Faculty

Molecular Forest Pathology Lab

Etiology, epidemiology and control of forest diseases, especially in Eucalyptus. Genetic base of the resistance of host-pathogen interactions aiming to reduce the occurrence of diseases in forest plantations.

Plant Nematology Lab

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Plant-Pathogen-Vector Lab

1. Biochemical and molecular mechanisms in plant-pathogen-vector interaction
2. Biotic and abiotic effects on pathogen transmission and vector biology
3. Control of vectors of plant pathogens by RNA interference

Population Biology of Plant Pathogens Lab (BIOPOP )
Lab website

Evolutionary genetics of plant pathogen populations and molecular epidemiology of plant diseases as a basis for improving management of  plant diseases of major forest and agricultural importance.

Epidemiology Lab
Lab website 

Modeling, risk prediction and assessment methods of plant disease epidemics and crop losses. Biology and epidemiology of mycotoxigenic Fusaria infecting cereal crops.

 Host-Parasite Interaction Lab

Metabolic and molecular changes potentiated by nutrients and silicon in plants infected by foliar and root pathogens. Mineral nutrition and plant diseases. Biochemical, physiological and molecular responses of plants against pathogen infection. Photosynthetic constraints in infected plants.

Molecular Plant Virology Lab

Analysis of the genetic diversity and molecular evolution of Geminivirus. Study of the interaction of Geminiviruses with their different hosts.

Plant Disease Management Lab

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Forest Pathology Lab

Etiology of fungal diseases in forest and ornamental plant species. Characterization of plant pathogenic fungi. Study of the interaction plant-fungus using light and electron microscopy.

Molecular Bacteriology Lab

Diagnosis and alternative methods of control of plant pathogenic bacteria. Phenotypic and genetic diversity in bacterial populations. Molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis and host resistance. Identification, mapping and cloning of host-resistance genes.

Biological Control of Nematodes Lab (BIONEMA)

Mode of action and efficacy of microbial agents – ochonia chlamydosporia, Pasteuria penetrans and rhizobacterias – and the interaction among them and cultivated plants and the environment to maximize the reduction on plant pathogenic nematodes. Development of natural products as alternative to pesticides.

Biological Control Lab

Biological control and modes of action of different species within the genus Clonostachys. Secondary metabolites produced by antagonistic fungi against plant pathogens. Influences of the endophytic mycobiota on the biocontrol of plant diseases. Molecular phylogenetics and chemotaxonomy of plant pathogenic, endophytic and soilborne fungi.

Seed Pathology and Post-Harvest Lab

Etiology, taxonomy and phylogeny of plant pathogenic fungi of seeds and post-harvest products as well as fungi of the Brazilian ecosystems.

Mycology Lab

Taxonomy and biology of fungal plant pathogens of impact to tropical agriculture such as coffee leaf rust, leaf blight on rubber tree and Witche’s broom of cacao. Mycobiota associated with weeds, plants under domestication, plants native from Brazil as well as endangered plants. Fungi as biocontrol agents of weeds and plant pathogenic fungi.

Genetic and Genomics of Host-Pathogen Interactions Lab

Genetics and genomics of host-pathogen interactions. Molecular basis of pathogen recognition. Population genomics of pathogen effectors. Use of wild species as source of resistance genes.