Briana Kathleen Whitaker

Works (6)

Updated: August 29th, 2025 05:03

2025 article

Synthetic spike-in metabarcoding for plant pathogen diagnostics results in precise quantification of copy number within the genus Fusarium

Oppenheimer, P., Tini, F., Whetten, R., Laraba, I., Read, Q., Whitaker, B., … Cowger, C. (2025, January 1). ISME Communications, Vol. 5.

By: P. Oppenheimer n, F. Tini *, R. Whetten*, I. Laraba *, Q. Read*, B. Whitaker*, M. Vaughan *, G. Beccari *, L. Covarelli *, C. Cowger n 

author keywords: synthetic spike-in metabarcoding; Fusarium diagnostics; translation elongation factor 1-alpha
topics (OpenAlex): Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases; Plant Pathogens and Resistance; Plant Disease Resistance and Genetics
Sources: Web Of Science, ORCID, NC State University Libraries
Added: July 19, 2025

2021 article

Local Plants, Not Soils, Are the Primary Source of Foliar Fungal Community Assembly in a C4 Grass

Whitaker, B. K., Giauque, H., Timmerman, C., Birk, N., & Hawkes, C. V. (2021, August 17). Microbial Ecology, Vol. 8.

By: B. Whitaker n, H. Giauque *, C. Timmerman*, N. Birk* & C. Hawkes* 

author keywords: Source-sink dynamics; Microbiome; Dispersal limitation; Turnover; Nestedness; Precipitation gradient
MeSH headings : Biodiversity; Fungi / physiology; Mycobiome; Panicum; Plants / microbiology; Soil
topics (OpenAlex): Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases; Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions; Lichen and fungal ecology
TL;DR: The results suggest that the source-sink dynamics of foliar fungi are primarily local, that foliar mushrooms spread from plant-to-plant, and that the abiotic environment may affect fungal community sourcing both directly and via changes to host plant communities. (via Semantic Scholar)
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15. Life on Land (OpenAlex)
Sources: Web Of Science, ORCID, NC State University Libraries
Added: August 18, 2021

2020 article

The Switchgrass Microbiome: A Review of Structure, Function, and Taxonomic Distribution

Hestrin, R., Lee, M. R., Whitaker, B. K., & Pett-Ridge, J. (2020, October 2). Phytobiomes Journal.

By: R. Hestrin *, M. Lee n, B. Whitaker n & J. Pett-Ridge *

author keywords: agriculture; bacteria; bioenergy; biofuel; endophyte; fungi; genomics; microbiome; mutualism; mycorrhizae; nutrient cycling; Panicum virgatum; perennial crop; plant-microbe interactions; plants; rhizosphere and phyllosphere; soil ecology; yield and crop productivity
topics (OpenAlex): Bioenergy crop production and management; Biofuel production and bioconversion; Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
TL;DR: A review of the literature investigating switchgrass microbiome structure, key functional roles, and taxa isolated from field-grown plants highlights areas where additional research is necessary for a more comprehensive understanding of switchgrass genome structure, function, and potential to enhance sustainable bioenergy production. (via Semantic Scholar)
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2. Zero Hunger (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: June 10, 2021

2019 article

Decrypting the phyllosphere microbiota: progress and challenges

Laforest‐Lapointe, I., & Whitaker, B. K. (2019, February 1). American Journal of Botany.

By: I. Laforest‐Lapointe * & B. Whitaker n

author keywords: bacteria; culture-dependent techniques; ecosystem functions; fungi; high-throughput sequencing; host-microbe interactions; leaf microbiota; microbial ecology; microbiome; plant-microbe interactions
MeSH headings : Climate Change; Ecosystem; Environmental Microbiology; Microbiota; Plant Leaves / microbiology
topics (OpenAlex): Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity; Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases; Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
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2. Zero Hunger (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: March 11, 2019

2018 article

Bacterial endophyte antagonism toward a fungal pathogenin vitrodoes not predict protection in live plant tissue

Whitaker, B. K., & Bakker, M. G. (2018, December 16). FEMS Microbiology Ecology.

By: B. Whitaker n & M. Bakker *

author keywords: biocontrol; context-dependency; disease modification; Fusarium head blight; plant-growth promoting microbiota; wheat
MeSH headings : Antibiosis / physiology; Biological Control Agents / metabolism; Endophytes / metabolism; Fusarium / growth & development; Microbiota; Plant Diseases / microbiology; Plant Diseases / prevention & control; Triticum / microbiology
topics (OpenAlex): Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases; Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity; Nematode management and characterization studies
TL;DR: Endophytic impacts on plant performance cannot be easily inferred from simplified in vitro assays, and environmental gradients should be incorporated into future testing of microbial interactions in plant hosts. (via Semantic Scholar)
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2. Zero Hunger (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: April 15, 2019

2018 article

Foliar fungal endophyte communities are structured by environment but not host ecotype in Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)

Whitaker, B. K., Reynolds, H. L., & Clay, K. (2018, October 27). Ecology.

By: B. Whitaker n, H. Reynolds * & K. Clay *

author keywords: biotic adaption; community assembly; ecotype; fungal endophyte; GxE; host specificity; switchgrass
MeSH headings : Ecotype; Endophytes; Genotype; Mycobiome; Panicum
topics (OpenAlex): Plant and fungal interactions; Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases; Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that environmental factors are the primary drivers of community structure in the switchgrass fungal microbiome, as evidenced by differential colonization of host genetic types by endophytes. (via Semantic Scholar)
UN Sustainable Development Goals Color Wheel
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
15. Life on Land (OpenAlex)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: December 31, 2018

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