Shuang Yang

My research is focussed on phytoplasma that causes disease on jujube. Jujube witches' broom (JWB) is a bacterial disease, associated with the Candidatus phytoplasma ziziphi. JWB is extremely challenging for the jujube industry causing leafy flower, witches’ broom and stunting, resulting in total losses in yield and fruit quality. I analyzed SDEs in this phytoplasma and I found an SDE can specifically interact with a bHLH transcription factor and affect its protein stability. I am functionally characterizing this transcription factor for a potential role in development or disease progression.