Prof. Li-Jun Ma, an expert in fungal comparative genomics, has received a five-year, $880,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant to continue her research on pathogenic fungi. The Fusarium oxysporum fungus causes wilt in plant species, costing farmers billions of dollars in losses worldwide each year. The fungus can remain viable for 30 or 40 years, and at present “there really is no way to control it,” Ma says. By advancing understanding of the molecular mechanism of fungal pathogenesis, she hopes to increase ways to develop disease-resistant crops.
The CAREER Program is the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.