3 minute read
Repository designed for plant pathogen research
from i&E Bio Edition 2022
by Shannon Carr
DATABASE PLANTING
OSU institute receives $1M grant to streamline plant disease testing
By Alisa Boswell-Gore
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF BIOSECURITY AND MICROBIAL FORENSICS scientists are heading a national project geared toward creating more efficient diagnostic practices for plant pathogens. The $1 million project, funded by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, aims to safeguard U.S. production systems, ensure safe and beneficial trade and ensure food security and environmental protection.
Plant pathologists nationwide have developed diagnostic tools for various plant pathogens, but the information is dispersed across the nation and housed in several places, said Kitty Cardwell, director of IBMF and professor of plant pathology.
“We want to create this ecosystem of scientists and resources, so when a scientist needs to develop a plant disease diagnostic test, they will have a place to find other researchers working on the same organism and can access the reference standards and genetic data they need,” Cardwell said.
The Diagnostic Assay Validation Network (DAVN) will house information about researchers, pathogen genetic data and diagnostic tools developed for plant pathogens. It will catalog the information in a way that allows plant pathologists to find the information quickly and efficiently.
“If there is an outbreak of an unknown plant disease, developing a verified test that works properly can take years, so we hope by having this database, scientists can use these resources to create a pathogen test more quickly,” Cardwell said.
Photo by Todd Johnson, OSU Agricultural Communications Services POONAM SHARMA, A RESEARCHER and assistant professor in molecular biology working on DAVN, said getting an incorrect diagnosis for a plant pathogen or not having a test for a plant pathogen can have a negative impact on agribusiness.
“U.S. agricultural biosecurity depends upon reliable diagnostic testing. If you don’t have a validated test, it is difficult to diagnose accurately to control the disease, and it becomes a risk for food security,” Sharma said.
Cardwell said the National Center for Biotechnology Information currently houses DNA and RNA information on plant pathogens, but searching for information specific to plant pathogens can be time consuming with this vast database.
“The research done by our team will pull out specific pathogen DNA markers that could be used in diagnostic tests,” she said. “The DAVN will give us a framework for a network of scientists and the resources they need. The researchers can then continue to build it and add to it.”
The American Phytopathological Society, a nationally recognized association frequented by plant pathologists, has agreed to house the database.
Cardwell said European scientists worked with the IBMF, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other U.S. entities on the initial stages of this project, so the nations can have similar language and understanding with pathogen test performance.
“It is important that we have a similar understanding of how tests are developed and what’s needed to make a test accurate, because that helps trade due to the fact that we understand and agree with each other about what tests we are using,” Cardwell said. “We want to have the same understanding as a means of promoting safe and beneficial trade and international collaboration.”
A MODERN LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY
As a Carnegie R1 research institution — the top classification for research universities across the nation — Oklahoma State University is conducting research aimed at improving the quality of life for Oklahomans and addressing future technology needs.
OSU is providing opportunities for private and public partnerships and offers opportunities for economic growth in the state.
BY THE NUMBERS
1,290 faculty (Fall '21) $198,799,000 research expenditures (FY21) 936 grants awarded (FY21)
OUR IMPACT
Technology transfer at OSU (FY11-20) 22 startup companies created to commercialize OSU technology 452 invention disclosures by OSU faculty and staff 80 patents issued 104 license agreements
Scientists with the OSU Institute of Biosecurity and Microbial Forensics are heading a national project to create a library for research on plant pathogens to standardize plant disease diagnostic research.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under award number 2022-68013-36537 for $985,739. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
www.go.okstate.edu
