Clemencia Rojas
Associate Professor, Department of Plant Pathologybacterial pathogen, bacterial diseases, crops, plant defense responses
402-472-1890
crojas2@unl.edu
Research in the Rojas lab focuses on understanding the interactions between plants and plant pathogenic bacteria. One main goal of the research is to understand at the molecular, cellular and biochemical levels how plants perceive and react to bacterial pathogens and how bacterial pathogens interfere with plant defense responses. This research uses the model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana and their interactions with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. A second goal of the research is to understand the effect of high night temperatures on bacterial diseases of crops specifically related to the rice disease Bacterial Panicle Blight caused by the bacterium Burkhbolderia glumae. A third goal of the research is to develop sustainable approaches to control bacterial diseases in crops using naturally-occurring antagonistic bacteria.
bacterial pathogen, bacterial diseases, crops, plant defense responses