FOR DECADES, A SERIOUS COTTON DISEASE CALLED COTTON BACTERIAL BLIGHT (CBB) PLAYED A GAME OF CAT-AND-MOUSE WITH FARMERS AND SCIENTISTS. EVERY TIME NEW DISEASE-RESISTANT COTTON VARIETIES WERE DEVELOPED, THE BACTERIA BEHIND CBB FOUND A WAY TO FIGHT BACK.HOWEVER, APOWERFUL RESISTANCE GENE IN COTTON, KNOWN AS B12, HAS SUCCESSFULLY HELD OFF ALL KNOWN VERSIONS OF THE CBB-CAUSING BACTERIA FOR DECADES. THAT'S UNUSUAL, SINCE MOST RESISTANCE TRAITS EVENTUALLY STOP WORKING. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT ISTO FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES B12 SO UNUSUALLY STABLE AND HOW WE CAN USE THAT KNOWLEDGE TOPROTECT THIS IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE TOOLAGAINST CBB AND POTENTIALLY DEVELOP LONG LASTING RESISTANCE AGAINST OTHER PLANT DISEASES.WE PLAN TO TEST DIFFERENT BACTERIAL GENES TO SEE WHICH ONES TRIGGER B12'S IMMUNE RESPONSE IN COTTON. THIS COULD NOT ONLY REVEAL WHY B12 IS SO EFFECTIVE, BUT ALSO HELP SCIENTISTS WATCH FOR SIGNS THE BACTERIA MIGHT BE CHANGING AGAIN. BECAUSE CHEMICAL TREATMENTS FOR CBB DON'T WORK WELL, STAYING AHEAD OF THE DISEASE GENETICALLY IS KEY TO KEEPING COTTON CROPS, AND ITS SIGNIFICANTECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS, SAFE.