Alan Peper

Alan Peper

Alan Peper is a Ph. D. Student at the University of Georgia (UGA) studying Plant Pathology, co-advised by Dr. Li Yang and Dr. Tim Brenneman. He is originally from Charleston, South Carolina, but grew up in Loganville, Georgia. Peper has always enjoyed nature and learning about plants, as a result, he obtained his bachelor's degree from UGA in Forestry.

Most of his experience has been shaped by many different opportunities. One of the first, during his undergrad, was working in a soybean genetics lab. This position taught him that he enjoys benchwork science and working in the lab. After graduation, he assumed a lab manager position for Dr. Yang in plant pathology at UGA for 3 years. Dr. Yang then offered him a position as a Ph. D. student.  

The project that Peper is working on is primarily focused on developing a bio-fertilizer and biocontrol for Aspergillus sp. That are common pathogens and toxin producing fungi in peanuts. The research includes evaluating the calcium uptake by the plant. They have identified the group of bacteria that dissolves calcite into calcium, making it available to the plant for uptake. This bacterium was identified from a group of peanut fields in Georgia. As a result, they are researching to determine if this could be an inhibitor of Aspergillus growth, with hopes that these findings would be able to reduce aflatoxin in peanut. The product they are working to develop could potentially be an alternative for supplemental sources of calcium such as gypsum, which is relatively costly to the farmer.

From his project, he has been able to build some great skills for his future career. Some of these include general laboratory knowledge, teamwork within a laboratory, molecular biology, sequencing, and the basics of bacteriology. In addition, Peper has gained tactical skills, that may be easily overlooked, such as how to grow healthy plants in a greenhouse and field setting. Through this project, he has also become very familiar with how the peanut crop functions. Altogether, these studies have advanced his writing and reporting skills.

After graduate school, Peper is looking to work for an industry corporation. From his Ph.D. work, he discovered that he enjoys working with bio-controls and bio-fertilizers, so he hopes to be able to continue in this aspect of the industry. He is, however, keeping his options open and is willing to consider positions in academia or postdoctoral research.

by Caraline Coombs, student assistant, UGA Peanut Team Media