Judith P. Sinn

Areas of Expertise

• Molecular biology
• Plant bacteriology
• Development of novel controls for citrus greening and fire blight
• Genetics of virulence and auxotrophy in Erwinia amylovora

Education

• B.S., Environmental Resource Management, Penn State
• M.S., Plant Pathology, Penn State

Program Interests

As Senior Research Assistant in Dr. Tim McNellis' lab, my research focuses on host and pathogen genes and proteins involved in bacterial disease processes. We employ molecular and genetic tools to elucidate mechanisms contributing to host susceptibility and pathogen virulence.  Current work includes mutational studies with Erwinia amylovora, Pantoea ananatis, and Xanthomonas campestris pv pelargoniia, causal agents of fire blight of pome fruits, center rot of onion, and bacterial blight of geranium, respectively, and a project involving citrus greening disease (huánglóngbìng), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter.