Similar to how people have high temperature fevers to fight infections, herbicide resistant weeds have cells ready to fight against herbicides. By using genomics and phonemics approaches, Barbara Keith, William Dyer, and Jennifer Lachowiec, are working to block this fever-state so that herbicide resistant weeds can no longer fight against the chemicals.
About Barbara Keith
Dr. Barbara Keith is an Assistant Research Professor in Plant Sciences and Pathology at Montana State University. Keith is from Bozeman, Montana and completed her PhD at Hahnemann University.
Tell us about your research.
Our laboratories study the molecular mechanisms that confer resistance to increasing numbers of herbicides in Avena fatua (wild oat) a globally pernicious weed. By using genomics and phenomics approaches, we are finding that resistance is likely controlled by alterations in stress-responsive transcription factors and their genomic targets. The connections between the role of herbicide resistance and genes for tolerating stresses bring about important questions about how climate change will affect the efficacy of herbicides that producers rely on in the future.
The connections between the role of herbicide resistance and genes for tolerating stresses bring about important questions about how climate change will affect the efficacy of herbicides that producers rely on in the future.
Can you explain that to a non-scientist?
We study how weeds respond to, and become resistant to, weed control chemicals called herbicides. Just as people have high temperature fevers to fight infections, we see that herbicide resistant weeds almost appear to have a fever. Their cells are waiting to fight against a stress, like the stress of an herbicide. Our research seeks ways to block this fever-state, so that herbicide resistant weeds can no longer fight against the chemicals.
Why did you choose this area of research?
Understanding how changes in regulatory pathways and gene expression in organisms during periods of abiotic stress can aid in survival has long been an interest of mine. I am currently investigating how the plant’s stress response can also increase herbicide tolerance. Interestingly, the molecular mechanisms involved in the evolution of multiple herbicide resistance seem to mimic the plant’s response to stress.
Having a better understanding of how environmental triggers results in the evolution of herbicide resistances through changes at the molecular level will lead to novel approaches in combatting the ever-growing problem of herbicide resistance.
What are some of the real-world applications of your work?
Over the last thirty years, there has been a sharp increase in the number of herbicide resistant, agriculturally important weeds. Having a better understanding of how environmental triggers results in the evolution of herbicide resistances through changes at the molecular level will lead to novel approaches in combatting the ever-growing problem of herbicide resistance.