Dr. Ana Maria Bocsanczy
Assistant Research Scientist
Dr. Ana Maria Bocsanczy is an assistant research scientist in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida. Bocsanczy is a problem-solver and molecular biologist who has dedicated her career to understanding interactions between plants and disease. Bocsanczy’s research aims to understand the molecular aspects of the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, the causal agent of the tropical plant disease bacterial wilt and one of the most destructive bacterial plant pathogens in the world. Ralstonia solanacearum causes disease outbreak on a wide range of Florida-grown plants, including tomato, blueberry, geranium, potato, peppers as well as other landscape, ornamental and crop plants.
Bocsanczy uses bioinformatics and DNA sequences to investigate disease impact at high and low temperatures, why different strains of R. solanacearum cause disease to different plant species, why some plants are resistant while others are not, as well as to identify bacterial plant pathogens. Her current research includes the design and test of a digital probe (E-probe Diagnostic Nucleic-Acid Analysis, EDNA) to identify R. solanacearum strains that infect specifically blueberry, genomic studies to understand why some strains of R. solanacearum can infect blueberry and rose plants (new hosts) and genomic studies to identify the resistance sources in resistant species of blueberry.
Area of Expertise: Molecular plant pathology
Research Interests: Genomics of plant-microbe interactions
Contact
Email: anamariab@ufl.edu
Phone: 407-410-6952
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Education
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Ph.D., Plant Pathology, Cornell University, 2008
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B.S., Biology, Universidad Central de Venezuela, 2001
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M.S., Power Systems, Universidad Central de Venezuela, 1982
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B.S., Electrical Engineering, Universidad Central de Venezuela, 1977
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- Publications