One of the most commonly found fungi colonizing corn plants is Fusarium verticillioides. Infection by this fungus can result in seedling blights, stalk rots, ear rots and mycotoxin contamination of corn. More often than not however, the fungus systemically colonizes the corn plant with no disease symptoms (endophytic interaction).
We are investigating biological and ecological aspects of this pathosystem in an effort to identify what factors result in disease. We are working 
with modified strains of the fungus that have been labeled with florescent proteins, and are using confocal laser scanning microscopy to visualize infection of the corn plant by F. verticillioides. Specific gene knockout mutants will enable us to identify key molecular signals regulating endophytic infections in corn plants.
