Plants are exposed to stresses from a battery of biotic and abiotic agents resulting in crop losses. Fungi, bacteria, nematodes, insects, and viruses have all evolved strategies to exploit their hosts. The evolutionary tug of war between pathogens and their host has led to the development of polymorphic defense strategies required for resistance. Important among these is the plant ‘innate immune system’ with a complex set of genes involved in recognition, signal transduction, and activation of defense responses. Plants also possess pathogen non-specific broad-spectrum resistance. Both of those disease resistance responses have received considerable attention and consequently important components have been isolated or genetically defined.

However, plant genetic and cellular mechanisms involved in host response to necrotrophic pathogens such as Botrytis cinerea are poorly understood. Our research aims at the elucidation of the genetic and molecular control of plant defense responses to necrotrophic pathogens, their interaction with other defense and stress response pathways. Our current research involves the genetic identification of plant loci required for Botrytis resistance through analysis of mutations that enhance resistance or susceptibility. We clone genes defined by such mutations and determine their specific mechanism of function in disease resistance to pathogens in general and Botrytis in particular. Genetic and molecular studies will help place these genes in signal transduction pathways.

Why Botrytis?
My research interest with Botrytis is because of its significance as a crop pathogen. It causes the gray mold disease in a wide range of crop plants. Host responses to necrotrophs appear to be controlled by a different set of genes and signaling molecules than those mediating response to biotrophic pathogens. Genetic variation for resistance to Botrytis has been documented in plants. However, no genetic resistance has been identified in any plant species so far. So what defense responses are triggered by Botrytis? What are the specific patterns associated with Botrytis infection? What are the genetic regulators of Botrytis response? What are the signaling molecules that mediate such response? We use genetic, molecular and genomic approaches to find answers to those interesting biological questions. Such findings will help design effective and sustainable crop protection strategies through the breeding of resistant cultivars. Our research will also contribute to the body of knowledge on host defense response to fungal pathogens particularly to necrotrophs.

Botrytis also causes the noble rot. The fungus develops on grapes under certain environmental conditions and causes the grape to shrivel, concentrating and intensifying both sugar and flavor. Botrytised grapes make very elegant, intensely flavored dessert wines.