Sharifa Crandall
Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology
-
217 Buckhout Lab
University Park, PA - svc6075@psu.edu
- 814-863-3333
Research Summary
Drawing from community ecology theory to understand how fungal and oomycete pathogens shape plant disease dynamics, with a focus on root and soil microbiome diversity, structure, and function; how ecological disturbances drive the complex interactions between hosts, microbes, and the environment across time and space and using this information to inform plant disease management.
Huck Affiliations
Links
Most Recent Publications
Ecological distribution of the filmy fern genus Trichomanes on Mo'orea, French Polynesia. Berkeley Scientific Journal
Sharifa Crandall, Berkeley Scientific Journal on p. 81-84
Water-use efficiency in Hawaiian trees: an eco-‐physiological approach and methodology
Sharifa Crandall, Tropical Resources: The Bulletin of the Yale Tropical Resources Institute on p. 30-33
Ecologically expanding the One Health framework to unify the microbiome sciences
Nichole Ginnan, Sharifa G. Crandall, Madangchanok Imchen, Francisco Dini-Andreote, Tim I. Miyashiro, Vishal Singh, Erika Ganda, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2025, mBio
POPULATION DYNAMICS AND AGGRESSIVENESS OF FUNGAL PATHOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH CHILLI ROOT ROT
Muhammad Usman Ali, Nasir Ahmed Rajput, Muhammad Atiq, Rana Muhammad Atif, Sharifa G. Crandall, 2024, Pakistan Journal of Botany on p. 377-387
Seeing in the dark: a metagenomic approach can illuminate the drivers of plant disease
Veronica Roman-Reyna, Sharifa G. Crandall, 2024, Frontiers in Plant Science
Assessing long-distance atmospheric transport of soilborne plant pathogens
Hannah Brodsky, Rocío Calderón, Douglas S. Hamilton, Longlei Li, Andrew Miles, Ryan Pavlick, Kaitlin M. Gold, Sharifa G. Crandall, Natalie Mahowald, 2023, Environmental Research Letters
An Interactive, Online Web Map Resource of Global Fusarium oxysporum ff. spp. Diversity and Distribution
Rocío Calderón, Jaclyn A. Eller, Hannah K. Brodsky, Andrew D. Miles, Sharifa G. Crandall, Natalie Mahowald, Ryan Pavlick, Kaitlin M. Gold, 2023, Plant Disease on p. 538-541
Extreme heat alters the performance of hosts and pathogen
Mitzy F. Porras, Carlos A. Navas, Gustavo A. Agudelo-Cantero, Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez, Volker Loeschcke, Jesper Givskov Sørensen, Sharifa G. Crandall, David Biddinger, Edwin G. Rajotte, 2023, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Recovery of the soil fungal microbiome after steam disinfection to manage the plant pathogen Fusarium solani
Eric R. Larson, Sharifa G. Crandall, 2023, Frontiers in Plant Science
Rotting Grapes Don't Improve with Age: Cluster Rot Disease Complexes, Management, and Future Prospects
Sharifa G. Crandall, Jamie Spychalla, Uma T. Crouch, Flor Acevedo, Rachel P. Naegele, Timothy D. Miles, 2022, Plant Disease on p. 2013-2025
Most-Cited Papers
A multi-omics approach to solving problems in plant disease ecology
Sharifa G Crandall, Kaitlin M Gold, María Del Mar Jiménez-Gasco, Camila C Filgueiras, Denis S Willett, 2020, PLoS One on p. e0237975
Meteorological factors associated with abundance of airborne fungal spores over natural vegetation
Sharifa Crandall, Gregory S. Gilbert, 2017, Atmospheric Environment on p. 87-99
Advances in diagnostics of downy mildews: Lessons learned from other oomycetes and future challenges
Sharifa G. Crandall, Alamgir Rahman, Lina M. Quesada-Ocampo, Frank N. Martin, Guillaume J. Bilodeau, Timothy D. Milest, 2018, Plant Disease on p. 265-275
Best practices: social research methods to inform biological conservation
Sharifa G. Crandall, Jennifer L. Ohayon, Luz A. de Wit, J. E. Hammond, Kate L. Melanson, Monica M. Moritsch, Rob Davenport, Diana Ruiz, Bradford Keitt, Nick D. Holmes, Heath G. Packard, Jeffrey Bury, Gregory S. Gilbert, Ingrid M. Parker, 2018, Australasian Journal of Environmental Management on p. 6-23
Fungal spore diversity, community structure, and traits across a vegetation mosaic
Sharifa G. Crandall, Norah Saarman, Gregory S. Gilbert, 2020, Fungal Ecology
Rotting Grapes Don't Improve with Age: Cluster Rot Disease Complexes, Management, and Future Prospects
Sharifa G. Crandall, Jamie Spychalla, Uma T. Crouch, Flor Acevedo, Rachel P. Naegele, Timothy D. Miles, 2022, Plant Disease on p. 2013-2025
Extreme heat alters the performance of hosts and pathogen
Mitzy F. Porras, Carlos A. Navas, Gustavo A. Agudelo-Cantero, Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez, Volker Loeschcke, Jesper Givskov Sørensen, Sharifa G. Crandall, David Biddinger, Edwin G. Rajotte, 2023, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
A Multiplex taqman qPCR assay for detection and quantification of clade 1 and clade2 isolates of pseudoperonospora cubensis and pseudoperonospora humuli
Sharifa G. Crandall, Marina L. Ramon, Alyssa K. Burkhardt, Julian Camilo Bello Rodriguez, Nanci Adair, David H. Gent, Mary K. Hausbeck, Lina M.Quesada Ocampo, Frank N. Martin, 2021, Plant Disease
Assessing long-distance atmospheric transport of soilborne plant pathogens
Hannah Brodsky, Rocío Calderón, Douglas S. Hamilton, Longlei Li, Andrew Miles, Ryan Pavlick, Kaitlin M. Gold, Sharifa G. Crandall, Natalie Mahowald, 2023, Environmental Research Letters
Beach environmental etiquette: Assessing public awareness of marine reserves on the central coast of California
Monica Moritsch, Lauren Strope, Sharifa G. Crandall, 2019, Ocean and Coastal Management on p. 104-114
News Articles Featuring Sharifa Crandall
Jun 10, 2025
Q&A: Unifying the microbiome sciences for global health and sustainability
Recently, members of Penn State's One Health Microbiome Center published an article in the American Society for Microbiology’s flagship journal, mBio. In this Q&A, a few of the paper’s authors discussed how the center is leading the charge to breakdown traditional disciplinary silos and expand the One Health focus to include more than just pathogenic microbial threats.
Full Article
Oct 01, 2024
Q&A: Using a new approach to shine a light on hidden plant microbes
Despite there being more microbes on Earth than stars in our galaxy, only a tiny fraction have been discovered. An approach called metagenomics — a type of DNA sequencing — may help scientists learn more about these elusive organisms, according to Penn State researchers.
Full Article
Oct 24, 2023
Plant pathologist to research plant diseases in organic vegetables
Sharifa Crandall will use a $800,000 grant from the USDA’s Organic Transitions initiative to study methods to suppress soilborne pathogens in vegetable high tunnels.
Full Article
Aug 16, 2023
Bee populations at risk of one-two punch from heat waves, pathogen infection
Extreme heat waves affect pollinators and the pathogens that live on them, creating a mutual imbalance that could have major economic and public health consequences.
Full Article