Research

Our research focuses on studying two groups of economically important plant-parasitic nematodes: 

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN): the most devastating pathogen of soybean, causing annual yield losses estimated at $1.5 billion in the US. 
Root-knot nematodes (RKN): cause serious problems in specialty crops worldwide.

 

We work on interdisciplinary research by collaborating with extension scientists, mycologist, geneticist, bioinformatician, engineers to reach our goals.

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1. Distribution and virulence phenotyping of SCN and RKN in Indiana. We aim to provide up-to-date and field-specific information for growers to make data-driven decisions on nematode management.

 

 

 

 

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2. Biological control of nematodes. We aim to discover and develop beneficial microbes for effective and consistent control of SCN and RKN.

 

 

 

 

eggs-stained-by-propidium-iodide.jpg3. Nematode biology and virulence: Phenotypic plasticity plays a crucial role in nematode development and behavior. We aim to study the molecular mechanism and translate the knowledge into nematode control tactics using biotechnology (e.g., RNAi, gene-editing) or cultural practices.

 

 

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4. Host resistance: We aim to identify and characterize novel sources of soybean resistance to virulent SCN.

 

 

 

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5. Research methods: We aim to develop new methods or techniques to facilitate the research in plant nematology.