Healing vegetables affected by harmful fungi with computer analysis

Crops such as cucumber, watermelon, squash and cantaloupe are affected by the fungi Pseudoperonospora humuli and Pseudoperonospora cubensis, both which produce the downy mildew disease. In response, bioinformatics technology is used for the first time allowing to identify genes of said pathogens, in order to define the ideal treatment to attack back.

With over two years of research, the purpose is to understand at a genomic level the differences between these fungi. If expressed genes are identified in a fungus but not in another, they serve as markers that will allow to apply the appropriate treatment in these crops, says Dr. Elsa Gongora Castillo (pictured), plant biotechnologist who works at North Carolina State University.

"It's a bit like human disease but in plants, to understand the pathogen and its interaction with the plant allows to develop a functional cure to treat the affected plants" emphasizes the specialist in plant genomics.

The researcher explains that she seeks to define alternative systems beyond conventional fungicides to be applied in cucumber, pumpkin, cantaloupe and watermelon.

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