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About
Max Duncan received his bachelor of science in plant science. With a specialization in plant genetics in 2016 from the University of Florida. From 2015 through 2016 Max was employed by the Plant Diagnostic Center (PDC) in Gainesville as an OPS lab technician. Shortly after graduating, Max worked for the Food and Safety division of the Florida Department of Agriculture as a Biological Scientist II. Here he was charged with testing food items for the human pathogens E. coli, L. monocytogenes, and S. aureus. After several months, Max returned to the PDC in the role of Rapid Turfgrass Diagnostician and to begin his master degree in plant pathology with Dr. Phil Harmon, focusing on biological control of the take-all root rot pathogen, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis.
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Education
- M.S. Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Current
- B.S. Plant Genetics, University of Florida, 2016
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Research
Max’s research is focused on isolating and characterizing bacterial strains from the St. Augustinegrass rhizosphere that are antagonistic to the turfgrass pathogen, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis.
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Publications
Paez, C., and J.A. Smith. 2017. First report of Diplodia sapinea and Diplodia scrobiculata causing an outbreak of tip blight on slash pine in Florida. In press
Paez, C., and J.A. Smith. 2017. Biscogniauxia (Hypoxylon) canker or dieback in Trees. UF EDIS. Publication http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr407
Paez, C., E.J. Jokela, M. Smith, and J.A. Smith. 2019. Role of nitrogen on a Diplodia tip blight outbreak in Central Florida. Manuscript in Preparation