Macromolecules as Vehicles for Information Exchange Between Parasitic Plants and Their Hosts

October 8, 2018 @ 01:00 pm to 02:15 pm

James Westwood, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

108 Wartik Lab
University Park

My research focuses on parasitic plants, which I find to be the most intriguing of organisms. Parasitic plants are fascinating subjects because they possess unusual characteristics that reveal the extremes of plant growth and development.  For example, the parasite haustorium has the capacity to attach to a host, invade host tissues to reach the host vascular system and form a connection that then serves as a conduit for transfer of host resources.  An essential element of this process is the communication between host and parasite by which the haustorial cells navigate through the host tissue, suppress host defenses, and induce metabolic changes in the host to facilitate transfer of nutrients to the growing parasite.  By elucidating the mechanisms underlying these host-parasite interactions I will identify processes that can be targeted to sever the continuity between parasite and host.

More information on James Westwood

Contact

Michael Axtell
mja18@psu.edu