THE PARADOX OF EFFLUX PUMPS CONTRIBUTION TO PATHOGEN FITNESS IN PLANTA

The increasing severity of plant disease threatens food security and environmental sustainability. To effectively manage disease, it is crucial to understand how the evolution of pathogen populations contributes to their spread. Pathogen evolution shapes the molecular interactions between pathogens and their hosts, and thus the scale of epidemics. Pathogen growth and reproduction within the host are critical fitness traits that affect disease outcomes. To effectively manage and regulate plant diseases, a thorough knowledge of pathogen fitness and pathogen-host range interactions is required. This project leverages an interdisciplinary approach to understand bacterial fitness at the molecular, ecological, and evolutionary levels.