Anna Whitfield
North Carolina State University · Plant Pathology
Active 1998–2026
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About
Anna Whitfield is the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and the Director of the Emerging Plant Disease and Global Food Security Cluster at North Carolina State University. Her research is devoted to investigating plant-virus-vector interactions at the molecular level, with a focus on understanding the complex processes involved in virus acquisition and transmission by arthropod vectors. Her work aims to develop novel control strategies that target the infection cycle of viruses without harming host plants. Whitfield's laboratory works with arthropod vectors such as Frankliniella occidentalis (Western flower thrips) and Peregrinus maidis (corn planthopper), and plant viruses including Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and Maize mosaic virus (MMV). Her research includes identifying insect genes critical for virus infection, understanding virus entry mechanisms, and developing virus- and insect-resistant plants. She has led multiple projects funded by agencies such as USDA and NIFA, focusing on sustainable pest control methods, risk assessment of viral vectors, and innovative disease monitoring technologies. Her contributions significantly advance the molecular understanding of plant-virus-insect interactions and the development of targeted control strategies to mitigate crop losses caused by viral diseases.
Research topics
- Biology
- Genetics
- Ecology
- Botany
- Zoology
- Law
- Political Science
- Computational biology
- Computer Science
- Evolutionary biology
Selected publications
Archives of Virology · 2020 · 290 citations
ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Rhabdoviridae 2022
Journal of General Virology · 2022 · 182 citations
Senior authorCorresponding, which is available at ictv.global/report/rhabdoviridae.
Abaxial leaf surface-mounted multimodal wearable sensor for continuous plant physiology monitoring
Science Advances · 2023 · 171 citations
Wearable plant sensors hold tremendous potential for smart agriculture. We report a lower leaf surface-attached multimodal wearable sensor for continuous monitoring of plant physiology by tracking both biochemical and biophysical signals of the plant and its microenvironment. Sensors for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), temperature, and humidity are integrated into a single platform. The abaxial leaf attachment position is selected on the basis of the stomata density to improve the s…
Genome-enabled insights into the biology of thrips as crop pests
BMC Biology · 2020 · 98 citations
BACKGROUND: The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is a globally invasive pest and plant virus vector on a wide array of food, fiber, and ornamental crops. The underlying genetic mechanisms of the processes governing thrips pest and vector biology, feeding behaviors, ecology, and insecticide resistance are largely unknown. To address this gap, we present the F. occidentalis draft genome assembly and official gene set. RESULTS: We report on the first genome sequence for…
Archives of Virology · 2021 · 93 citations
Recent grants
CAREER: Molecular Mechanisms of Virus-vector Interactions
NSF · $1.0M · 2010–2017
Frequent coauthors
- 52 shared
Dorith Rotenberg
North Carolina State University
- 39 shared
Ralf G. Dietzgen
University of Queensland
- 29 shared
Gael Kurath
Western Fisheries Research Center
- 25 shared
Jens H. Kuhn
- 20 shared
Kim R. Blasdell
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- 20 shared
Rémi N. Charrel
- 20 shared
Diane E. Ullman
University of California, Davis
- 19 shared
Scott Adkins
U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory
Labs
Awards & honors
- William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor
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