Fungi are major pathogens of plants. We are interested in understanding how fungi manipulate plant cells to cause disease and how plant cells respond to the invading fungi. To answer these questions, we study rice blast disease caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. Rice blast remains one of the world's most devastating diseases, destroying enough rice to feed more than 60 million people each year. In addition to its economic significance, rice blast is a model system for the study of plant-fungal interactions. We hope that our research will have translational value for controlling rice blast and other fungal diseases. Our laboratory is located in the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.
University of Georgia, Department of Plant Biology, Athens, GA 30602