Lily Peck entered the cryogenic freezer, dressed in a face guard and thick gloves for defense against the dry ice, while a colleague saw the door to ensure it didnt lock. For Peck, this meant a chance to much better understand the history of fungal illness in coffee plants– and perhaps recognize new methods to beat it. In the 1950s, a global cooperation to decrease the spread of the disease briefly brought the endemic pathogen under control with enhanced crop hygiene and breeding, according to Peck. The research study also found that both modern F. xylarioides pressures share genes with F. oxysporum, a fungal stress that triggers wilting in banana trees, which are frequently interplanted with coffee crops– something that may be a cause for concern in the future, Peck says.” Peck is now studying the gene expression of the half-century-old F. xylarioides stress as they contaminate coffee plants in a controlled environment at Imperial, and keeps in mind that it must be possible to do comparable experiments with other cryopreserved specimens.
For Peck, this implied an opportunity to much better comprehend the history of fungal disease in coffee plants– and maybe identify brand-new methods to beat it. The research study also found that both modern F. xylarioides pressures share genes with F. oxysporum, a fungal pressure that triggers wilting in banana trees, which are often interplanted with coffee crops– something that might be a cause for issue in the future, Peck states.” Peck is now studying the gene expression of the half-century-old F. xylarioides pressures as they infect coffee plants in a controlled environment at Imperial, and keeps in mind that it needs to be possible to do comparable experiments with other cryopreserved specimens.