Posted: February 23, 2021
The Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology welcomed a new support staff member, Abigail Deaven, earlier this year. Deaven's position supports department research of bacteriocins and bacteriophage in biological control of pathogens causing blotch on mushrooms.
Abigail Deaven
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology welcomed a new support staff member, Abigail Deaven, earlier this year. Deaven's position supports department research of bacteriocins and bacteriophage in biological control of pathogens causing blotch on mushrooms.
Deaven's research focuses on the interactions of various pseudomonads involved in the development of bacterial blotch disease of mushrooms, one of the most significant challenges to the organic mushroom industry. Deaven is also working to investigate the use of bacteriocins and phage as part of a biological control cocktail to manage infections.
This position is co-advised by Carolee Bull, professor and head, and Kevin Hockett, assistant professor, in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology.
“We're excited to have Abby on board to move some of the important bacterial blotch work forward," said Hockett.
Deaven holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Gettysburg College.
During her research at Gettysburg College and the University of Georgia, she used an amplicon-based sequencing approach to study the population diversity of Salmonella serotypes in the Susquehanna River over a two-year period.
Funding for the position is provided by a USDA OREI grant headed by David Beyer, professor, and Maria Gorgo-Gourovitch, affiliate instructor, in the department.
