STRUCTURE-STRENGTH: Protect the plant through protein structure insight

Plant diseases are highly detrimental to crops and have severe costs on the environment. Plant pathogens hijack and suppress plant immunity by interfering with important cellular pathways. Based on prior knowledge about the involved molecular interaction, we will make structure prediction-guided modifications in the relevant molecules, such that the interference is no longer possible, aiming at designing disease resistant plants. However, to ensure functionality of the target pathway, corresponding modifications in other plant molecules will be made as well. The present study concerns a major class of pathogens affecting many economically important crops and an essential immunity interference mechanism. Hence, we predict the designed modifications to be useful for conferring significant disease resistance in many important crop plants.