Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are leading an effort to decode a complex “arms race” between plants and the evolving pathogens that threaten them.
The work, led by researchers at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas, is backed by a $1.14 million National Science Foundation grant. The project, “Mechanism and Manipulation of NLR-Mediated Immunity,” explores how plants use internal sensors to detect and fight off infections, and how scientists might add new next-generation, artificial intelligence-based defenses to modern crops.
kAm%96 C6D62C49 E62> 😀 =65 3J yF?B: $@?8[ !9]s][ p8C:{:76 #6D62C49 A=2?E :>>F?:EJ C6D62C496C 2?5 2DD@4:2E6 AC@76DD@C 😕 E96 %6I2D pU2>Aj| s6A2CE>6?E @7 !=2?E !2E9@=@8J 2?5 |:4C@3:@=@8J[ 2?5 y:?A:?8 +92@[ !9]s][ 2DD@4:2E6 C6D62C49 D4:6?E:DE[ 3@E9 2E s2==2D] %96 AC@;64E’D 4@\=625 😀 y::DECJ 2E &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r2=:7@C?:2\#:G6CD:56] s2G:5 q2<6C[ !9]s][ }@36= !C:K6\H:??:?8 A:@?66C @7 AC@E6:? 56D:8? 2?5 AC@76DD@C 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (2D9:?8E@?[ 😀 2=D@ 2 4@==23@C2E@C @? E96 AC@;64E H:E9 {:??2 p?[ !9]s][ 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C 2E #:46 &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am
kAm“!=2?ED 92G6 6G@=G65[ D@A9:DE:42E65 :>>F?6 DJDE6>D[ J6E A2E9@86?D — E96 G:CFD6D[ 324E6C:2[ 7F?8: 2?5 @@>J46E6D E92E 42FD6 5:D62D6D — 4@?DE2?E=J 6G@=G6 ?6H H2JD E@ 3JA2DD E9@D6 5676?D6D[” yF?B: $@?8 D2:5]k^Am
k9bmrC24<:?8 E96 A2E9@86?’D 4@56k^9bm
kAm%96 C6D62C49 E62> 😀 :?G6DE:82E:?8 E96 C6E:?@3=2DE@>2[ #q[ AC@E6:?] %9:D 4C:E:42= :>>F?6 C646AE@C 96=AD A=2?ED C64@8?:K6 !9JE@A9E9@C2 :?76DE2?D[ E96 ?@E@C:@FD A2E9@86? E92E 42FD6D =2E6 3=:89E] %96 5:D62D6 😀 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E96 9:DE@C:42= xC:D9 !@E2E@ u2>:?6 2?5 C6>2:?D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 56G2DE2E:?8 E9C62ED E@ 28C:4F=EFC6 H@C=5H:56]k^Am
kAm}@C>2==J[ E96 #q C646AE@C EC:886CD 2 3:@=@8:42= 2=2C> H96? :E 56E64ED 2 DA64:7:4 A2E9@86? D:8?2EFC6] qFE D@>6 DEC2:?D 92G6 6G@=G65 2 “;2>>6C” AC@E6:? E92E DFAAC6DD6D E96 A=2?E’D :>>F?6 C6DA@?D6] %9:D 2==@HD :?764E:@? E@ E2<6 9@=5[ 6G6? H96? E96 A=2?E D9@F=5 36 AC@E64E65]k^Am
kAm“&D:?8 E96 6I6>A=2CJ #q >@56= DJDE6>[ H6 2:> E@ 255C6DD E96 =@?8\DE2?5:?8 BF6DE:@? @7 9@H C6D:DE2?46 😀 DFAAC6DD65 3J C2A:5=J 6G@=G:?8 A2E9@86?D E92E 92G6 86?6C2E65 ?6H G:CF=6?46 724E@CD[” $@?8 D2:5]k^Am
k9bmw2C?6DD:?8 px E@ 3F:=5 36EE6C 5676?D6Dk^9bm
kAm%@ 7:89E 324<[ E96 C6D62C496CD 2C6 EFC?:?8 E@ 6>6C8:?8 E649?@=@8J] %96 E62> 92D :56?E:7:65 ?F>6C@FD :>>F?6 C68F=2E@CD E92E A=2J 2 <6J C@=6 😕 C646AE@C\>65:2E65 :>>F?:EJ] x? 2 3C62>F?6 C646AE@C[ E96C63J EC:886C:?8 :>>F?:EJ] %@ 249:6G6 E9:D[ E96J A=2? E@ FD6 566A =62C?:?8\32D65 AC@E6:? 56D:8? – 2 7@C> @7 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46 – E@ :>AC@G6 2?5 3C@256? A2E9@86? C64@8?:E:@?]k^Am
kAm“tBF:AA:?8 A=2?ED E@ 36EE6C 56E64E 6G@=G:?8 E9C62ED H@F=5 AC@G:56 2 7@F?52E:@? 7@C >@C6 C6D@FC46\677:4:6?E >2?286>6?E @7 28C:4F=EFC2= 5:D62D6D[” $@?8 D2:5]k^Am
k9bmx?G6DE:?8 😕 E96 7FEFC6 @7 28C:4F=EFC6k^9bm
kAmq6J@?5 E96 =23@C2E@CJ[ E96 8C2?E 😀 56D:8?65 E@ 4F=E:G2E6 E96 ?6IE 86?6C2E:@? @7 D4:6?E:7:4 =6256CD] %96 7F?5:?8 AC@G:56D 4@>AC696?D:G6 EC2:?:?8 😕 86?6E:4D[ >@=64F=2C 3:@=@8J 2?5 3:@496>:DECJ 7@C DEF56?ED C2?8:?8 7C@> >:55=6 D49@@= E@ A@DE5@4E@C2= =6G6=]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@;64E 6DE23=:D96D D6G6C2= 4@==23@C2E:G6 @FEC6249 2?5 65F42E:@? AC@8C2>D[ :?4=F5:?8ik^Am
kAm$F>>6C :?E6C?D9:AD H:E9 s2==2D 2?5 uC:D4@ :?56A6?56?E D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED]k^Am
kAmp AC@76DD:@?2= :?E6C?D9:A AC@8C2> 2?5 A=2?E AC@A282E:@? 4@FCD6 😕 A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 t2DE %6I2D pU2>Aj| &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am
kAm{6256CD9:A 2?5 4@>>F?:42E:@? 56G6=@A>6?E E9C@F89 D4:6?E:7:4 4@?76C6?46D 2?5 E62> 4@==23@C2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“qJ 4@>3:?:?8 25G2?465 AC@E6:? 56D:8? H:E9 92?5D\@? 4@>>F?:EJ 65F42E:@?[ E96 AC@;64E 2:>D E@ ?@E @?=J 255C6DD 4FCC6?E 28C:4F=EFC2= 492==6?86D 3FE E@ AC6A2C6 2 H@C<7@C46 42A23=6 @7 6?DFC:?8 DFDE2:?23=6 28C:4F=EFC6 7@C E96 7FEFC6[” $@?8 D2:5]k^Am