Marc Orbach

Professor - School of Plant Sciences, Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Director, Keating Select Agent BSL3 Laboratory
(520) 621-3764 / (520) 621-9891 (Lab)

Educational Background

  • BS in Biological Sciences, The University of Michigan, 1979
  • PhD in Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 1988

Research Interests

  • Molecular mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis in plant and animal pathogens.

Selected Publications

Mandel, MA, Barker, BM, Kroken, S, Rounsley, SD and Orbach, MJ. 2007. Genomic and population analyses of the mating type locus in Coccidioides species reveal evidence for sexual reproduction and gene acquisition. Eukaryotic Cell 6:1189-1199. PMCID: PMC1951113
Betts, MF, Tucker, SL, Galadima, N, Meng, Y, Patel, G, Li, L, Donofrio, N, Floyd, A, Nolin, S, Brown, D, Mandel, MA, Mitchell, TK, Xu, J.R., Dean, R.A., Farman, M.L., and Orbach, M.J. (2007). "Development of a high throughput transformation system for insertional mutagenesis in Magnaporthe oryzae." Fungal Genetics and Biology 44(10): 1035-1049. [PMID: 17600737]
Barker, BM, Tabor, JA, Shubitz, LF, and Orbach MJ. 2012. Detection and phylogenetic analysis of Coccidioides posadasii in Arizona soil samples. Fungal Ecology. 5:163-176
Narra, HP, Shubitz, LF, Mandel, MA, Trinh, H, Griffin, K, Buntzman, AS, Frelinger, JA, Galgiani, JN, and Orbach, MJ. (2016). "A Coccidioides posadasii CPS1 deletion mutant is avirulent and protects mice from lethal infection." Infect. Immun. 84:3007-3016 doi:10.1128/IAI.00633-16. [PMID: 27481239]
Ohkura M, Cotty, PJ and, Orbach, MJ. (2018). Comparative Genomics of Aspergillus flavus S and L Morphotypes Yield Insights into Niche Adaptation. G3. 8:3915-3930. doi: 10.1534/g3.118.200553. [PMCID: PMC6288828].
Shubitz LF, Powell DA, Trinh HT, Lewis ML, Orbach MJ, Frelinger JA, Galgiani JN. 2018. Viable spores of Coccidioides posadasii Δcps1are required for vaccination and provide long lasting immunity. Vaccine 36:3375-3380

Teaching Responsibilities

  • General Mycology Lecture (PlP 427/527R) and Laboratory (PlP427L)
  • Advanced Mycology (co-taught) PLP575

Research Areas

  • Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Genetics and Epigenetics
  • Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Systems Biology
  • Microbiology
  • Plant Protection and Pathology