Project description:Purpose: The powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis, is an obligate biotrophic pathogen of cereals and has significant impact on food security (Dean et al., 2012. Molecular Plant Pathology 13 (4): 414-430. DOI: 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2011.00783.x). Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) is the causal agent of powdery mildew on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). We sought to identify small RNAs (sRNAs) from both barley and Bgh that regulate gene expression both within species and cross-kingdom.