Verónica Román-Reyna

This study characterizes genomic and functional diversity of Clavibacter nebraskensis using long-read sequencing and phenotypic assays, revealing ecologically distinct populations linked to virulence and survival strategies.

The paper develops and validates a metagenomics workflow to identify bacterial spot pathogens and virulence factors in Ohio tomato and pepper production using shotgun sequencing.

This study shows that loss of the inaZ gene, which enables ice nucleation activity, restricts bacterial dispersal and leads to genetic and ecological isolation.

This study uses tissue-specific experimental evolution to identify adaptive traits in Clavibacter michiganensis, revealing trade-offs between vascular persistence and systemic virulence.

This study shows that gene loss and gain in Xanthomonas translucens drive host range shifts, with fitness costs for generalist behavior and enhanced virulence for specialist behavior.

This study evaluates full-length 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing using Oxford Nanopore Technologies for characterizing understudied microbiomes, finding it more accurate and consistent than V4 region sequencing.

The paper develops a greenhouse spray inoculation protocol to screen barley germplasm for resistance against Xanthomonas translucens pv. translucens, confirming moderate resistance in cultivar Quest across diverse strains.

This study shows that rpfF is not essential for X. translucens pv. undulosa pathogenesis, suggesting quorum sensing interference is not a viable strategy for preventing bacterial leaf streak.

The paper compares the genomes of Minnesotan Xanthomonas translucens strains and finds overall genomic similarity but diversity in virulence factors.