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K-State Today

March 17, 2016

Ecologist to address genomics/phenomics approaches to study insect herbivory

Submitted by John Ruberson

Fiona Goggin

K-State's entomology department will host Fiona Goggin from the University of Arkansas on March 21-22. She will present a seminar, "Genomic and Phenomic Approaches to Study Herbivore Resistance in Plants," at 4 p.m. Monday, March 21, in 231 Waters Hall.

Her seminar will address the use of genomics and phenomics tools to examine the responses of plants to invertebrate herbivory. Sap-feeding herbivores such as aphids and root-knot nematodes can cause massive physiological changes in their host plants, including galling, stunting, yield losses and even death. Host plant resistance represents one of the most effective means of managing these damaging pests, but much work is still needed to understand the physiological or molecular bases of plant responses to vascular herbivory. Using tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, and Arabidopsis thaliana as model systems to investigate this question, Goggin's lab has found that fatty acid metabolism in plants plays a major role in modulating plant defenses against vascular herbivory. They also are utilizing high throughput phenotyping approaches to explore the interconnections linking herbivore resistance with plant defenses against other biotic and abiotic stresses.

All are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served prior to the seminar.

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