What I like to study
Plants are able to recognize their herbivores, and that I find fascinating! Much of my research has focused on studying how plants recognize these herbivores, and in turn, how herbivores are able to avoid recognition.
Soil Microbes
and
Plant defenses
Herbivory
Recognition
Microbes are able to establish symbiotic relationships with many organisms. This research focuses on understanding how the presence of certain soil fungi can affect plant defenses and how that affects their response to herbivores.
Microbes cannot only play a role in how plants respond to biotic stresses but also how they respond to abiotic stress. This research focuses on identifying functional traits of fungi that help plants respond to drought.
Novel and sustainable pest management
Plants, Microbes, and Drought
Pests continue to adapt to current management techniques. For this reason, we also must continue to identify new and more sustainable ways to control pests. This project is identifying potential RNAi targets to add to the cotton boll weevil management tool box.