Graduate Programs in the Life Sciences

Research Focus

My responsibility for work on diseases of tree fruit evolved to emphasize molecular genetic studies on phytopathogenic bacteria, particularly the fire blight pathogen, Erwinia amylovora. Research studies over the last two decades resulted in the identification and characterization of many hrp genes that encode products critical to disease development and several plant proteins with which the bacterial proteins interact. Present research involves characterizing the genome of E. amylovora, and determining the possible role of several genes and gene products in interactions with host and non-host plants. Additionally, the genetic basis of host-specificity of strains of the fire blight pathogen for plants of two subfamilies of the Rosaceae family of plants is being explored. Also, we seek to genetically engineer more effective strains of non-pathogenic bacteria for use in biological control of fire blight. Recently, my program began to address bacterial disease problems of onions, in collaboration with others.