About PAPAS
Sharing support. Finding solutions.
The mission of PAPAS is to develop a systems approach to control plant-parasitic nematodes that threaten the potato industry in the United States.
Our Goals
- Provide decision support tools to growers and industry members affected by nematode infestations.
- Accelerate the development of potato varieties with nematode resistance through plant defense genes.
- Attain compounds toxic to potato nematodes from the plant species, Solanum sisymbriifolium, or other toxic compounds for novel nematicide production.
- Deliver information and research results to potato growers and industry stakeholders for adoption within integrated systems approaches for effective nematode management.
Our Team
Louise-Marie Dandurand, Ph.D.
PAPAS Project Director
Potato Cyst Nematode Program Director
Professor of Plant Pathology
University of Idaho
Email: LMD@uidaho.edu
Phone: 208-885-6080
Cynthia Gleason, Ph.D.
PAPAS Project Co-Director
Assistant Professor
Washington State University
Email: cynthia.gleason@wsu.edu
Phone: 509-335-3742
Joseph Kuhl, Ph.D.
PAPAS Project Co-Director
Associate Professor
University of Idaho
Email: jkuhl@uidaho.edu
Phone: 208-885-7123
Walter DeJong, Ph.D.
PAPAS Project Co-Director
Professor
Cornell University
Email: wsd2@cornell.edu
Phone: 517-881-3740
Philip Watson, Ph.D.
PAPAS Project Co-Director
Professor
University of Idaho
Email: pwatson@uidaho.edu
Phone: 208-962-1312
Inga Zasada, Ph.D.
PAPAS Project Co-Director
Plant Pathologist
USDA-ARS
Email: inga.zasada@usda.gov
Phone: 541-738-4051
Principal Investigators
Allan Caplan, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
University of Idaho
Marisol Quintanilla, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
Michigan State University
Max Feldman, Ph.D
PAPAS Principal Investigator
USDA-ARS
Ananth Kalyaranaman, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
Washington State University
Rich Novy, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
USDA-ARS
Inna Popova, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
University of Wisconsin
Sagar Sathuvalli, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
University of Oregon
Rhett Spear, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
University of Idaho
Xiaohong Wang, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
USDA-ARS
Jonathan Whitworth, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
USDA-ARS
Fangming Xiao, Ph.D.
PAPAS Principal Investigator
University of Idaho
Graduate Students and Post Doctorals
Faith Fishburn
I’m Faith Fishburn and I’m pursuing my Ph.D. in Plant Sciences at the University of Idaho. I joined the University of Idaho as an undergraduate in 2019, majoring in Agricultural Biotechnology and Plant Genomics. After graduating in 2022, I decided to stay at the University of Idaho for my graduate degree.
My overarching research objective is to develop potatoes resistant to the Potato Cyst Nematode (Globodera pallida). I work to incorporate genes from a naturally resistant plant species, Litchi tomato (Solanum sisymbriifolium), into potatoes. I am currently working on evaluating the resistance conferred to potatoes from six novel receptor-like-kinase genes.
Nataniel Jablonski
My name is Nataniel Jablonski. I am a PhD student in Plant Science at the University of Idaho. Before this program, I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biotechnology at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Poland. My research interests include the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions, genetic engineering, and bioinformatics.
I am currently exploring how a wild plant from the nightshade family, the Litchi Tomato, naturally fights off a damaging pest known as PCN (pale cyst nematode), which threatens Idaho’s famous potatoes. My research aims to develop transgenic potatoes with novel resistance genes that, alone or combined with other sources of resistance, could successfully reduce yield loss from nematode infections.
PAPAS Advisory Committee
The PAPAS advisory committee consists of potato industry professionals, state and federal regulatory representatives, and academic individuals who have volunteered their time and efforts.
The members of this advisory committee have vast experience working with researchers and extension professionals and are well poised to provide advice from our stakeholders to advance our proposed research and extension efforts.
The main role of this committee is to evaluate our progress and provide recommendations so that the milestones of the project are achieved.
Farmers, Agronomists, and Processors
Lorin Clinger
President of Lorin Clinger Industries
Shelley, Idaho
Chris Hansen
General Manager for CSS Farms
Empire State Potato Growers
Mark Urquhart
Senior Director of Farm Operations
Cavendish Farms
Diagnostic Clinics
Sam Chavoshi
Director of AgNema
Potato Grower Organizations
Travis Blacker
Industry Relations Director
Idaho Potato Commission
Jim Ehrlich
Executive Director
Colorado Potato Administrative Committee
Andrew Jensen, Ph.D.
Manager
Northwest Potato Research Consortium
John Lundeen
Director of research and analysis, Potatoes USA
Chair of the Potato Research Advisory
Committee (PRAC)
Chris Voigt
Executive Director, Washington Potato Commission
Research Experts
Mike Thornton, Ph.D.
Professor of Plant Sciences, University of Idaho
Philip Roberts, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Nematology
University of California, Riverside
Regulatory and Policy
Brian Marschman
State Plant Health Director for Idaho
USDA-APHIS-PPQ