UC Riverside scientists have solved a 20-year-old genetics puzzle that could result in ways to protect wheat, barley, and other crops from a devastating infection.
Ayala Rao, professor of plant pathology and microbiology, has been studying Brome Mosaic virus for decades. Unlike some viruses, the genetic material of this virus is divided into three particles that until now were impossible to tell apart. Using a genetic engineering technique, Rao’s team disabled the pathogenic aspects of the virus and infused the viral genes with a host plant. A paper describing the work Rao’s team did to differentiate these particles was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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