Anyone living in Minnesota over the past decades is familiar with Dutch elm disease and the emerald ash borer, two pathogens that have caused a huge impact on local trees. MSI PI Robert Blanchette (professor, Plant Pathology) and members of his lab are using biosurveillance methods to detect and manage new pathogens before they can spread through the plant population. This research is partially supported by the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC), a research center dedicated to preventing or reducing threats from invasive species. A story about research in the Blanchette lab can be found on the MITPPC website: On the front lines: How proactively pinpointing pathogens protects Minnesota trees.
Professor Blanchette uses MSI resources for some of the group’s research into plant pathogens.