Xiyu Ma

The Ma lab at K-State is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying plant innate immune signaling and to develop innovative strategies for engineering disease-resistant crops. We integrate biochemistry, proteomics, genetics, and cell biology to investigate how plant innate immunity is regulated by various post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and proteolytic cleavage. And based on the molecular mechanisms, we design novel approaches to generate plants with broad-spectrum and durable resistance to pathogens.