About Xiao Group

The Xiao Lab aims to understand the molecular mechanisms of plant programmed cell death and disease resistance

Plants have evolved resistance genes to fight against pathogens.  Research in the Xiao group focuses on a gene named RPW8 that confers broad-spectrum resistance in plants to Erysiphe pathogens that cause powdery mildew disease on numerous crop species.

The two likely outcomes when the plant (Arabidopsis) is challenged by the pathogen (Erysiphe): (1)susceptible with snow-like mildew if lacking RPW8 and (2)resistant with hypersensitive cell death if containing RPW8.