** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS RESEARCH PROJECT AIMS TO ADDRESS TWO OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS IN THE FIELD OF PLANT-PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS. THE FIRST QUESTION THIS RESEARCH HOPES TO ANSWER PERTAINS TO THE FUNCTION OF A CLASS OF DISEASE RESISTANCE PROTEINS WHICH ARE ABUNDANT IN DICOT PLANT SPECIES (I.E., VEGETABLE AND FRUIT CROPS) BUT ARE ONLY PRESENT AS A SINGLE GENE IN MANY MONOCOT GENOMES (I.E., CEREAL AND GRAINS). THE FUNCTION OF THIS CLASS OF GENES IN PATHOGEN RESISTANCE HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY CHARACTERIZED IN DICOTS BUT IS NOT UNDERSTOOD IN MONOCOTS. WE WILL DISSECT THE FUNCTION OF THIS GENE THROUGH USE OF GENETIC MUTANTS IN THE MODEL MONOCOT SPECIES, BRACHYPODIUM DISTACHYON, THAT ARE MISSING OR OVEREXPRESSING THE GENE OF INTEREST. THE SECOND QUESTION THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS IS RELATED TO THE ABILITY TO TRANSFER DICOT GENES OF THIS CLASS INTO MONOCOTS. WE WILL EXPRESS DICOT RESISTANCE GENES IN MONOCOT PLANT CELL CULTURE AND ASSESS THEIR ABILITY TO CONFER A DISEASE RESISTANCE RESPONSE IN THIS SYSTEM. ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MONOCOT CROP SPECIES WITH ENHANCED DISEASE RESISTANCE, THEREBY IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY MOVING FORWARD.