pressure from the host. My lab is using a combination of these approaches to identify and characterize a gene family of putative effectors from Magnaporthe oryzae, the rice blast fungus and define interactions with monocot hosts.",Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n86da3f1b
Charles,Kenerley,Professor,The long-term goal of my research program is to understand the interactions of Trichoderma species with pathogenic fungi as well as plant hosts to promote crop protection.,Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8f925111
Brian,Shaw,Professor,,Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n94f2923f
Karen-Beth,Scholthof,Professor,"My molecular plant virology research is on a virus complex of Panicum mosaic virus (PMV) and its satellite virus (SPMV). For molecular genetic studies on the PMV/SPMV virus:host interactions we are using the model grass, Brachypodium distachyon. My primary area of research is the historiography of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in the early 20th century in the United States.",Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na173b2b4
Kranthi,Mandadi,Associate Professor,"World-wide, pathogens, insects and abiotic stresses cause major losses to agricultural production and productivity. Our lab employs integrated approaches for basic and translational studies of crop stress responses in model and crops. We are using the latest genomics, genetics, and bioinformatics tools to study plant stress responses to diverse plant biotic and abiotic stress conditions, as well as enhance their stress tolerance using biotechnology and breeding tools.",Associate Professor||Associate Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology||Texas A&M AgriLife Research,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb05fab89
Heather,Wilkinson,Professor,"We apply evolutionary and ecological genetics approaches and questions to a variety of microbial systems. At the most basic level our overarching goal in my program is to elucidate the genetic basis for adaptation and/or how the patterns of associated phenotypes are distributed in nature or across environmental conditions. My strategy in research is not only to directly test hypotheses central to a specific project, but also, to concomitantly build tools and resources necessary to expand and/or redirect the scope of the project as needed due to opportunity, curiosity or both. Such tools include items like databases, well-characterized libraries of biological materials, and experimental skill-sets among personnel.",Associate Dean of Faculties||Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology||Office of the Dean of Faculties,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nbc585f10
Terry,Wheeler,Professor,,Professor||Professor,Lubbock Research and Extension Center||Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nbdd2a20f
Clint,Magill,Professor,"The use of molecular probes is allowing us to gain new insights into fungal plant pathogens and to host responses to potential pathogens. We are currently developing real-time PCR primers for two downy mildews that are considered to be a threat to maize production if introduced into the US. We are also developing PCR-based tags genes for resistance to headsmut, anthracnose, downy mildew and grain mold in sorghum. These molecular tags will be useful for breeding cultivars with more durable resistance and for cloning specific resistance genes. We have also used PCR to clone segments of the cotton and sorghum equivalents of genes that function in known host defense pathways. These clones are being used to compare the rate and timing of induction of each gene in resistant and susceptible lines following inoculation with a pathogen. Genome wide association studies are being used to identify genes associated with disease response (susceptible or resistant) to several pathogens in sorghum.",Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc127cd28
Young-Ki,Jo,Professor and Extension Specialist,"The principal focus of my research and extension deals with the management of diseases associated with turfgrass, rice, and soybean. Studies have been conducted to develop molecular identification methods of causal pathogens and to improve cultural and chemical strategies to manage diseases in the field.",Associate Professor and Extension Specialist,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne0256512