In this edition of our Coast & Country podcast, our host Brian Scott Smith is talking with Dr. Lindsay Triplett and Dr. Stephen Taerum from The CAES's department of Plant Pathology and Ecology about the fascinating subjects they are studying. As Dr. Triplett explains, plants get sick too, and it's a plant pathologist's job to find out why in order to stop these diseases from occurring in the future. Plants have communities of microorganisms that live on them that comprise their microbiome. The organisms that are not categorized as animals, plants, fungi, or viruses are collectively called protists. At The CAES, plant pathologists are studying protists to learn about their role in plant health, and to hopefully locate beneficial protists.