Emile Gluck-Thaler

Emile Gluck-Thaler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, affiliated with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. His research focuses on fungal genetics, horizontal gene transfer, and genome evolution, particularly in plant pathogens.

Education:

• PhD in Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University
• BS in Life Sciences with Microbiology Specialization, McGill University, Canada

Research Interests span fungal genomics, transposable elements, and mechanisms of pathogen adaptation. He investigates how mobile genetic elements drive diversity and resistance in plant pathogens like Macrophomina phaseolina and Pyricularia species.

Notable Trends in Research include the role of giant transposons in horizontal gene transfer, geostatistical modeling for pathogen distribution, and the evolutionary implications of metabolic gene clusters in fungi.

Labs & Collaborations: He works in the Discovery Building at UW-Madison, contributing to interdisciplinary research on fungal biology and plant-microbe interactions.