Dr. Paul Nicholson, Designing Future Wheat, Plant Health, John Innes Centre, United Kingdom, presents, “Fusarium head blight of wheat: resistance and susceptibility”
Wednesday, October 6th, at 12:10 p.m. via Zoom.
Please contact alec.brown@wsu.edu for the Zoom URL.
I investigate diseases of wheat that involve molecular diagnostics. Specifically, resistance to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) which affects cereals. While FHB is of particular concern because the fungi produce toxins that can contaminate grain and pose a health risk to humans and animals. FHB is difficult to counter as conventional NBS-LRR type genes do not appear to play a role in resistance to this disease. Our studies reveal, in addition to alleles of genes that reduce disease, it is essential to identify and eliminate so-called susceptibility factors present that aid the fungus. In addition to working on wheat itself, we also use Brachypodium distachyon to investigate the function of deoxynivalenol on the host.
