Academic Background

M.S. Crop Sciences, concentration Plant Pathology, University of Illinois, 2018
B.S. Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois, 2015

Research Interests and Current Efforts

Kheeman Kwon, a PhD student in the Department of Plant Pathology, studies soybean cyst nematode (SCN) virulence genes involved in overcoming host resistance. More specifically, his research is focused on identifying SCN virulence genes used by the nematode to break the Peking-type resistance. Using RNA-seq data generated from SCN inbred populations that are highly adapted on soybean recombinant inbred lines which only differ at the Rhg4 locus, he is conducting a reference-based transcriptomic analysis with the aid of the SCN genome. This approach is allowing him to identify differentially expressed genes, some of which may encode putative stylet-secreted effector(s) that could play a pivotal role in breaking this type of resistance.

Publications

Kwon KM, Bekal S, Domier LL, and Lambert KN. Active and inactive forms of biotin synthase occur in Heterodera glycinesJournal of Nematology 2019, 51: DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2019-069.