Broadcast Date: April 7, 2025 | 11:00am - 12:00pm Central
Cost: Free for members, $49 for nonmembers
Register Now!
Thank You to our Series Sponsors:
- The USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture Specialty Crops Research Initiative Project No. 2019-51181-30019, with the following institutions:
- Pennsylvania State University
- Auburn University
- Cornell University
- Washington State University
- North Carolina State University
- University of Florida
- University of Wisconsin
- USDA/ARS
- The APHIS Widely Prevalent Bacteria Committee
Webinar Summary
Over time, we have come to know more about interactions between phytopathogens and their plant hosts and virulence factors they recruit to enforce host colonisation and cause disease. The plant host is a residence to complex multispecies communities, and yet, in comparison to plant-pathogen interactions, we know very little about microbe-microbe interactions within the host environment and how these interactions impact host colonisation. So how do phytopathogenic bacteria navigate relationships in the host environment? Friendships are formed and war waged against enemies. My territory is - phytopathogenic bacteria engaging in warfare against a multitude of foes using a diverse arsenal of weapons. This webinar discusses the findings on weapons that Pectobacterium brasiliense, a member of the soft rot Pectobacteriaceae, recruits to ‘wage war’ on and gain competitive advantage and territorial dominance over other resident bacteria.
Webinar Presenters
Moderator
Mustafa Jibrin| Oklahoma State University
Speaker
Lucy Moleleki
University of Pretoria | Lucy Moleleki is a Full Professor at the University of Pretoria, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology and Research Leader in the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) where she leads The Bacterial Genomics and Host Pathogen Interactions Research Group. The main group of phytopathogenic bacteria studied by her research group are soft rot bacteria, namely, Dickeya and Pectobacterium. The key questions or research themes addressed are: a) Molecular Virulence Mechanisms: what are important virulence factors of Pectobacterium and Dickeya species, which of these are common between the two genera b) Plant-Bacteria Molecular Dialogue what are important host defence systems that are elicited by these pathogens c) Adaptation to different environmental niches and Bacteria-Other Microbe interactions: How do these bacteria adapt not only to the host environment but also to different environments and how do they interact with other microbes within the same environmental niche. She is passionate about training the next generation scientists at both undergraduate (teaching Bacteriology to second year students), post graduate where she has trained PhD (10) and masters (15) students as well as mentoring emerging researchers and Post-Doctoral Fellows (6). She currently serves in the editorial boards of mSystems, BMC Microbiology and others. |
About the Advances in Phytobacteriology Series
The Bacteriology Committee's educational webinar series aims to promote interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration by disseminating groundbreaking research findings in Phytobacteriology. The goal of the series is to engage the scientific community, the series features insights from leading experts in the field. It also strengthens professional networks to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange.
After participating in the Bacteriology Committee's educational webinar series, which focuses on groundbreaking research, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, attendees will gain awareness of the latest advancements and technological innovations in bacteriology, while also grasping emerging trends and novel methodologies that are shaping the future of the field. Participants will learn about current collaborative projects and initiatives within the bacteriological community and related disciplines, understanding the impact of recent research findings on shaping the future needs of research in phytobacteriology.
