THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE MISSION OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BY ADDRESSING THE HATCH ACT AREA(S) OF: PLANT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION, PROTECTION, AND HEALTH; MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; BIOTECHNOLOGYSTRIPE RUST IS A DEVASTATING FUNGAL DISEASE THAT THREATENS GLOBAL WHEAT PRODUCTION, WITH ESTIMATED GLOBAL LOSSES OF AROUND 1 BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR. RECENTLY, THE WTK1 GENE WAS IDENTIFIED FROM A WILD WHEAT RELATIVE THAT PROVIDES BROAD-SPECTRUM RESISTANCE AGAINST THE FUNGAL PATHOGEN CAUSING STRIPE RUST. DESPITE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DISEASE, HOW WTK1 CONFERS DISEASE RESISTANCE REMAINS UNKNOWN. THIS GRANT WILL FOCUS ON IDENTIFYING HOW WTK1 PERCEIVES THE FUNGAL PATHOGEN CAUSING STRIPE RUST AND SIGNALS INSIDE WHEAT CELLS TO CONFER DISEASE RESISTANCE USING CUTTING-EDGE PROTEIN-PROTEIN AND GENOME EDITING TECHNOLOGIES. A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF WTK1-MEDIATED DISEASE RESISTANCE WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT MECHANISTIC INSIGHT INTO SIGNALING NETWORKS IN PLANT DISEASE RESISTANCE. A KEY GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INTEGRATE RESEARCH WITH THE TEACHING AND TRAINING OF A DIVERSE STUDENT BODY. THE PI WILL COLLABORATE WITH A LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOL TO DEVELOP HANDS-ON PLANT LABORATORY MODULES THAT WILL UTILIZE WHEAT GENETICS TO ILLUSTRATE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN GENOTYPE AND PHENOTYPE. THESE LABORATORY MODULES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE 7TH GRADE SCIENCE CURRICULUM, WILL BE INEXPENSIVE, SUSTAINABLE, AND REACH >1,000 STUDENTS DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT.

University Of California, Davis

Investigators