MORRIS LEVY

Professor
LILY G-341
494-8134

With several international collaborators, we focus our research on the evolutionary genetics of a major crop pathogen, the rice blast fungus. Using DNA fingerprinting and other techniques, we have shown that rice blast populations throughout the world are each composed of a small number of distinct genetic families with limited pathogenic specificities. We have used this information to design strategies for durable resistance breeding that have proven successful in both the Americas and Asia. Deciphering how the fungus has evolved its specificities is our next goal.

My teaching efforts include international workshops in the use of molecular markers for defining and conserving biodiversity and a new emphasis on the growing field of "bioinformatics", which blends math, statistics and computer science methods to evaluate the biological information contained in whole genomes of organisms. Applying basic scientific methods to real world problems has become my most satisfying professional experience.