Rebecca L. McDougal

This paper develops a highly sensitive qPCR assay for detecting Phytophthora pluvialis in forest samples, improving detection sensitivity and enabling early asymptomatic detection.

The paper identifies a third morphotype of Cyclaneusma minus in New Zealand through genomic and effector protein analysis, showing differences in effector family composition and function across morphotypes.

This study identifies two conserved effector families from fungal pathogens that trigger cell death in plants, showing they are recognized by immune receptors.