Team:WashU StLouis/St Louis
Our team met with Dr. Shah, a researcher at the Danforth Plant Sciences Center who studies plant defensin proteins, another method of innate plant resistance to fungal pathogens. He compared resistance and defensin proteins, noted the benefits and drawbacks, and discussed how both are being studied as methods of providing durable resistance to pathogen infection. In contrast to resistance proteins, defensin proteins actively attack the fungal pathogen. For instance, some target and damage the plasma membrane of the fungus. Also, one defensin gene can provide broad spectrum resistance to a variety of pathogens and strains, unlike resistance genes, which are typically pathogen-specific, and in some cases, strain-specific. However, in order to provide durable resistance, one or more defensin genes are often combined with resistance genes to reduce the possibility that a pathogen can develop resistance. Defensin proteins have been shown to protect against leaf rust, but have not yet been tested with stem rust.
Prior to our meeting with Dr. Shah, our team had intended to use a polystyrene membrane for our spore trap based on what we had previously read in literature. However, Dr. Shah informed us that any hydrophobic material could be used as a spore trap, so we decided to change the material of our membrane to a form of plastic (insert name here) with a lower environmental impact.