Genes that emit light are helping researchers track disease development, to better understand how bacteria cause major diseases in potatoes. That could ultimately help farmers make better planting decisions and avoid devastating potato diseases such as blackleg, says Lethbridge Research Centre scientist Dr. Debbie Fujimoto. This research is very exciting. Producers who have been hit hard by the diseases would benefit greatly from the research.
Researchers begin by inserting the light-emitting gene into the bacteria.
Placement of the gene in the bacteria is important, says Fujimoto. Where the gene is inserted in the bacteria will have an effect on how much light is emitted, and may affect the expression of the other bacterial genes. For our studies, we isolate bacteria that produce the most light and still cause disease. Once the gene is successfully inserted, the researchers can visually track the living bacteria. In collaboration with Dr. Fran Leggett, we're planning to use a special type of microscopy where the cells are going to be emitting green against a red background.