BIOTECHNICAL APPROACH TO WEED CONTROL ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS

我们的实验室一直在积极研究植物病原体的使用 用于杂草的生物防治。 我们已经证明了一种真菌， 核盘菌可使目标杂草减少80-90% 人口（1）。 我们还证明了 广寄主范围病原体（S.核盘菌）可以获得更多 由于营养缺陷型和不越冬， 特征（2）（3）. 最近，我们已经能够生成 原生质体从S. sclerotiorum（4），使我们能够使用几个强大的 遗传工具，包括转化和原生质体融合。 在这 真菌遗传操作领域，以生物防治为目的， 杂草，我们是一个活跃的实验室与国家和联邦（美国农业部）的资金。 我们 最终目标是提供一种系统， 这种生物控制剂的使用将减少对化学除草剂的需求 并因此减少了这些除草剂对环境的不利影响。 在 此外，在蒙大拿州，除草剂很少最有效， 牧场和公共林地，生物控制剂可能会证明， 更具成本效益。 我们的实验室参与了多个MBRS和MAPS的培训 学生 我们对少数民族学生的首要任务是让他们留在学校。 学校，这是通过指导发展严格的研究 skills. 那么我们的做法就是让他们自由选择研究项目 与我们的实验室有关。 这包括一些人的实地工作， 微生物学实验室其他 在所有情况下，学生的生物医学 职业选择是通过对生物化学和生物技术的需要的认识而扩大的， 一方面是分子技术， 另一方面的应用。 此外，我们还试图向我们的 学生和理解生物控制的价值，而不是 化学控制，至少是为了解决环境问题。

Our laboratory has been active in research on the use of plant pathogens for the biological control of weeds. We have shown that one fungus, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum can effect an 80-90% reduction in the target weed population (1). We also have been able to demonstrate that mutants of broad host-range pathogens (S. sclerotiorum) can be obtained that are more useful for biological control because of auxotrophy and non-overwintering characteristics (2) (3). Recently we have been able to generate protoplasts from S. sclerotiorum (4), enabling us to use several powerful genetic tools, including transformation, and protoplast fusion. In this area of genetic manipulation of fungi for the purpose of biocontrol of weeds, we are an active lab with state & federal (USDA) funding. Our ultimate objectives are to provide a system whereby lethal, host-specific of such biocontrol agents would reduce the demand for chemical herbicides and hence reduce the adverse environmental impacts of such herbicides. In addition, in Montana, where herbicides are seldom most effective and rangland and on public forest lands, biological control agents may prove to be more cost effective. Our laboratory has been involved in the training of several MBRS and MAPS students. Our first priority with minority students is to keep them in school, and this is done by guidance in development of rigorous study skills. Then our approach is to give them free choice of research project relevant to our laboratory. This has included field work for some, and laboratory microbiology for others. In all cases, the students' biomedical career options are expanded by an awareness of the need for biochemical and molecular techniques on one hand, and biological principles and applications on the other. In addition, we attempt to instill in our students and understanding of the value of biological controls rather than chemical control, at least for environmental problems.