Maryann Adel Borsick Herman
Postdoctoral Associate


E-Mail: mab225@cornell.edu

2007 Ph.D. program, Plant Pathology; Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University.

1997-2001 B.S., Biology (with honors), Allegheny College, Meadville, PA.

Host: Christine Smart

APS PPT

Plants and pathogens battle continuously. When pathogens defeat their host’s natural defenses, the effects on agricultural systems can be costly, and sometimes devastating. While growers often depend on pesticides to combat pathogens, many reliable chemicals are being phased out or have become ineffective due to pathogen resistance. Biological control is a promising alternative to pesticide use in agriculture. My ideal would be to discover a natural way to combat pathogens, with comparable or better effectiveness than current chemical control. More realistically, I would like to develop and understand different methods of biocontrol, and how to integrate them into management schemes.

I will be working with peppers and tomatoes, examining effectiveness and molecular mechanisms by which certain commercially available biocontrol agents interact with the plant and pathogen. Specifically, I will be comparing gene expression in plants sprayed with systemic acquired resistance (SAR) inducing agents (e.g., Actigard) to those grown with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (Bioyield) which promote induced systemic resistance (ISR).

2006 Chancellor’s List for Outstanding Graduate Students
2006 The Malcolm and Catherine Quigley Award and The Kenneth and Betty Barker Award
2006 Cornell Graduate Student Conference Grant
2004-2005 Outstanding Teaching Assistant for Plant Pathology
2001 Graduated cum laude
2000 Class of 1939 Senior Research Fund
1997-2001 Allegheny College Alden Scholar
1997-2001 Allegheny Presidential Scholarship for academic achievement

2006-present Student Representative, Department Chairs and Unit Leaders Meetings
2006-present President, Student Association of the Geneva Experiment Station (SAGES)
2005-2006 Prospective Student Coordinating Committee (Geneva Department of Plant Pathology)
2004-2005 President, Ithaca Department Plant Pathology Graduate Student Association
2004-2005 New Student Coordinating Committee (Ithaca Department of Plant Pathology)
2003-2004 Colloquium Committee (Ithaca Department of Plant Pathology)

2007 Guest lecturer and laboratory instructor, Finger Lakes Community College
ad hocreviewer; Journal of Phytopathology
ad hocreviewer; Australasian Plant Pathology
2005 Teaching Assistant Coordinator, PLPA  201:  Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds, Cornell University
2004 Teaching Assistant, PL PA  201:  Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds, Cornell University
2003-present Graduate Research Assistant, Cornell University.
2001-2003 Research Technician II, SUNY Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
2001 Samples Preparation Technician, Ecology and Environment, Inc.
2000 Research Assistant, Allegheny College.

American Phytopathological Society
Beta Beta Beta, National Biology Honor Society
Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honor Society

Herman, M.A.B., Nault, B.A., and Smart, C.D.  2007.  Aphid tolerance and growth effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on field-grown peppers.  Manuscript in preparation.

Borsick, M, Rajkhowa, T, Taub, M.  2006.  Evidence for post-transcriptional regulation of Na,K-ATPase by prostaglandin E(1).  Biochem Biophys Res Commun.  345(2):739-45.

Lange, H.W., Borsick, M.A., and Smart, C.D.  2006.  Comparing efficacy of foliar and soil treatments for bacterial speck of tomato, 2005.  Fungicide and Nematicide Tests.  Vol. 61.

Smart, C.D., Borsick, M.A., and Lange, H.W.  Controlling Bacterial Diseases with Plant Activators.  Proceedings of the 2005 Fruit and Vegetable Conference, Manchester, NH.
Also reprinted in University of Massachusetts Vegetable Notes and The Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers News

Matlhagela K, Borsick M, Rajkhowa T, Taub M.  2005.  Identification of a Prostaglandin-responsive Element in the Na,K-ATPase {beta}1 Promoter That Is Regulated by cAMP and Ca2+: Evidence for an Interactive Role of cAMP Regulatory Element-Binding Protein and Sp1.  J Biol Chem. 280(1):334-346.

Taub, M., Borsick, M., Geisel, J., Matlhagela, K., Rajkhowa, T., and Allen, C. 2004. Regulation of the Na, K-ATPase in MDCK cells by prostaglandin E1: a role for calcium as well as cAMP. Exp. Cell Res. 299: 1-14.

Borsick, M.  2001.  The Effects of Selection for Brassica rapa Resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans and Albugo candida on Peroxidase and Chitinase Activity.  B.S. Thesis.  Allegheny College, Meadville, PA.

Abstracts/Presentations

Borsick, M.A., Davidson, J.K., Glover, T.J., and Smart, C.D.  Induction of multiple systemic resistance pathways modifies gene expression and disease control in tomato.  APS/CPS/MSA Joint Meeting.  29 July – 2 August 2006.

Borsick, M.A., H.W. Lange, and C.D. Smart.  Management of bacterial speck in the field using plant activators.  Amer. Phytopathol. Soc. Northeastern Div. Ann. Meeting.  5-7 October 2005.

Smart, C.D., Lange, H.W., and Borsick, M.A.  Producing Disease-Free Transplants.  Empire State Fruit and Vegetable Expo and Produce Marketing Conference.  2005.

Taub M.L., Borsick, M., Geisel, J., Ghoshal, S., Matlhagela, K.  Transcriptional regulation of the Na,K-ATPase in renal epithelial cellsby eicosanoids: Involvement of calcium and cAMP.  FASEB Journal 17 (4): A607-A607 Part 1 Suppl. S, 2003.

Christman, J., Moré, C., Petricca, S.E., Miller, S.C., Borsick, M., Houwer, S., McFeaters, K., and Nelson, M.K.  Identification of FbiA, A Potential Target of FbxA-Mediated Degradation, Via Yeast Two-Hybrid Analysis.  International Dictyostelium Conference.  22-26 July 2001.

Borsick, M.  The Effects of Selection for Brassica rapa Resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans and Albugo candida on Peroxidase and Chitinase Activity.  Beta Beta Beta Northeastern District 3 Conference.  2001.

Petricca, S.E., Miller, S.C., Borsick, M.A., and Nelson, M.K.  Purification of a GST fusion protein for use in verifying interaction between the FbxA and FbiA proteins of Dictyostelium discoideum.   Sigma Xi Meeting and Student Research Conference.  2001.

Borsick, M.  The Effects of Selection for Brassica rapa Resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans and Albugo candida on Peroxidase and Chitinase Activity.  Sigma Xi Meeting and Student Research Conference.  2001.