PLANT DISEASES CAUSED BY BACTERIA AND OTHER MICROBES CAUSE LOSSES IN YIELD AND QUALITY IN CROPS WE DEPEND ON FOR FOOD, FEED, FIBER, FUEL, AND ORNAMENTATION. EFFECTIVE, DURABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE WAYS TO PROTECT CROPS FROM DISEASE BENEFIT FARMERS AND CONSUMERS, CONTRIBUTE TO A STRONG ECONOMY, AND IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD SUPPORT FOOD SECURITY AND POLITICAL STABILITY. THE LONG-TERM GOALS SERVED BY THIS PROJECT ARE MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF PLANT DISEASE AND DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE AND DURABLE CONTROL MEASURES THAT DERIVE FROM THAT UNDERSTANDING. FOCUSING ON THE DISEASE BACTERIAL LEAF STREAK OF RICE, BOTH FOR ITS GLOBAL ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE AND AS A MODEL FOR SIMILAR DISEASES OF OTHER CROP PLANTS, THE PROJECT SEEKS TO CHARACTERIZE A PARTICULAR MOLECULAR INTERACTION BETWEEN PATHOGEN AND PLANT THAT INVOLVES NUTRIENT TRANSPORT AND IS ESSENTIAL FOR DISEASE DEVELOPMENT. THE PROJECT AIMS TO DETERMINE WHY THIS MOLECULAR INTERACTION IS ESSENTIAL, AND TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS UNIVERSALLY IMPORTANT WHEN CONSIDERING DIFFERENT STRAINS OF THE PATHOGEN FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THE PROJECT FURTHER SEEKS TO TEST THREE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO DEVELOPING PLANTS IN WHICH THE INTERACTION IS BLOCKED, AS A MEANS TO PREVENT DISEASE. THE PROJECT CAN BE EXPECTED TO ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES IN PATHOGENESIS OF PLANTS, PARTICULARLY THE ROLE(S) OF NUTRIENT TRANSPORT IN DISEASE AND DEFENSE, AND PROVIDE PRACTICAL INSIGHT AND STRATEGIES USEFUL FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND CROP PROTECTION. THE PROJECT WILL FURTHER BENEFIT SOCIETY THROUGH MENTORING, EDUCATION, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH THAT WILL INCREASE PARTICIPATION BY MEMBERS OF UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS AND ENGAGE AND INFORM THE PUBLIC.