Going Green with PCR to Detecting Grapevine Pathogens, with Lexi Heger| Absolute Gene-ius Podcast S4E1

In this episode of Absolute Gene-ius, hosts Jordan Ruggieri and Lisa Crawford welcome Lexi Heger, PhD candidate at Michigan State University, to explore how qPCR and digital PCR are transforming plant pathology. Learn how molecular tools help track grapevine pathogens, manage fungicide resistance, and support growers… plus, hear how a lifelong love of plants grew into a scientific career. Key topics: • Using qPCR and dPCR to detect grapevine pathogens • Spore trapping, air sampling, and real-world PCR challenges • Fungicide resistance and rare allele detection • Career paths in plant science and agriculture