UCDavis

Role within PROMISE:

Striga infects sorghum roots through penetration of and subsequent growth within the sorghum root system.  We anticipate that interactions between soil-borne microbes, Striga and sorghum roots will influence the susceptibility or resistance of sorghum to this devastating parasite.  The UC Davis group will analyze sorghum root system architecture, cellular architecture and gene expression profiles to determine the contribution of any of these or their interaction to microbiome-mediated Striga resistance or susceptibility.  The following people are involved:

Siobhan Brady, Principle Investigator
Research in the Brady lab focuses on understanding how a network of transcriptional interactions regulates tissue development and function. The root of the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, is ideally suited to study the architecture of transcriptional networks as most cell types are rotationally symmetrical and developmental time can be read along the root’s longitudinal axis, facilitating characterization of spatiotemporal development.

Dorota Kawa, PostDoc
Dorota did her PhD at Amsterdam University and recently joined the Brady lab to work on this project. She will study Sorghum root system and cellular architecture and root transcriptome.

Jiregna Daksa, PhD student
Jiregna did his MSc at Jimma University and associate researcher at EIAR. He recently joined the Brady lab for his PhD to work with PROMISE project to study the influence  of the microbiome on Striga resistance or suppressiveness from the perspective of Sorghum root system and cellular architecture and the root transcriptome.  Jiregna is also co-supervised with Addis Ababa University.

Mulatu Gidi, MSc student
Mulatu did his BSc Degree in Plant Science at Ambo University.  Now he is pursuing his MSc study in Biotechnology at Addis Ababa University.  Mulatu is screening Striga (Striga hermonthica) resistance in Sorghum genotypes using gel assays and by screening the lgs1 marker as part of the PROMISE project with the Brady lab group.

Sharon Gray, PostDoc  † 2016
Sharon was very excited to work for PROMISE and eager to see it develop. We are very sad to lose such a great person and will always remember her warm personality. Sharon's family initiated a wonderful Memorial Fund to continue the work she so enthousiastically started. Please find a link here

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