Author: barakcunning

We’re thrilled to share that the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has selected Jeri’s latest review article, “Microbe – plant interactions of Escherichia coli and Salmonella,” for inclusion in this year’s ASM Journals SDG Spotlight Article Collection. This curated collection highlights impactful research aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—a global framework for advancing equity, environmental …

Writing a review article is a time-intensive, thoughtful endeavor—truly a labor of love. Drs. Jeri Barak and Nicola Holden dedicated the better part of a year to shaping their latest contribution to the field: Microbe-plant interactions of Escherichia coli and Salmonella. Longtime peers with a mutual respect for each other’s work, Jeri and Nic had …

Natalie Wieber’s abstract, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger? Fungicides’ Impact on the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance Genes within the Phyllosphere, was chosen for a talk at the 12th International Symposium on Leaf Surface Microbiology in Okinawa, Japan. Natalie will give a talk highlighting the results from her field research examining the role of fungicide …

Dharshita was awarded a Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellowship. She will pursue her own independent research project, Lettuce Romaine Calm and Fight Salmonellosis, under Dr. Barak’s mentorship. Dharshita will investigate conditions that influence Salmonella enterica‘s colonization of lettuce. Her hypothesis is that the growth of S. enterica on plants protects this human pathogen from antimicrobials released in macerated leaves. …

Dr. Kim Cowles’s paper, Established Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato infection disrupts immigration of leaf surface bacteria to the apoplast, was published in Frontiers in Microbiology today.  Normally, the interior of a leaf, the apoplast, is usually off-limits to surface inhabiting bacteria. However, we previously demonstrated that leaves infected with Xanthomonas hortorum pv. gardneri (Xhg) induce water …

Megan’s recent paper published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology titled Time of arrival during plant disease progression and humidity additively influence Salmonella enterica colonization of lettuce, was highlighted in a recent article by WebMD, Heat, Humidity, Salmonella: They Go Together, Unfortunately. The wide ranging interview with Jeri covered a lot of ground from food security, food safety, …

Megan Dixon’s paper, Time of arrival during plant disease progression and humidity additively influence Salmonella enterica colonization of lettuce, was published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology today. This study is the first to examine the role of relative humidity in the interplay between plant disease caused by Xanthomonas vitians and the enteric pathogen, S. enterica, colonization of the apoplast. …

Yesterday, the Barak Lab undergraduate researchers presented their most recent findings at the 26th annual UW-Madison Undergraduate Symposium. The annual Undergraduate Symposium showcases undergraduate creativity, achievement, and research.     Mariah Fernandez presented Better with friends: Salmonella enterica grows in limiting media with Xanthomonas gardneri. She found that S. enterica grew to higher populations in X. gardneri-spent media when the …

Megan Dixon successfully defended her thesis, Impacts of Xanthomonas foliar disease on the fate and biology of Salmonella enterica last Thursday, Feb 29. Throughout Megan’s doctoral training, she has inspired us with her art and demonstrated art’s place in science communication. To help people understand the world around them, build trust in science, and expand scientific …

Megan and Vicky’s review article, The “friends” that help dangerous bacteria get into your salad, was published today. This unique collaboration came out of their passion for science communication and an interest in reaching a new audience. Throughout their graduate studies, Megan and Vicky have sought opportunities to expand the audience for their research. Their …