NC State gets $1.59M grant to map genome of para...( few widely grown crops. Finding ...)

Finding a way to manage or control the root-knot nematode population hasn't always been very successful to date, Opperman says, mostly due to the high costs of chemical nematicides

"The root-knot nematode's tolerance to pesticides is quite robust, so in many cases the defenses against root-knot nematodes are more toxic to vertebrates than to the nematodes," he says. "There are also non-target effects of pesticides to worry about, like the groundwater and other environmental concerns."

NC State's Genome Research Laboratory will perform about half of the sequencing work, with collaborator Orion Genomics LLC performing the remainder. Collaborating with Opperman on the project are Dr. Bryon Sosinski, director of the Genome Research Lab, and Dr. David Bird, associate professor of plant pathology and co-director of the Center for the Biology of Nematode Parasitism. A variety of post-doctoral students, graduate students and undergraduates will be involved in the project.

"This project represents a significant step forward in the quest to understand the molecular and genetic basis of plant parasitic nematodes' ability to attack crop plants, and will provide an invaluable resource to researchers around the world," Opperman says.

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8-Dec-2004