The Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology's weekly Plant Pathology 250 seminar series is presented this week by:

Derreck Carter-House

Seminar Title: “Eavesdropping on Microbial Conversations: The effect of Bacterial Volatiles on Fungi"

Biography: Derreck is a 5th year PhD candidate in the lab of Jason Stajich. His work has been focused on characterizing the relationship between the rhizobacteria, Serratia marescens and many early diverging fungi. Recently, he has been identifying the compounds in volatile gases produced by bacteria and studying how they may inhibit fungal growth. This work involves collaborations with many different experts in fields such as chemistry, bioinformatics, and microbiology. He lives in Riverside with his dog, Porthos.

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Nichole Ginnan

Seminar Title: “Deciphering the Roles of the Citrus Microbiome in Host Phenology and Disease Development”

Biography: Nichole is a 5th year Plant Pathology PhD candidate advised by Dr. Caroline Roper. Her research interests are centered around unraveling the complex interactions between native plant microbial communities and their host. Her dissertation work aims to advance our understanding of how citrus microbiomes contribute to plant development, defense, and productivity. Specifically she is focused on understanding the components and structure of the citrus microbiome, what operations are co-regulated by microbiota, and the microbial ecology of Huanglongbing (HLB) disease.