Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Sarah Olson

Investigating Powdery Mildew manipulation of plant cell processes

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that harms grapevines by hijacking the plant’s own biological processes to support its growth. To understand how this manipulation works, the Wildermuth lab studies a small model plant called Arabidopsis, which shares key traits with grapevines. Our research focuses on a lipid transport protein, Acyl Co-A Binding Protein 4, which appears to influence how effectively the fungus can exploit the host. Through my continued research with my mentor, we aim to better understand how powdery mildew reprograms plant cells—particularly changes in DNA replication—to promote infection.

Message To Sponsor

Thank you so much for the opportunity to contribute to important research while improving my own research skills. This URAP program has been the most valuable part of my Berkeley experience in terms of my preparation for graduate school and my future career. The skills I have gained from this experience will carry me far. I appreciate your donation greatly!