Grant awarded for research on oak wilt

MSU Forestry faculty Monique Sakalidis, Deborah McCullough and Bert Cregg, along with Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Academic Specialist Jan Byrne, have been awarded a Michigan Invasive Species Grant to study oak wilt.

Oak wilt will turn red oak leaves into a dull green or brown. Heavy defoliation accompanies leaf wilting and discoloration.

MSU Forestry faculty Monique SakalidisDeborah McCullough and Bert Cregg, along with Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Academic Specialist Jan Byrne, have been awarded a Michigan Invasive Species Grant funded for three years through the Michigan departments of Environmental Quality, Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development. They will conduct research on the epidemiology, biology and population genetics of Oak Wilt. They will be looking for a PhD student to conduct a population genomic study of Ceratocystis fagacearum and develop and optimize molecular detection assays. Details coming soon.

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