Timothy L. Friesen, Editor-in-Chief Molecular Plant–Microbe Interactions

For each gene that conditions reaction in the host there is a corresponding gene in the parasite that conditions pathogenicity.

In these words, Harold H. Flor summed up his gene-for-gene concept in his 1971 Annual Review of Phytopathology article (Flor 1971). Flor's gene-for-gene concept provided a new framework for how we think about plant–microbe interactions. Harold H. Flor was born May 27, 1900. He obtained a B.S. degree in agriculture in 1922, an M.S. degree working on covered smuts of small grains in 1924 and was granted a Ph.D. degree for his work on root rot complex of sugar cane in 1929—all three degrees from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Flor then took a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Pullman, WA, where he worked on wheat bunt. In 1931, he moved to Fargo, ND, to take a position with the USDA on the North Dakota State University campus, where he was tasked with studying diseases of flax. It was during his time with the USDA in Fargo that he performed his landmark research on the flax–flax rust interaction, which ultimately was used to define the gene-for-gene hypothesis that became so prevalent in describing many host–pathogen interactions. The gene-for-gene concept still stands as one of the most significant contributions to plant pathology and was established long before modern molecular biology or even a complete understanding of genetic material or protein–protein interactions.

Based on the landmark research performed by Dr. Flor, it was an obvious choice to use his name to help define what this distinguished review category is all about. An H.H. Flor Distinguished Review is a review written by visionary scientists who have also changed the way we think about an area of molecular plant–microbe interactions. These distinguished reviews will ultimately include all categories of plant–microbe interactions from pathogenic to symbiotic interactions. It is our intent to invite leaders in the MPMI field to write authoritative reviews that provide not only a historical perspective but also to provide a vision for where their respective fields are moving, ultimately providing a valuable resource to the MPMI community.

In the August issue of Molecular Plant–Microbe Interactions, the first of the H.H. Flor Distinguished Reviews will be published, including "From Gene-for-Gene to Resistosomes: Flor's Enduring Legacy," written by Peter N. Dodds and "New Biochemical Principles for NLR Immunity in Plants," written by Jijie Chai, Wen Song, and Jane E. Parker.

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