NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY2001

Martinez, James P, Arlington VA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY2001. The goal of the fellowship is to prepare minority scientists for positions of scientific leadership in academia and industry. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. This program is an effort by the NSF to increase the number of research scientists from underrepresented minority groups, thereby contributing to the future vitality of the Nation's scientific enterprise. It is expected that Fellows trained through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce. The research and training plan for this fellowship is entitled "Analysis of a host-selective toxin gene, ToxB, from the fungus that causes tan spot disease on wheat." Toxin production is one strategy that fungi use to infect plants. The fungus, Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, is a pathogen of wheat due to the production of host-selective toxins. To better understand how this pathogen interacts with its host, this research is characterizing a toxin gene (ToxB) and its protein product(s). A similar gene (toxb) from non-pathogenic fungal isolates is also being cloned and evaluated in comparison to the pathogenic form.