It feeds on flesh, it kills but can’t be killed, and it’s coming for your fruits and veggies.

That’s right, I’m talking about Botrytis cinerea, a widespread necrotrophic fungal pathogen that affects over 200 different plant species, including common food crops.

Tune in to learn:

  • What this fungus looks like, how it’s transmitted to plants, and what happens once a plant is infected
  • Plant defenses – how plants use small interfering RNA and extracellular vesicles to disrupt the production of fungal proteins
  • What allows certain plants to grow toward the sun
  • New insight into what might enable this fungus to be so widespread and difficult to kill

PhD candidate at UC Riverside, Claire Whitaker, spends her days studying the relationship between this deadly fungus and its host, using Arabidopsis thaliana as the model plant in the lab. More specifically, she’s looking for certain fungal proteins responsible for the virulence of the fungus. She discusses the mode of transmission and method of attack, the use of fungicides, plant physiology, extracellular vesicles, and much more.

Press play for all the details.

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3bO8R6q

Subscribe, Review, Listen:
Tags
Plant-Pathogen Interactions
Share This Podcast

Latest Podcasts

Using Vertical Farming Technology To Revolutionize The Food Industry With Eddy Badrina

Joining us today is Eddy Badrina, the CEO of Eden Green Technology and co-founder of BuzzShift. With Buzzshift being a digital growth agency and Eden Green Technology being a vertical farming company, Eddy utilizes his knowledge of sales and advertising strategies to innovate every industry he works in. Eden Green Technology is Eddy’s primary business focus – an AgTech solution…Read More

Bringing Science To Gardening With Plant And Soil Expert Ashley Esakin

Are you ready to step up your gardening knowledge? In this episode, we chat with soil scientist Ashley Esakin about her informative Youtube channel, Gardening in Canada. Here, Ashley brings science to gardening in a way that is both informative and helpful to those learning how to garden. Ashley has a background in soil science and is currently pursuing a…Read More

Talking Sustainability And Healthy Gut Health In Animals With Todd Riley Callaway

Today we connect with Todd Riley Callaway to discuss microbiome and dairy science-related issues. Todd is an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia, where he unravels “the microbial ecology of the gut in food animals, and how this can affect foodborne pathogenic bacterial populations as well as antimicrobial resistance transfer.” Todd…Read More

Diving Into Bioprocessing And Nutrition Sciences With Professor John Sheppard

John Sheppard joins this episode to discuss the biological processes attached to beer fermentation. As a Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at NC State, John teaches in the Bioprocessing Science major with particular interests in upstream processes and validation. Click play and you will discover: The difference between major beer production and craft beer production….Read More

Diving Into The Intriguing World Of Plant-Fungal Interactions With Professor Katie J. Field

Joining the podcast today is Katie J. Field, Professor of Plant-Soil Processes at The University of Sheffield. With a deep fascination for plant and fungal interactions, Katie spends her time exploring the huge impact this relationship has on the world we live in today. Presently, Katie’s research focuses on plant-fungal symbioses and their applications in sustainable agriculture, and the evolution,…Read More