Disease Resistance

Disease is a major scourge of worldwide crop production. Fungal and bacterial infections reduce yield by diverting the plant's resources to pathogen growth. Additionally, pathogens may damage tissues as part of their mechanisms for invading host tissues. Most plants are resistant to most pathogens; this fact indicates that plants have the ability to mount defenses against pathogens. Mendel has identified several transcription factors that boost the activity of native gene networks within a plant that naturally it against disease. Importantly, we have identified transcription factors that confer so-called broad spectrum disease resistance in a wide variety of plants. These technologies protect the plant against multiple different fungal pathogens and thereby improve yield.