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Joyce Loper
Professor (Courtesy), Botany and Plant Pathology
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RESEARCH:
Our laboratory studies microorganisms that live on plant surfaces, especially bacteria that live in a commensal relationship with plants. We employ molecular genetics, genomics, and ecological approaches to study the interactions between microorganisms on plant surfaces. Certain plant-associated bacteria function as biological control agents, which can suppress plant pathogens through processes of competition or antibiotic production. A major goal of our work is to identify mechanisms by which biological control agents suppress plant disease, and our research provides an opportunity to contribute to the development of biological alternatives to chemical pesticides used in agriculture. We recently completed the genomic sequence of Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5, the first biological control agent for plant disease whose genomic sequence is known. Currently, we are using microarrays to evaluate patterns of gene expression in P. fluorescens on plant surfaces. Other ongoing projects are exploring the nature of microbial habitats on plant surfaces, identifying novel secondary metabolites predicted from biosynthetic gene clusters in the genome of P. fluorescens, and designing and testing strategies to enhance biological control of plant disease.