Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
How do you stop fungal diseases that threaten crops like Idaho’s iconic potatoes?
In this episode of the Vandal Theory, University of Idaho researcher Marty Ytreberg shares how an interdisciplinary team of physicists, chemists, engineers, plant pathologists and computational modelers is developing an entirely new class of fungicides. Originally focused on human therapeutics, the team adapted their molecular modeling methods to agriculture — designing compounds that target fungal pathogens while remaining safe for plants, people and the environment.
Tune in and explore the science of fungicide resistance, the long road to market and how student researchers are playing a key role in agricultural innovation.
Chapters:
0:00 How do you deter garden pests?
2:56 Getting to know Marty Ytreberg
3:47 How did you start developing fungicides?
6:39 How do fungicides attack?
9:48 Steps to making a fungicide
13:48 Challenges of developing a fungicide
19:54 Can this go beyond fungi and potatoes?
23:18 Final thoughts
🧪Read Marty's bio at https://www.uidaho.edu/people/ytreberg
🧪U of I's Department of Physics: https://www.uidaho.edu/science/academics/physics
🧪The Institute for Modeling, Collaboration and Innovation: https://imci.uidaho.edu/
🧪Listen to more "The Vandal Theory" podcast episodes at https://uidaho.edu/newsroom/the-vandal-theory
#AgricultureResearch #Fungicides #IdahoPotatoes #SustainableAg #PlantScience #UniversityofIdaho
How do you stop fungal diseases that threaten crops like Idaho’s iconic potatoes?
In this episode of the Vandal Theory, University of Idaho researcher Marty Ytreberg shares how an interdisciplinary team of physicists, chemists, engineers, plant pathologists and computational modelers is developing an entirely new class of fungicides. Originally focused on human therapeutics, the team adapted their molecular modeling methods to agriculture — designing compounds that target fungal pathogens while remaining safe for plants, people and the environment.
Tune in and explore the science of fungicide resistance, the long road to market and how student researchers are playing a key role in agricultural innovation.
Chapters:
0:00 How do you deter garden pests?
2:56 Getting to know Marty Ytreberg
3:47 How did you start developing fungicides?
6:39 How do fungicides attack?
9:48 Steps to making a fungicide
13:48 Challenges of developing a fungicide
19:54 Can this go beyond fungi and potatoes?
23:18 Final thoughts
🧪Read Marty's bio at https://www.uidaho.edu/people/ytreberg
🧪U of I's Department of Physics: https://www.uidaho.edu/science/academics/physics
🧪The Institute for Modeling, Collaboration and Innovation: https://imci.uidaho.edu/
🧪Listen to more "The Vandal Theory" podcast episodes at https://uidaho.edu/newsroom/the-vandal-theory
#AgricultureResearch #Fungicides #IdahoPotatoes #SustainableAg #PlantScience #UniversityofIdaho
