Evolution of plant bacterial niche adaptation

Plant diseases caused by bacteria limit crop production. Bacteria in the genus Xanthomonas infect over 400 plant species with varying host and tissue specificities. I will present our ongoing research that describes the evolution and biology of Xanthomonas-plant interactions through a genomic and bacterial genetics lens. I will bring examples where we have described the evolutionary events that have contributed to current and historical Xanthomonas outbreaks on crops.