Research Projects

sugarcane, a major commercial crop in India, faces significant economic losses due to red rot caused by the hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum falcatum. The genome complexity and lack of whole genome information complicate understanding disease resistance in sugarcane. This project proposal aims to identify host targets that can suppress red rot disease severity by directly targeting C. falcatum or inducing the innate immune system of sugarcane by priming the pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP) of C. falcatum - CfEPL1. Existing knowledge on the molecular events triggering host resistance via PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) is incomplete, and a critical understanding of the interactome of this pathosystem is required. The proposed work focuses on the deployment of CfEPL1, a cerato-platanin protein, for direct commercial application and devising further manipulation strategies for enhancing sustainable host resistance. The project proposes decoding the molecular events of PAMP-triggered immunity in sugarcane by identifying the interacting partners like receptors/R genes of a putative pathogen-associated molecular pattern - PAMP (EPL1) of C. falcatum during interaction with sugarcane. This would provide a comprehensive snapshot of the mechanism of disease resistance induced via PAMP-receptor interaction in sugarcane, leading to the development of markers for molecular breeding and engineering durable red rot resistance in sugarcane.