The Seed Biotechnology Center at the University of California Davis
recognizes University Research Partner
Dr. John M. Labavitch

Dr. John Labavitch is a Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and Chair of the Section of Agricultural Plant Biology at the University of California, Davis.

The central goal in Dr. Labavitch’s research is to understand the roles of cell wall metabolism in important aspects of plant development. The strategy used by Dr. Labavitch and his colleagues is to develop fundamental information about how these developmental events are carried out and then use that information to enhance crop plant performance. Several projects Dr. Labavitch has recently been involved with include:

• Development of control measures for Pierce’s Disease in grapevines based on limiting pathogen movement in the vine's water transport tissues, with the support of the California Department of Food and Agriculture
• Improving wheat straw for efficient biofuels production in collaboration with Chevron
• Cell wall metabolism during papaya ripening with funding provided by UC Mexus
• Cell wall changes in ripening tomatoes, in collaboration with Drs. Ann Powell and Alan Bennett, UC Davis

In addition, Dr. Labavitch is the current Chair of the American Society of Plant Biologists’ Western Section and a member of American Phytopathological Society.

For further discussions with Dr. Labavitch, please contact him directly at jmlabavitch@ucdavis.edu.