Her current project focuses on the bacterial phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Pto). Pto causes a similar disease of tomato, bacterial speck, to other bacterial phytopathogens, species of Xanthomonas, which cause bacterial spot. Macroscopically these disease have similar symptoms yet their interactions with the plant colonizing human pathogen, Salmonella enterica is differential. Marielle will investigate the cause of these differential interactions between the phytopathogens and human pathogen which in turn will bring to light distinctions between bacterial speck and spot that are overlooked due to similar symptomology.

Areas of interest:

Plant Pathology, Microbiology, Plant – Microbe Interactions, Microbe – Microbe Interactions

Education

2023 – present Ph.D. candidate in Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin – Madison

2023 B.S. Biology, Loyola University, Chicago