Sacco Plant-Microbe Interactions Lab

Department of Biological Science

Image of a Nicotiana glutinosa (tobacco) leaf under UV light showing red chlorophyll fluorescence and patches with green fluorescence where there is activity of the polerovirus protein P0 suppressing the plant RNA silencing pathway.

Welcome to the lab of Dr. Melanie A. Sacco in the Department of Biological Science at California State University Fullerton!

The Sacco lab’s research interests are the study of virus-host interactions. The major area of study is plant-virus interactions, particularly in the context of disease resistance in plants.

We also are investigate endogenous retroviruses, with past research using the chicken genome and current projects investigating novel viral elements in nematodes.

We are a Primarily Undergraduate University (PUI) with research conducted by undergraduate and master's students.