AGRICULTURAL BIOSECURITY: A VERSATILE, HIGH-THROUGHPUT, MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTIC PROTOCOL TO DETECT PLANT PATHOGENS

The long-term goal of this integrated agricultural biosecurity project is to develop capacity for a high-throughput molecular-based diagnostic protocol for bacterial, fungal, oomycete, and viral/viroid pathogens of agricultural and horticultural crops. To meet this overarching goal, the three objectives of this project are to: i) Establish a model for integrating simplified plant sample storage and high-throughput PCR assays in a National Plant Diagnostic Network laboratory; ii) Expand the high-throughput PCR assay workflow developed for potato viruses to detect multiple pathogens of potato and other commodity crops; and iii) Create educational and workforce training opportunities on high-throughput molecular detection methods that leverage the efficiencies of the diagnostic protocol.