Hi, I am Shilu Dahal a PhD student. I am originally from Nepal and completed my master’s degree in plant health in Sustainable Cropping Systems under a prestigious Erasmus scholarship from the University of Goettingen, Germany and the University of Padova, Italy. In my current research project, I am studying the plant pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia glumae, which causes bacterial panicle blight (BPB) of rice. I am working on identifying specific rice accessions and genes that confer resistance against BPB. Additionally, I am investigating the environmental bacterium Pseudomonas protegens that has antimicrobial activity against B. glumae. The ultimate goal of the project is the development of biopesticides to control BPB. Every day I am excited to see how my project will unfold and what I will explore next.