D. Cook

Phase-changing citrate macromolecule combats oxidative pancreatic islet damage, enables islet engraftment and function in the omentum

PPCN, a thermoresponsive antioxidant polymer, supports islet viability and function in nonhuman primates when used for omentum transplantation.

Natural genomic variation in rice blast genomes is associated with specific heterochromatinmodifications

The paper examines DNA sequence variation in rice blast fungi, finding that heterochromatin-associated histone marks correlate with SNP and INDEL frequency, even after accounting for selection.

Implications of the three-dimensional chromatin organization for genome evolution in a fungal plant pathogen

This study examines the 3D chromatin organization in Verticillium dahliae and links it to evolutionary features in the Verticillium genus.

More than a ligand: PD-L1 promotes oncolytic virus infection via a metabolic shift that inhibits the type I interferon pathway.

PD-L1 promotes oncolytic virus infection by inhibiting the type I interferon pathway through a metabolic shift involving enhanced glycolysis and lactate production.

CRISPR-Cas12a induced DNA double-strand breaks are repaired by locus-dependent and error-prone pathways in a fungal pathogen

The paper investigates DNA repair mechanisms after CRISPR-Cas12a-induced double-strand breaks in Magnaporthe oryzae, identifying locus-dependent and error-prone repair pathways leading to various mutation types.

RNA silencing by CRISPR in plants does not require Cas13

The paper shows that CRISPR-Cas13 can reduce RNA in plants without the Cas13 protein, using a mechanism similar to RNAi.

Multiple brace root phenotypes promote anchorage and limit root lodging in maize

This study quantifies brace root contributions to anchorage and root lodging in maize inbred lines and shows that plant architecture predicts these traits.

Local rather than global H3K27me3 dynamics associates with differential gene expression in Verticillium dahliae

The paper shows that H3K27me3 dynamics are not globally erased during differential gene expression in Verticillium dahliae, but rather local changes associate with some differentially expressed genes.

A suite of rare microbes interacts with a dominant, heritable, fungal endophyte to influence plant trait expression

The paper manipulates rare and dominant endophytes in plants to show that rare endophytes affect host traits only in the absence of a dominant fungal endophyte, and that interactions between endophytes and pathogens can offset negative effects.

DNA methylation in Verticillium dahliae requires only one of three putative DNA methyltransferases, yet is dispensable for growth, development and virulence

This study identifies Dim2 as the primary DNA methyltransferase in Verticillium dahliae, showing that DNA methylation is dispensable for growth, development, and virulence.

Domestication and temperature modulate gene expression signatures and growth in the Australasian snapper Chrysophrys auratus

The paper examines how domestication and temperature affect gene expression and growth in Australasian snapper, identifying key pathways involved in development and immune responses.