Welcome to the POTNIS LAB
Molecular Ecology of Plant-Pathogen Interactions

The overarching goal of our research program is to understand how pathogen evolution, microbial community dynamics, and variable growth conditions change plant disease outcomes in modern agroecosystems. By integrating plant pathology, microbial ecology, evolutionary biology, and multi-omics approaches, we seek to uncover the mechanisms governing plant-pathogen-microbiome interactions and translate this knowledge into sustainable disease management strategies for growers facing climate variability, recurring disease outbreaks and emerging pathogen threats.

 

Here are our currently ongoing projects:

1. Adaptation of bacterial pathogens to diverse hosts and diverse ecological niches: Using the bacterial spot Xanthomonas pathosystem as a model, we combine population genomics, Experimental Evolution, functional genetics and multi-omics approaches to dissect the genetic basis of host adaptation. In parallel, we also use an integrated approach combining strain-resolved metagenomics with population genetics to quantify pathogen dynamics from genes to populations. We also have a newly funded SCRI project to expand use of these tools to study Pseudomonas syringae on cucurbits and chenopods. 

2. Understand how environmental change influences plant-microbe interactions and disease resilience: Current projects examine how future climate conditions affect plant physiology, pathogen virulence, and microbiome-mediated immunity, including studies utilizing open-top chamber systems to investigate plant genotype x pathogen genotype x environment interactions.

3. Understand how plant-associated microbiomes respond to abiotic stress: Our research takes a parallel approach, combining microbiome profiling under stress conditions with the development of extensive microbial collections to design beneficial microbial communities that enhance plant resilience in agricultural and controlled-environment agricultural systems.

 

 

Collectively, this research is advancing disease forecasting, improving diagnostic and resistance management tools, and developing resilient agricultural systems.