Graduate Programs in the Life Sciences

Research Focus

My research focuses on the diseases of apple and how to manage them. Fire blight, a disease caused by bacteria, has been of particular concern since it is so unpredictable, damaging, and difficult to control. We are studying how the bacteria grow on apple flowers prior to infecting them, and how the bacteria enter the rootstocks of trees and then multiply and kill the whole tree. We are applying a range of techniques to control fire blight, including biologicals and resistance inducers, as well as developing resistant varieties and rootstocks. We have worked with breeders using conventional techniques, and are also using biotechnology to transfer resistance genes more precisely. Both techniques have been successful, but will be considerably enhanced by the development of genomics technologies for apple. We are continuing to collaborate with Colombian scientists on improvement of the coffee plant using similar techniques to those used with apple.