Our Team
| Team Member | Objective | Background Information |
|---|---|---|
|
Ashish Adhikari |
Four (4) |
I am plant pathologist - epidemiologist by training. I have experience in plant disease management including fungal pathogen identification, disease modeling, omic data analysis, and biocontrol development. I am proficient in leveraging R and UNIX for big data analysis and bioinformatics with a strong publication record. Working on epidemiological component. My expertise includes deploying machine learning to predict pathogen outbreaks, modeling climate-driven disease risks, and leading cross-disciplinary projects on emerging diseases. |
|
Mahesh Adhikari |
Three (3) |
Introducing vacuum infiltration approach in sterilization of seeds of vegetable crops against Xanthomonas spp. Specially focusing on tomato is current key area of Dr. Adhikari’s work from Objective -3. Dr. Adhikari has strong background in working with biological control of plant pathogens using beneficial microorganisms, fungal taxonomy and systematics, molecular plant microbes’ interaction, soil microbiology, microbial ecology and evolution, plant and soil microbiome analysis using next generation sequencing approach (NGS). Dr. Adhikari has experiences working in silver ion (Ag+) water, QD-LED (Quantum Dot- Light Emitting Diode) and plasma sterilization technique to reduce the infestation of various plant bacterial and fungal pathogens. |
|
Roger Renzo Ramirez Antazu |
One (1) | I graduated from the University of Florida in 2022 with a M.S. degree in Plant Pathology. Currently, I am a second-year Ph.D. student working with Dr. Gary E. Vallad at UF-GCREC. My research interests involve developing strategies to evaluate the role of inoculum sources on Bacterial Spot in Tomato outbreaks in tomato fields. |
|
Cian Butler |
One (1), Four (4), Five (5) | The LSU AgCenter is involved in the TomSpot project by helping to collect strains of Xanthomonas species from different tomato growers in Louisiana. Collecting isolates of Xanthomonas will help the project to understand what species are being found in area compared to Florida, Ohio and Puerto Rico. The knowledge will also help to spread awareness of Tomato Leaf Spot to growers. |
|
Jessica Chitwood-Brown |
Two (2) | Dr. Chitwood-Brown focuses on developing fresh-market tomatoes with improved yield, quality, and disease resistance. Her research explores the genetic basis of multiple traits of producer and consumer interest (improved biotic and abiotic stress resistance, heat-tolerant fruit set, multiple disease resistances, fruit color, and quality) and the development of molecular tools to improve breeding efficiency. She co-leads objective 2 in breeding tomatoes for improved resistance to bacterial spot. |
|
Bhabesh Dutta |
One (1), Three (3) | Dr. Bhabesh Dutta is a Professor and Extension Vegetable Pathologist, who is a Co-PI in the TomSPOT CAP project. Dr. Dutta primarily works on biology and management of bacterial diseases in vegetable crops. Dr. Dutta is involved in two objectives in this project: 1) Evaluate the role of external inoculum sources on BST outbreaks; 2) Improve efficacy of small molecules and nanoparticles to manage Xanthomonas at seed and seedling stages and extension activities. |
|
Cesar Escalante |
One (1), Four (4), Five (5) | Dr. Escalante is a plant pathologist with experience in classical and modern techniques for studying plant pathogens and their effects on hosts. His expertise is crucial to his research and extension program which helps to assist with pathogen surveillance for this project and supports extension and outreach tasks. These tasks include developing educational materials and interviewing tomato growers in Indiana in collaboration with colleagues from Ohio. |
|
David Francis |
One (1) | David Francis is a professor of Horticulture and Crop Science (HCS) at The Ohio State University (OSU) based on the Wooster campus. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Pomona College in Claremont California where an undergraduate research experience introduced him to plant breeding. He received his PhD in Genetics from the University of California at Davis where he was supported by a McKnight Foundation fellowship focused on plant-microbe interactions. David’s team leads efforts to improve disease resistance in processing tomatoes adapted to humid environments. |
|
Karen Garrett |
Four (4), Five (5) | Our lab works on epidemiology, disease ecology, and systems analysis. Our research identifies opportunities to improve systems for protecting crop health. Current projects address seed health, crop disease management, and microbiomes, with more information at www.garrettlab.org. For the TomSPOT project, we focus on epidemiology and integrating project data to support decision-making in individual farms and in regional management. |
|
Garrett Giles |
One (1), Three (3) | I am a PhD student in the Vallad and Jones labs at UF. My research focuses on the movement and dispersal of Xanthomonas perforans in the tomato transplant setting. I have worked on elucidating processes related to the aerosolization of the bacteria and its persistence on abiotic surfaces. |
|
Erica Goss |
One (1) | My research examines the factors that contribute to the emergence of destructive pathogens and their evolution in production systems. For this project, I will use genome data to track the movement of Xanthomonas strains that lead to BST outbreaks and use these data to identify novel emerging strains. I will also support research on type III effector diversity and evolution, which can influence epidemiology and effector-targeted resistance breeding. |
|
Ermita Hernandez Heredia |
One (1), Four (4), Five (5) | Ermita Hernandez's research and extension program focuses on sustainable management practices in vegetable production, including the use of compost, cover crops, and biological controls. She is currently the Leader of the Vegetable and Basic Grain Commodity at UPRM. Hernandez's role in the project includes creating educational materials in English and Spanish, leading collaborations on the TomSPOT website, and developing eLearning simulations to train extension educators, providing scientifically based information on the production and management of tomatoes and other Solanaceae crops for growers and stakeholders. |
|
Jonathan Jacobs |
One (1) | Jonathan M. Jacobs and his team work on the ecology and evolution of bacterial spot pathogens in hopes of providing producers with data-driven management strategies to control this tomato plant disease. His team is advancing novel tools for pathogen surveillance, tracking, and diagnostics to precisely identify bacterial spot and associated pathogens in production systems. |
|
Jeff B. Jones |
Three (3) | Dr. Jones is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida. He received his B.S. in botany from the University of Massachusetts and his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Virginia Tech. He has a research (80%) and teaching (20%) appointment with expertise in the area of bacterial diseases. Much of his research focuses on the ecology and host-parasite interaction of bacterial plant pathogens. He is interested in plant pathogen variation as measured by phenotypic and genotypic analyses. He has published more than 300 refereed journal articles. He is a fellow of the American Phyto pathological Society and The American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received the Jacob Eriksson Prize in 2013. In addition, Dr. Jones has served as Regional Director and Co-Director of the Southern Plant Diagnostic Network which is part of the National Plant Diagnostic Network from 2009 till the present and is currently the Co-Regional Director. |
|
Amandeep Kaur |
One (1) | I am a postdoctoral researcher working with Dr. Erica Goss and Dr. Jeffrey B. Jones. My research focuses on the evolution and population structure of bacterial plant pathogens, with particular interest in understanding the role of mobile genetic elements in the emergence of virulent lineages and antimicrobial resistance. In this project, I am contributing to objective 1, which involves sequencing isolated strains, conducting data analysis, and performing comparative genomic studies to assess the genetic diversity of these strains. |
|
Bo-yi Lee |
One (1) | I worked on biocontrol bacteria at National Taiwan University and joined Dr. Jonathan Jacobs group in 2024 August. My role in this project includes designing and conducting experiments in the field, greenhouse, and laboratory. Our goal is to understand the origins of BLS pathogens. |
|
Amber Lingaitis |
One (1) | I received a Bachelor of Biology from Indian River State College. I have experience working as an intern at the USDA ARS in Fort Pierce, and experience working as a contractor for Syngenta. Currently, I am pursuing my Masters of Plant Pathology under Dr. Garry Vallad and Dr. Jeff Jones and will finish my research at the Gulf Coast research Center once my classes are completed here in Gainesville. My project will be on object 1.2 evaluating the epiphytical survival of Xanthomonas perforans on weeds common to tomato. |
|
Walt Mahaffee |
Dr. Walt Mahaffee is a research plant pathologist United States Department Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service in Corvallis, Oregon and acting research leader of the Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit. His team's research spans numerous disciplines to develop sustainable methods for managing diseases of horticulture crops and has resulted in the commercial implementation of several biological control agents, disease forecasting models, and cultural practices for disease management in horticulture crops. Current projects include inoculum monitoring as a decision aid, fungicide resistance, turbulent airflow modeling and pathogen dispersion, disease forecasting and epidemiology, and pathogen ecology. | |
|
Michelle MacLellan |
One (1), Three (3) | Dr. Michelle MacLellan holds an M.S. in Genetics and Plant Breeding and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from São Paulo State University, Brazil. Her expertise spans bacterial pathogens, functional genetics, molecular diagnostics, comparative genomics, data mining, and bioinformatics. In the TomSpot project, she will conduct greenhouse and field scouting, sample seedlings to trace Xanthomonas populations, and evaluate the efficacy of small molecule derivatives to prevent infection, promote recovery in tomato seedlings, and serve as seed treatments against this pathogen. |
|
A. Malek Hammami |
Four (4), Five (5) | Hammami is an Assistant Professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) in Homestead, with joint appointments in Extension and Research. Hammami will lead efforts to assess the economic costs and benefits of developed management strategies and support extension efforts. He will Coordinate efforts with PD Vallad and with PI Rodriguez at the Ohio State University on objectives 4 and 5, and he will supervise a technician throughout the project. |
|
Zhonglin Mou |
My lab investigates the signal transduction pathways in the long-lasting form of plant immunity known as systemic acquired resistance (SAR). My current research is centered on the novel immune signaling molecule called extracellular NAD(P) [eNAD(P)]. My lab discovered this signaling molecule and is the first to show that eNAD(P) induces strong immune responses in Arabidopsis and that pathogen infection causes leakage of NAD(P) into the extracellular space at concentrations sufficient to induce immune responses. We also found that removal of eNAD(P) by expressing the human NAD(P)-metabolizing ectoenzyme CD38 partially compromises SAR. In a subsequent forward genetic screen, we identified the Elongator complex as well as the Mediator complex subunits MED14 and MED16 as downstream regulators of eNAD(P)-induced immune signaling. We further demonstrated that Elongator, MED14, and MED16 are key regulators of plant immunity and that MED14 and MED16 are required for SAR. In a reverse genetic screen, we identified the lectin receptor kinases (LecRKs), LecRK-I.8 and LecRK-VI.2, as eNAD(P)-binding receptors, and showed that the eNAD(P) receptors are required for plant basal immunity and/or SAR. Using an NAD biosynthesis mutant, we have convincingly demonstrated that eNAD(P) is an endogenous mobile signaling molecule essential for SAR. Our next step is to establish the whole eNAD(P) signaling pathway from the plasma membrane to the nucleus. Besides the fundamental research, we use the defense regulators identified in Arabidopsis to increase crop plant disease resistance. We have so far generated transgenic citrus, strawberry, and tomato plants resistant or tolerance to different diseases including Huanglongbing. | |
|
Lindsay Naumann-Montoya |
Five (5) | Lindsay Naumann-Montoya is a doctoral student in the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership with a specialization in International Development at The Ohio State University. Her research focuses on post-conflict community development in Colombia, where she explores how NGOs engage in community development under post-conflict tensions through leveraging community capitals. Lindsay has a Bachelor of Science in Plant and Soil Science from North Carolina State University and a Master of Science from her department at Ohio State. |
|
Apekshya Parajuli |
Apekshya pursued a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Nepal before venturing to the United States in spring 2020 to pursue her master’s degree under the guidance of Dr. Mathews Paret and Dr. Jeffery Jones. Her master’s research focused on characterizing Xanthomonas strains from pepper and using nanomaterials for managing Bacterial spot of Pepper. She graduated in fall 2021. Currently, Apekshya is working towards her Ph.D. with Drs. Jeffery Jones, Gary Vallad, and Erica Goss. Her research interests revolve around bacterial effectors and effector-triggered immunity in Xanthomonas. Her goal to advance the understanding of plant-pathogen interactions and disease resistance. |
|
|
Mathews Paret |
Three (3) | Dr. Paret's research includes characterization of plant pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses, development of field-based molecular and sensing-based diagnostic techniques, plant disease image classification using machine learning and artificial intelligence, and management of diseases using novel methods including natural and engineered nano materials. |
|
Mousami Poudel |
Two (2) | I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida. My research focuses on Objective 2 of the TomSPOT project, which involves the functional characterization of disease resistance genes against Xanthomonas spp. using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. I also work on identifying and mapping disease-resistance genes against bacterial leaf spot in pepper, as well as analyzing the effects of pyramiding disease resistance genes in peppers. |
|
Shatrupa Ray |
Three (3) | Introducing Dr. Shatrupa Ray (PhD), a researcher with specialized expertise in plant microbe interactions. She completed her doctoral studies in India in 2017, focusing on the role of bacterial endophytes, followed by a post-doctoral position in Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani centre, Israel. During her post-doctoral work, she developed expertise in using lipid nanoparticles as bacterial outer membrane vesicle mimics for host priming, with a focus on field applications. In this project, she will be working with nanoparticles and small molecule inhibitors (SMIs) to manage Xanthomonas at seed and seedling stages. |
|
Jacobo Robledo |
Four (4) | Jacobo Robledo, a Ph.D. candidate in Plant Pathology at the University of Florida, specializes in plant disease epidemiology and management. Under the guidance of Dr. Garrett, Jacobo will focus on Objective 4.1, where they will lay the groundwork for a within-operation decision support system (DSS) tailored to prioritize Bacterial Spot (BST) management in both seedling and open-field tomato production. His work will involve analyzing key factors and developing strategic insights to address BST management needs, contributing to more effective disease control and production efficiency in tomato cultivation. |
|
Mary Rodriguez |
Four (4) | Dr. Mary Rodriguez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership at The Ohio State University. Her research addresses household food insecurity, resilience and decision making. Working primarily in low- and middle-income nations and with New American populations in the United States, her work examines the role of women in the household and explores the interaction between the community social system and an individual's decision making. Currently, Dr. Rodriguez is completing a Fulbright in Canada researching how to enhance household and community resiliency through advancing the efforts of sustainable agri-food systems. |
|
Anuj Sharma |
Two (2) | Dr. Anuj Sharma leads Plant Genetics and Genomics laboratory at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. His research program contributes to the improvement of solanaceous crops by incorporating novel genetic elements. His efforts in developing bacterial spot resistant tomatoes focus on incorporation of resistance genes from wild sources by transgenesis or by removal of susceptibility factors through gene editing. |
|
Raj Singh |
One (1), Four (4), Five (5) | I serve as an Extension Pathologist for specialty crops and my responsibilities include statewide plant diagnostic and pathology programs for ornamentals, vegetables, fruits, trees and turfgrass and industrial hemp. I provide training and support for the extension field faculty in diagnostics and management and increasing the knowledge of stakeholders by developing and disseminating extension educational programs relating to diseases and insect pests of specific commodities to constituents of Louisiana. |
|
Hannah Toth |
One (1) | Hannah is a PhD student in Dr. Jonathan Jacobs lab at the Ohio State University in the Department of Plant Pathology. Her work focuses on the microbiome of bacterial leaf spot. Specifically, she works to identify the causal species within the bacterial disease complex and other microbial members in the diseased community. In her free time, she likes to spend time outside and bake bread. |
|
Gary Vallad |
One (1), Two (2), Three (3), Four (4), Five (5) | Dr. Gary Vallad is the Project Director of the TomSPOT SCRI-CAP project. His research and extension program focuses on diagnosing and managing diseases common to vegetable production with an emphasis on the development and implementation of economical disease management strategies. His research utilizes traditional and contemporary approaches to study pathogen biology, disease epidemiology, and plant-pathogen interactions. For the TomSPOT project, Dr. Vallad's program is focusing on tracking the survival and movement of Xanthomonas perforans at different points of the tomato production chain. His team is especially interested in the detection of X. perforans in bioaerosols, the role of bioaerosols in bacterial spot outbreaks, and strategies to reduce bioaerosol production. His program works closely with other project members to evaluate novel bactericidal compounds and resistant tomato germplasm to manage bacterial spot. |
