Atenea Garza

Atenea Afrodita Garza
Department of Plant Pathology
University of Minnesota

495 Borlaug Hall
1991 Upper Buford Circle 
St. Paul, MN 55108-6030

Email: Garz0040@umn.edu

During the height of the chemical era in the 1950-60s there were a plethora of chemical pesticides and fungicides used in agricultural fields to control crop losses due to plant pathogens. Unfortunately, these same chemicals that were helping save crops had side effects that proved to be detrimental to natural biogeochemical processes as well as the surrounding flora and fauna. Biocontrol, the process of harnessing disease-suppressive microorganisms to improve plant health, as a method of pathogen suppression has become more prevalent in modern agriculture following the banning of many fungicides and pesticides. However, biocontrol requires a variety of complex interactions for successful pathogen suppression. Pathogens, hosts, agents of biocontrol, the physical environment and microbial communities in the rhizosphere must all be extensively understood in order to achieve a successful outcome.  During my studies I plan to understand as many of these complex interactions as possible. My area of study will concentrate on Streptomyces, a member of the Order Actinomycetales which has great potential to be used as an agent of biocontrol. I will be studying the ability of this microorganism to convert diseased soils into disease suppressive soils, antibiotic production, as well as their interaction with native prairie plants.

  Professional Experience

Saldana R, Garza A, Baines AL, Miller ME, Little CR. 2006. Evaluating inoculation techniques for gummy stem blight disease of cantaloupe. Phytopathology 96: S101

Garza, A. 2006. Pathogen inhibitory activity of indigenous Streptomyces from Lower Rio Grande Valley agricultural soils. Phytopathology 96:S39

Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society. San Diego, California (07/07) Atenea A. Garza, Anita Davelos Baines and Christopher R. Little. “Indigenous Streptomyces isolated from soils in The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas inhibit fungal pathogen activity” (Oral presentation)

Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science. Waco, Texas (3/07) Atenea A. Garza, Anita Davelos Baines and Christopher R. Little. “Inhibition of fungal pathogen activity via indigenous Streptomyces from Lower Rio Grande Valley agricultural soils”  (Oral presentation)

HESTEC Research Symposium (9/06) Atenea A. Garza. and Nayaran Bhat “Hydroalumination of 1-Trimethylgermyl-1-Alkynes Followed by Iodination” (Invited Poster)

Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society. Quebec City, Quebec Canada (07/06) Atenea A. Garza, Anita Davelos Baines and Christopher R. Little. “Pathogen inhibitory activity of indigenous Streptomyces from Lower Rio Grande Valley agricultural soils” (Oral presentation)

Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society. Quebec City, Quebec Canada (07/06) Robert Saldana, Atenea A. Garza, Anita Davelos Baines, Marvin E. Miller and Christopher R. Little. “Evaluating inoculation techniques for gummy stem blight disease of cantaloupe.” (Poster)

Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science. Beaumont, Texas (3/06) Atenea A. Garza, Anita Davelos Baines and Christopher R. Little. “Pathogen inhibitory activity of indigenous Streptomyces from Lower Rio Grande Valley agricultural soils” (Oral presentation)

Annual Meeting for American Chemical Society. Washington, D.C. (8/05) Jessica Lopez, Atenea A. Garza and Nayaran Bhat. “A Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of (E)-1-Iodo-1-Trimethylgermyl-1-Alkenes” (Oral presentation)

Annual Meeting of American Phytopathological Society. Austin, Texas (7/05) Atenea A. Garza, Oscar Gonzales, Anita Davelos Baines and Christopher R. Little. “Bacterial densities and inhibitory activity of indigenous microbial communities in Lower Rio Grande Valley agricultural soils.” (Poster)

Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Conference.  Dallas, Texas (9/05) Atenea A. Garza and Nayaran Bhat. “A Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of  (E)-1-Iodo-1-Trimethylgermyl-1-Alkenes” ( Invited Poster)

HESTEC Research  Atenea A. Garza. and Nayaran Bhat “A Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of  (E)-1-Iodo-1-Trimethylgermyl-1-Alkenes” ( Invited Poster)

HESTEC Research Symposium (9/05) Atenea A. Garza, Anita Davelos Baines and Christopher R. Little. “Pathogen inhibitory activity of indigenous Streptomyces from Lower Rio Grande Valley agricultural soils” (Invited Poster)

HESTEC Research Symposium (9/05) Atenea A. Garza. and Nayaran Bhat.  “A Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of  (E)-1-Iodo-1-Trimethylgermyl-1-Alkenes” ( Invited Talk)

Professional Organizations

American Phytopathological Society