Research Projects

Plant viruses are constantly evolving, but not every genetic change translates into a meaningful biological advantage. We investigate how viral genetic variation, host availability, vector biology, and environmental conditions shape viral adaptation, fitness, and spread across agricultural landscapes. Using barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) as complementary study systems, we aim to understand how differences in viral biology, host range, and transmission ecology influence evolutionary trajectories and disease outcomes. By integrating viral population genomics with experimental assessments of viral fitness and transmission, we seek to identify the genetic and ecological factors that distinguish successful viral variants from those that remain restricted. We aim to connect evolutionary patterns with biological mechanisms, build a stronger foundation for anticipating viral adaptation, identify emerging disease risks, and improve the timing and precision of disease management. 

Successful infection requires more than a virus entering a plant. Viral pathogens must overcome host defenses, redirect cellular resources, and establish conditions that support their replication and movement. When insect vectors are involved, the biological picture becomes even more complex: the virus must navigate interactions among the plant, the insect, and itself, with each relationship potentially influencing the others. Our research investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions, with an emphasis on identifying the viral factors, host components, and regulatory networks that determine infection outcomes. We combine 'omics, functional genomics, molecular biology, and systems-level analyses to move beyond individual differentially expressed genes and uncover the biological processes and interaction networks that drive susceptibility, resistance, and transmission. We will use BYDV pathosystem to investigate these questions. We seek to determine how the virus manipulates host physiology, how plants respond to infection, and how interactions involving insect vectors influence viral success. Rather than simply cataloging molecular responses, we aim to distinguish meaningful drivers of infection from the many changes that occur along the way. By connecting molecular observations with functional validation, we hope to identify critical interaction nodes that explain disease outcomes and reveal promising targets for disrupting the infection cycle.

Aphids influence crop productivity through direct feeding damage and their role as vectors of economically important plant viruses. Yet plant responses to aphid attack are not necessarily uniform across tissues: different organs and cell types may experience distinct physiological demands and activate different molecular programs. Through collaboration with Dr. Vamsi Nalam at Colorado State University (CSU), we investigate how aphid feeding reshapes plant gene expression and translation across different tissues. By examining host translatome responses, we aim to better understand how plants allocate molecular resources under herbivore pressure and how tissue-specific responses contribute to plant-aphid interactions. This work provides a complementary perspective on plant defense, extending beyond changes in transcript abundance to consider which transcripts are actively engaged in protein production. Such insights may help explain why seemingly similar feeding events can produce different physiological outcomes and identify host processes that influence aphid performance.

Biological interactions do not occur in isolation from time. Plants and insects exhibit daily rhythms in physiology, metabolism, and behavior, raising the possibility that the timing of an interaction can influence its outcome. Collaborating with Drs. Nalam (CSU) and Vered Tzin (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel), we investigates daily patterns in aphid feeding behavior and gene expression, with a particular interest in whether rhythmic changes in feeding activity are associated with aphid performance. By examining temporal patterns in insect behavior alongside molecular responses, we seek to understand how biological timing contributes to plant-aphid interactions. This research may reveal how daily physiological rhythms shape herbivore-plant relationships and help explain variation in aphid feeding and performance across the day. It also raises a broader question: if the timing of an interaction matters, could understanding that timing improve how we study, and eventually manage, agricultural pests and the viruses they transmit?