Life Sciences Seminar: Robots, Models, and Microbes: Data-Driven Approaches to Breeding Disease-Resistant Fruit Crops

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FFCEP Life Sciences Seminar
Robots, Models, and Microbes: Data-Driven Approaches to Breeding Disease-Resistant Fruit Crops

Dr. Breanne Kisselstein

USDA Agricultural Research Service

Event Details: Understanding how plants interact with both pathogens and their environments is critical to securing a resilient food supply. Alongside statistical modeling, I incorporate robotics and machine learning to accelerate phenotyping and identify genotypes with desirable traits, including disease resistance. This interdisciplinary approach improves the efficiency of breeding pipelines and supports decision-making in variable environments.

Bio: Dr. Breanne M. Kisselstein is a DeafBlind plant scientist and an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) postdoctoral fellow at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory (GIFVL), where she conducts research on cranberry quantitative genetics and pre-breeding. She earned her Ph.D. in plant pathology from Cornell University for her research on the epidemiology and population genetics of grapevine powdery mildew. She also holds a BS in biotechnology and molecular bioscience from the Rochester Institute of Technology. (Go Tigers!)

Intended Audience:  All are Welcome!

To request an interpreter, please visit myaccess.rit.edu


Contact
Lea Michel
Event Snapshot
When and Where
October 03, 2025
1:00 pm - 1:50 pm
Room/Location: 1174
Who

This is an RIT Only Event

Interpreter Requested?

No

Topics
diversity
faculty
research