Microbial Friends and Foes: A Primer on Plant Pathology and Symbiosist

Presented by Brooke Sykes, PhD Candidate, University of Arizona

Presentation overview:

Often when we think of microbes, we think of human illnesses like food poisoning, or a sore throat caused by bacteria. The pathogens that cause these illnesses represent just a small portion of the microbial diversity that exists around us. There are billions of microbes on our planet (and in our backyards!) that range from harmful to beneficial. Plants are constantly exposed to microbes in the wild and in cultivation, but the small fraction of these that are pathogenic can also have devastating disease consequences. Brooke will share some basics of plant pathology: signs and symptoms of disease, traditional methods for identifying pathogens, and some common plant diseases here in Arizona including those of cacti and succulents. She will also talk a bit about non-harmful microbes, including those that help promote plant growth and play roles in plant defense.

Speaker Bio:

Brooke Sykes is a PhD candidate in Plant Sciences at the University of Arizona minoring in Plant Pathology. She does research on fungi from the Arctic to the tropics with the goal of understanding how fungi interact with their plant hosts, and how these interactions may inform plant health and success in hosts that are rare or threatened. She has personal interests in arid-adapted plants and biodiversity as a whole.