The Ma lab of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UMass Amherst focuses on a cross-kingdom fungal pathosystem Fusarium oxysporum. Highly adaptive, this fungus causes destructive wilt diseases on important crops and infect humans. Horizontally acquired accessory chromosomes in the genome of F. oxysporum convey its host-specific pathogenicity, providing a focal point to investigate fungal virulence and enabling an excellent model to investigate horizontal transfer in eukaryotes. Empowered by the super-computing capacity through MGHPCC, the Ma lab members are working together to better understand this unique pathosystem for the effective control of this cross-kingdom pathogen.
