Through a $769,792 grant from the National Science Foundation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientist Richard Wilson is continuing work to unravel the mysteries behind effectors—virulent proteins that short-circuit plants’ natural defenses against fungal disease.
The project expands on Wilson’s previous NSF-funded work that began pulling back the curtain on fungal-secreted effectors that use multiple tactics to help pathogens attack and destroy crops.
Wilson’s focus is Magnaporthe oryzae, the rice blast fungus that annually destroys up to 30% of global rice production. Although the project focuses on boosting rice resistance to infection, the scientific findings can also be applied to a range of other grain crops and grasses vulnerable to pathogenic assault.
PHOTO: Rice plant. (Photo by Pixabay via Pexels.)
