Meet the lab
We are an interdisciplinary research group developing innovative ways to harness the soil and plant microbiomes to mitigate plants’ biotic and abiotic stresses and promote sustainability in agroecosystems.
Prof. Dr. Francisco Dini Andreote
Lead Scientist
My research fits at the interface of ecology and microbiology. I study the ecological and evolutionary processes that generate and maintain microbial diversity (the causes of biodiversity) and seek to understand the implications of microbial diversity for ecosystem functioning (the consequences of biodiversity).
E-mail: andreote@psu.edu
Dr. Gordon Custer
Post-Doc
Gordon received his BSc in Biology from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre. He earned an MSc in Plant Sciences, and a Ph.D. in Ecology with a minor in Statistics at the University of Wyoming. His research has focused on the intersection of invasive plant ecology and microbial ecology.
E-mail: gfc7@psu.edu
Luana Bresciani
Graduate student
Luana received her BSc in Agronomy and an MSc degree in Soil Sciences at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). Her work has mostly been focused on nitrogen cycle transformations in agroecosystems.
E-mail: lkb5556@psu.edu
Courtney Tharp
Graduate student
Courtney received her BSc in Horticulture at Clemson University. Her work has focused on rhizosphere plant-microbial interactions with the goal of sustainable agriculture.
E-mail: clt5567@psu.edu
Joe G Ono-Raphel
Graduate student
Joe received his BSc in Microbiology at the University of Ibadan (Nigeria), and an MSc in Agrobiotechnology at Justus Liebig University (Germany). His work has focused on soil/rhizosphere microbiome and nitrogen cycling dynamics in agroecosystems.
E-mail: joe.ono-raphel@psu.edu
NAtalie Ford
Graduate student
Natalie received her BSc in Microbiology at the University of Kansas. Her work as been focused on root-associated microbiomes and their influence on above-ground phenotypes, particularly across different environments, to inform natural and agricultural ecosystem restoration. Incoming student Fall 2024.
E-mail: fordnatalie@ku.edu
Karis M Blagden
Undergraduate student
Karis is a second-year undergraduate Schreyer scholar in the College of Agricultural Sciences majoring in Environmental Resource Management. She is passionate about learning how research plays a role in understanding environmental systems.
E-mail: kmb7890@psu.edu
Alumni
Kelly J Alvez
Visiting Scholar (2021-2022)
Kelly received her BSc in Biological Sciences and MSc in Microbiology at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). Her research focuses on evaluating the non-target effects of pesticides on soil and rhizosphere microbiomes.
E-mail: kjalves@usp.br
Dr. Henry Birt
Post-Doc (2021-2022)
Fulbright scholar. Henry received his BSc in Environmental Science at the University of West England, UK. He completed his Ph.D. in Agricultural Science at The University of Queensland (Australia) focusing on the microbiome of banana plants and its associations with Panama Disease.
E-mail: henry.birt@manchester.ac.uk
Dr. Arjen Tilstra
Visiting Post-Doc (2022)
Arjen received his BSc majoring in Ecology & Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands where he also obtained a MSc in Marine Biology. He earned his PhD at the University of Bremen in Germany studying coral-microbe symbioses. His current focus is on studying denitrifying microbes associated with corals.
E-mail: arjentilstra@gmail.com
Raul Masteling
Graduate student (NIOO/KNAW) (2023)
Raul received his BSc in Biology from the University of Porto (Portugal) and an MSc degree in Plant Biotechnology at the University of Wageningen (Netherlands). He is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Leiden (Netherlands), working at the NIOO-KNAW and co-supervised by FDA.
E-mail: r.masteling@nioo.knaw.nl
Douglas Monteiro
Visiting Scholar (2023)
Douglas received his BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Castelo Branco University (Brazil) and an MSc degree in Microbiology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). His work focuses on studying the impact of soil salinity on plant-microbe interactions.
E-mail: douglasmonteiro85@gmail.com
Ana Vitória Reina da Silva
Visiting Scholar (2023)
Ana Vitória received her BSc in Biological Sciences at Pontifica Catholic University of Campinas (Brazil). She is currently an MSc student at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). Her work focused on the impact of drought on plant-microbe interactions.
E-mail: anareina@usp.br
DR. CODY DEPEW
Post-Doc (2021-2023)
Cody received his BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State. He earned an MSc and Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Penn State. His research focuses on integrating root anatomical traits, rates of water/nutrient acquisition, plant performance, and the rhizosphere microbiome.
E-mail: cld5311@psu.edu
