Graduate student Penn State Univeristy State College, Pennsylvania
Body of Abstract: Striga hermonthica, an obligate hemi-parasitic plant which infects roots of agriculturally important crops including rice, sorghum, and maize. S. hermonthica parasitizes its host through the formation of a specialized organ called the haustorium, which allows the transfer of small molecules and water between parasitic plant species and their hosts. Additionally, the haustorium has been shown to allow transfer of small RNAs between host and parasite in other parasitic plant species such as Orobanche aegyptiaca. One method that could potentially combat S. hermonthica infection is Host-induced Gene Silencing (HIGS). HIGS is a transgenic methodology in which a host-derived small RNA is transcribed, transferred to the parasite, and post-transcriptionally silences a gene endogenous to the parasite. If successful, this method would provide an alternative to the costly and labor-intensive options currently used in regions impacted by Striga hermonthica.