The UGA Plant Center

Find out more about the UGA Plant Center.

The Plant Center website.

Graduate (PhD) position available

We are currently recruiting a Ph.D. student todo research on Anthracnose resistance in cucurbits. The research includes trait discovery and molecular breeding. The ideal candidate would have an undergraduate and M.S. degree in plant breeding, genetics, horticulture or related field. Anticipated start date is Spring 2024. Interested parties should contact Dr. McGregor.

Post Doctoral Associate position available

 The Cucurbit Breeding, Genetics and Genomics lab (https://mcgregorlab.uga.edu/) at the University of Georgia (Athens) searches for an energetic and creative postdoc.  The applicant will participate in cucurbit breeding and genetics for resistance to whitefly transmitted viruses as part of a team of molecular biologists, plant pathologists, entomologists and extension faculty in the southeastern USA. The applicant will work on identifying resistance loci and genes, functional analysis of candidate genes, and introgression of resistance into elite material. 

 

 Preferred Qualifications

·    Ph.D. in plant breeding, plant pathology, molecular genetics, genomics or other relevant field, and

·    An interest and experience in collaborative research. 

·    Proven experience with genomics, bioinformatics and gene-editing is strongly preferred.

·    An ability to work under supervision of, and with people of different cultural backgrounds is essential.

 

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

·    Conduct research to identify and introgress whitefly transmitted disease resistance loci into cucurbits.

·    Supervise undergraduate students.

·    Contribute to the overall cucurbit breeding program.

·    Additional duties as assigned.

 

Interested parties should submit their application at UGA Jobs  (https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/324561).

Gummy Stem Blight Field Trial

We introgressed gummy stem blight (GSB) resistance loci from C. amarus, a crop wild relative of watermelon. This year we are evaluating these lines in the field!

First we grow a lot op plates of Stagonosporopsis citrulli, the main causal agent of GSB in Georgia. 

We then use a CO2 sprayer to spray the spores on the plants. 

We also installed a mist system to ensure the leaf surfaces stay wet to encourage spore germination. 

Congratulations Jorge!

 Congratulations to Jorge Reyes Pineda who obtained his Ph.D. in Horticulture in May. Some pictures from Commencement in Sanford Stadium with proud advisor and family. Well done Jorge and all the best.

 

Reminders of the pumpkin season!

 

Reunited: Dr. Cecilia McGregor, and her past graduate student Dr. Geoffrey Meru (now Assistant Professor at University of Florida) co-organizing CUCURBITACEAE 2022.

 

Congratulations to Douglas Vines

Congratulations to Douglas Vines, who won 1st place for his poster entitled "Watermelon Fruit Shape associated with allelic variation in ClSUN25-26-27a" at the 2022 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in Baltimore. Great job Douglas!

17th Annual Giant Pumpkin Regatta - University of Wisconsin-Madison

This weekend we were honored to join the Goldman lab at University of Wisconsin-Madison for their 17th Annual Giant Pumpkin Regatta. We had a great time and hopefully this is the start of the annual intercollegiate Giant Pumpkin Regatta. Hope to see everybody in Athens next year!

That's a wrap for the watermelon season and beginning of pumpkins #Orange Bulldog

Watermelon Transplantation Day @UGA Horticulture farm

Watermelon Harvest Day

Watermelon Phenotyping

Orange Bulldog Transplantation

 

Fun evening at the UGA HortFarm Open House, 2022. Visitors loved tasting different varieties of watermelon, and learning about our research.

 

Highlights of the CROPS conference 2022 at Huntsville, Alabama

 

Ph.d. Student Poster Presentation

Greenhouse facility Tour at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology

Reception at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center

McGregor lab at the annual IPBGG retreat

 

Dr. McGregor in conversation with Dr. Shan Wu

Dr. Shan Wu visited from  Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University

Talk: Pan-genome of Wild and Cultivated Watermelons

Ph.D. Student, Samikshya Rijal

Poster Presentation

 

                                               Atlantic Ocean @ Jekyll Island, GA

It's summer, so that means field work!

Good day out in the field

Alex telling a joke? I missed it.

Starting day with a pleasant visit to our greenhouse facility. Squash collections maintained by Dr. Luckew (Post-doc) are having beautiful female flowers, well complemented by marigolds used for insect trapping.

 

McGregor lab members (including our PI, Dr. McGregor) attended Joint Southeastern Branch ESA and APS-CD conference in San Juan Puerto Rico.

 

Congratulations! Jesse Kuzy is moving on with a new job. Last lunch with him as a member of our lab. He has been a part of this lab since 2018.

 

Samikshya Rijal featured in UGA CAES Cultivate Student Spotlight

 Read all about Samikshya in CAES Cultivate. Samikshya joined our lab at the beginning of 2021 and is already making a big impact!

Our paper "Field Evaluation of Cucurbita Germplasm for Resistance to Whiteflies and Whitefly-transmitted Viruses" published

Our paper, "Field Evaluation of Cucurbita Germplasm for Resistance to Whiteflies and Whitefly-transmitted Viruses" has been published in HortScience.Alex Luckew was the lead on this research an it was a big effort by researchers at UGA, the University of Florida, Auburn University and the University of Guelp. Congratulations Alex and the whole team!

Congratulations Douglas Vines

Congratulations to Douglas Vines who won 3rd prize for his undergraduate poster at the annual Plant Center Retreat. The title of the poster was "ClSUN25-26-27a Allelic Variation Associated with Watermelon Fruit Shape". Sammy Josiah is co-author on this poster.