Agricultural and Life Sciences (IFAS)
Fernandez Lab
Led by Jessie Fernandez · Microbiology and Cell Science
What we study
The Fernandez Lab studies how plant pathogens like Magnaporthe oryzae infect and damage rice plants. They use tools like microscopy and molecular biology to understand how these pathogens evade plant defenses.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- Plants
- No organisms (data only)
- No coding
- Projects
- 4
- Papers
- 5
Current projects
Secreted Proteins in Rice Blast Infection
Investigating how small proteins secreted by Magnaporthe oryzae help the fungus evade plant defenses.
Project Characterizing Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase role in Magnaporthe oryzae
The team will delete the single PARP gene in the rice‑blast fungus using a split‑marker method with three selectable markers, then confirm the deletion by PCR. This will reveal whether PARP helps the fungus cope with stress and cause disease, informing future crop‑protection strategies.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 520
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Characterization of Potential Peptidases in Magnaporthe oryzae: Investigating Their Role in Pathogenicity and Host Interaction
The lab studies enzymes that help a rice fungus infect plants. The student tested three candidate peptidases, showed Pep1 has a functional signal peptide and measurable activity using a color assay and spectrophotometer, and purified the protein for further work.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 436
Project Investigating soil and leaf bacterial isolates from Everglades rice fields for inhibitory activities against rice blast disease
The lab tests bacteria from Everglades rice field soil and leaves to see if they can stop the fungus that causes rice blast disease. The student isolated 30 soil and 35 leaf bacterial colonies, applied 5 μl of each to plates for five days, and identified five soil and six leaf isolates that reduced fungal growth by 20%‑40%.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 408
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Yeast as a Platform to Dissect Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Function from Magnaporthe oryzae and Evaluate PARP Inhibitors
2026 · International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Tests whether a rice blast fungus enzyme affects yeast growth and drug response.
- Soil-Derived Bacillus pumilus Strains Demonstrate Antagonistic Activity Against Magnaporthe oryzae and Multiple Plant Growth-Promoting Traits
2026 · International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Tests whether soil bacteria can fight rice blast fungus and boost plant growth.
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- Nutrient utilization and degradative enzyme activity of the dragon fruit canker pathogen, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum
2026 · Microbiology
Shows how nutrient limits slow growth and spore production in a dragon fruit fungus.
- Bacillus subtilis strain UD1022 as a biocontrol agent against Magnaporthe oryzae , the rice blast pathogen
2025 · Microbiology Spectrum
Tests whether a soil bacteria can fight rice blast fungus directly or via air signals.
- The oncogene SLC35F2 is a high-specificity transporter for the micronutrients queuine and queuosine
2025 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Finds a protein that helps cells absorb a nutrient from gut bacteria.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Jessie Fernandez hasn't set up this page yet. You can also look them up in the UF directory (search “Jessie Fernandez”).