Milton Drott

Milton Drott is a USDA-ARS Research Plant Pathologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor. His research focuses on the intersection of evolution, ecology, and plant pathology, leveraging in-vitro experiments and large-scale genomic, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses. He employs bioinformatics to explore evolutionary contexts and patterns in fungal populations, with applications to disease control and agricultural systems.

Education:

• PhD in Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University
• BA in Biology, Franklin and Marshall College

Research Interests:
Dedicated to understanding how fungal pathogens evolve and interact with hosts and environments. Key areas include biosynthetic gene clusters, population genomics of fungal pathogens, and the role of mycotoxins in ecological interactions. Utilizes high-resolution melting (HRM) assays and pangenomics to study chemotype differentiation and toxin evolution in species like Fusarium graminearum and Amanita phalloides.

Publications:
Recent work highlights methodological innovations (e.g., HRM-based chemotype differentiation), genomic diversity in ectomycorrhizal fungi, and insights into fungal-bacterial symbiosis. Themes include pathogen evolution, toxin production dynamics, and the ecological implications of fungal secondary metabolites.

Lab/Affiliation:
Based at the USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory in Saint Paul, MN, where he contributes to applied and fundamental research on cereal crop diseases and fungal pathogen biology.