Brett Arenz

Brett Arenz headshot
Associate Teaching Professor
he/him
[email protected]
+1 612 626 6653
105 Stakman Hall

1991 Upper Buford Circle
495 Borlaug Hall
St. Paul, MN 55108
United States

Grants and Publications
Education
  • PhD plant pathology, University of Minnesota 2010
  • MS plant pathology, University of Minnesota 2005
  • BS biology, Bemidji State University 2001

Areas of Interest

I serve as the director of the Plant Disease Clinic at the University of Minnesota. The clinic diagnoses thousands of samples per year submitted by homeowners, government agencies, and private industries in horticulture, landscaping, forestry, and agriculture. It also serves a vital function in protecting national food biosecurity by acting as the sole surveillance clinic representing Minnesota in the National Plant Diagnostic Network.

Select Publications

  • Arenz BE, Schlatter DC, Bradeen JM, Kinkel LM (2015) Blocking primers reduce co-amplification of plant DNA when studying bacterial endophyte communities. Journal of Microbiological Methods 117: 1-3
  • Turchetti B, Selbmann L, Blanchette RA, Di Mauro S, Marchegiani E, Zucconi L, Arenz BE, Buzzini P (2015) Cryptococcus vaughanmartiniae sp. nov. and Cryptococcus onofrii sp. nov.: two new species isolated from worldwide cold environments. Extremophiles 19: 149-159.
  • Sun P, Otto-Hanson LK, Arenz BE, Ma Q, Kinkel L (2015) Molecular and functional characteristics of Streptomyces communities in relation to soil factors and potato  common scab.European Journal of Soil Biology 70: 58-6

  • DK Malvick, DE Plewa, D Lara, NM Kleczewski, CM Floyd, BE Arenz 2020 First Report of Tar Spot of Corn Caused by Phyllachora maydis in Minnesota Plant Disease 104 (6), 1865-1865

I also teach undergraduate and graduate level courses in the department including PLPA 2003 (Plague, Famine and Beer), CFAN 2333 (Insects, Microbes and Plants), PLPA 5480 (Principles of Plant Pathology), PLPA 5203 (Introduction to Fungal Biology), and PLPA 5202 (Field Plant Pathology).