Keywords

  • bacteriology
  • disease etiology
  • fire blight
  • fire-blight
  • gene expression
  • gene-expression
  • gene sequencing
  • gene-sequencing
  • gene-silencing
  • genomics
  • host-specificity
  • microbiology
  • molecular biology
  • molecular-biology
  • molecular genetics
  • molecular-genetics
  • onion decay
  • phytobacteriology
  • phytopathology
  • plant disease
  • plant-disease
  • plant-microbe-biology
  • plant molecular biology
  • plant-molecular-biology
  • plant pathology
  • transgenic plants
  • transgenic-plants

Beer, Steven Vincent

Professor
I have expertise in plant pathology, particularly diseases of plants caused by bacteria, especially fire blight of apple, pear and related plants. I have functioned broadly in these respects, in teaching, reseach and extension. My research activity has covered epidemiology and control, molecular genetics, genomics and proteomics. Much of my recent activity has been fundamental in nature, however, application of fundamental knowledge to applied problems is a strong motivation. I advise others informaly concerning bacterial diseases and the identification and manipulation of the pathogens.

research

research and scholarship focus

My responsibility for work on diseases of tree fruit evolved to emphasize molecular genetic studies on phytopathogenic bacteria, particularly the fire blight pathogen, Erwinia amylovora. Research studies over the last two decades resulted in the identification and characterization of many hrp genes that encode products critical to disease development and several plant proteins with which the bacterial proteins interact. Present research involves characterizing the genome of E. amylovora, and determining the possible role of several genes and gene products in interactions with host and non-host plants. Additionally, the genetic basis of host-specificity of strains of the fire blight pathogen for plants of two subfamilies of the Rosaceae family of plants is being explored. Also, we seek to genetically engineer more effective strains of non-pathogenic bacteria for use in biological control of fire blight. Recently, my program began to address bacterial disease problems of onions, in collaboration with others.

primary investigator of

research areas

affiliations

faculty appointment in

member of graduate field

teaching

teaching focus

The Department?s needs for instruction in phytobacteriology led me to offer courses in bacterial plant pathogens for some 15 years. The more recent call for undergraduate courses led me to volunteer to teach a ?Senior Seminar? for students in Biology and Society. That course, Microbes and Food: Contemporary Issues Affecting Humanity utilizes my interest in microbes and their important role in society.

service

outreach focus

An innovative outreach project aimed primarily at secondary school biology students in New York State is underway. It`s a collaboration with Cornell`s Institute for Biology Teaching (CIBT), which is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the New York State Center for Advanced Technology. A DVD and a study guide were produced aimed at introducing secondary school students and their teachers to several important concepts: that bacteria can cause disease in plants; techniques for safe handling of bacterial plant pathogens; that specific genes are needed for disease-causing ability; bioinformatics strategies useful for annotation of a genome sequence, and the use of reverse genetics laboratory tests to assess gene function. The program was presented to a group of secondary school science teachers, who will test the materials and possibly suggest changes to the project for use in classrooms. The materials also will be made available on the internet. The secondary school outreach project is being revised and expanded for presentation to the agricultural community, especially Cooperative Extension Educators in the field and fruit growers. One of the major objectives is to foster better understanding by the target audiences of fundamental molecular biological research as applied to fruit crops and their pests and pathogens. Greater understanding of the relevance of molecular biological research, and its possible future benefit, likely will result in enhanced appreciation by the agricultural community and the general public.
Keywords: bacteriology, disease etiology, fire blight, fire-blight, gene expression, gene-expression, gene sequencing, gene-sequencing, gene-silencing, genomics, host-specificity, microbiology, molecular biology, molecular-biology, molecular genetics, molecular-genetics, onion decay, phytobacteriology, phytopathology, plant disease, plant-disease, plant-microbe-biology, plant molecular biology, plant-molecular-biology, plant pathology, transgenic plants, transgenic-plants