FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT (FHB) HAS BEEN AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT DISEASES OF WHEAT AND BARLEY IN THE U.S. DURING THE LAST TWO DECADES. THE FUNGUS THAT CAUSES THE DISEASE ALSO CONTAMINATES GRAIN WITH VOMITOXIN, A MYCOTOXIN WHOSE PRESENCE IN THE HUMAN DIET IS A FOOD SAFETY CONCERN. DESPITE YEARS OF EFFORT, CLASSICAL PLANT BREEDING APPROACHES HAVE NOT YET DEVELOPED CROP VARIETIES HIGHLY RESISTANCE TO FHB. THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND ON A CELLULAR LEVEL HOW THE FUNGUS MAKES VOMITOXIN IN ORDER TO DEVISE NOVEL STRATEGIES FOR INHIBITING TOXIN PRODUCTION AND THEREBY, PREVENTING PLANT DISEASE. BY UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDAMENTAL MECHANISMS BY WHICH THE FHB PATHOGEN SYNTHESIZES VOMITOXIN, WE MAY BE ABLE TO DEVELOP NOVEL CONTROL MEASURES BASED ON THE ESSENTIAL PROCESSES OF TOXIN SYNTHESIS, EXPORT OR TOLERANCE. IT ALSO MAY BE POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP NON-TOXIC CHEMICAL TREATMENTS THAT SPECIFICALLY TARGET VOMITOXIN SYNTHESIS IN THE FUNGUS. TRANSGENIC CROPS WITH REDUCED CAPACITY TO ACCUMULATE VOMITOXIN, HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF U.S. AGRICULTURE. TRANSGENIC APPROACHES BASED ON FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE PATHOGEN MAY BE THE BEST APPROACH FOR LONG TERM CROP IMPROVEMENT FOR FHB RESISTANCE AND REDUCED MYCOTOXIN CONTENT OF GRAIN.