** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** TO ENSURE FOOD SECURITY, AGRICULTURE WILL REQUIRE CROPS TO WITHSTAND DISEASES CAUSED BY PESTS AND PATHOGENS. A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENES THAT CONTROL THESE DISEASES MAY ENABLE THE BREEDING OF DURABLE RESISTANT CULTIVARS AND GERMPLASMS. WHEAT LEAF RUST DISEASE REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO GLOBAL WHEAT PRODUCTION AND FOOD SECURITY, CAUSING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN YEARLY LOSSES. THE MOST SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY TO REDUCE SUCH LOSSES BY OVERCOMING RUST EPIDEMICS IS TO BREED EFFECTIVE BROAD-SPECTRUM DISEASE RESISTANCE INTO WHEAT. CURRENTLY, BREEDERS RELY ON A 'BLIND' STRATEGY TO IDENTIFY, BREED, AND DEPLOY R GENES IN AGRICULTURE WITHOUT DETAILED KNOWLEDGE OF THE RUST DISEASE RESISTANCE MECHANISM OFR GENES AND THE INTERACTING PARTNERS. THIS RESEARCH WILL IDENTIFY FIVE RESISTANCE GENES AND THEIR CORRESPONDING EFFECTOR GENES FROM THREE RUST PATHOGENS.THE KNOWLEDGEPROVIDES VALUABLE TOOLS FOR MOLECULAR SURVEILLANCE AND EARLY DETECTION OF NEW VIRULENT RACES, WHICH CAN INFORM THE DEPLOYMENT OF R GENES TO PREVENT EPIDEMICS.