Santiago X. Mideros Mora
Cornell University
Department of Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology
Ithaca, NY 14853

August 2006-present, PhD candidate, Molecular Plant Pathology, Plant Pathology; Department of Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University

March 2006, Master of Science, Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University
October 1999, Farming Engineer, Agriculture, Army Polytechnic School (ESPE), Ecuador

Graduate Advisor: Rebecca J. Nelson

Research Focus     

I have a profound interest in understanding biological processes and enjoy the challenge of using the most novel scientific methods. I also feel that my efforts should be targeted to practical purposes, specifically to the improvement of quality and quantity of food production. I am fascinated by the biological interactions of pathogens and hosts and try to understand better the mechanisms of plant defense against invading organisms. Many of these defense responses are observed as quantitative traits and referred as partial resistance. Most of the mechanisms of partial resistance are unknown. I want to elucidate these resistance mechanisms and help on the translation of this knowledge into food production.

Professional Experience    

April 2006 – July 2006: Practical Training assisting on a Fusarium Head Blight of wheat research program at the Ohio State University working for Dr. Pierce Paul.

May 2003 – August 2003: Visiting Scholar working on Agrobacterium mediated transformation of Phytophthora sojae at the Ohio State University under the supervision of Dr. Anne E. Dorrance.

January 2002 – March 2003: Research Assistant at the National Agricultura Research Institute in Ecuador (INIAP) and the International Potato Center (CIP) liaison office in Quito, Ecuador.

September 2000 – November 2001: Farm Manager for a fresh cut flowers company.

Awards and Honors      

June 2008.  The APS Foundation, Elsie J. and Robert Aycock, Student Travel Award for the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society in Minneapolis.

August 2006. Cornell University Graduate Fellowship

June 2006. Poster Competition (58th Annual meeting of the APS Norh Central Division). Third place

April 2006. Graduate Student Poster Awards M.Sc category (Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, OARDC). Second place

2006 – 2008. Treasurer, Plant Pathology Graduate Students Association (GSA)

Professional Societies and Working Groups  

American Phytopathological Society (APS)

Publications and Relevant Presentations at Scientific Meetings  

 S. Mideros, G.L. Windham, W.P. Williams, and R.J. Nelson. Aspergillus flavus biomass in maize estimated by quantitative real-time PCR is strongly correlated with aflatoxin concentration.Plant Dis. 93:1163-1170.
 
L. Zhou, S. Mideros, L. Bao, R. Hanlon, F.D. Arredondo, S. Tripathy, K. Krampis, A. Jerauld, C. Evans, S.K. St.Martin, M.A. Saghai Maroof, I. Hoeschele, A.E. Dorrance, and B.M. Tyler. 2009.  Infection and genotype remodel the entire soybean transcriptome. BMC Genomics 10:49
 
S. Mideros, W.P. Williams, and R. Nelson. 2008. Quantitative real-time PCR to differentiate infection levels of Aspergillus flavus in maize. Phytopathology 98 (6) S106. Poster presentation.
 
B. Tyler, R. Jiang, L. Zhou, S. Tripathy, D. Dou, T. Torto-Alalibo, H. Li, Y. Mao, B. Liu, M. Vega-Sanchez, S. Mideros, R. Hanlon, B. Smith, K. Krampis, K. Ye, S. St.Martin, A.Dorrance, I. Hoeschele and M.A. Saghai Maroof. 2008. Functional genomics and bioinformatics of the Phytophthora sojae soybean interaction. In: Genomics of Disease. J.P. Gustafson, J. Taylor, and G. Stacey, editors. NY, Springer.
 
S. Mideros, M. Nita, A. E. Dorrance. 2007. Characterization of components of partial resistance, Rps2, and root resistance to Phytophthora sojae in soybean. Phytopathology. 97 (5) 655-622
 
S. Mideros. 2006. Study of incomplete resistance to Phytophthora sojae in soybean. M.Sc. Thesis. The Ohio State University.
 
S. Mideros, S.K. St.Martin, M.A. Saghai Maroof, B.M. Tyler, and A.E. Dorrance. 2005. Dissecting soybean partial resistance to Phytophthora sojae. Phytopathology 95:S70. Poster presentation.
 
S. Mideros, S. Costanzo, M. Nita, S. K. St. Martin, and A. E. Dorrance. 2004. Screening for disease susceptibility genes to Phytophthora sojae in soybean line Ox20-8. Phytopathology 94:S70. Poster presentation
 
S. Mideros and G.A. Forbes. 2003. Evaluation of chemical and biological fungicides for control of potato late blight in Ecuador, 2002. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests. Volume 58. Report No. 58:V067
 
G. Guevara, S. Mideros, G. Vera, G. Forbes, M. Bonierbale, B. Trognitz. 2002. Potato resistant to late blight ('Papa resistente al tizon tardio'). Cultivos Controlados. Vol 4 (32). 20-21
 
J. Mendoza and S. Mideros. 1999. Identification of sources of resistance to Alternaria sp. and Botrytis fabae in the fava bean (Vicia faba) cultivars 'Quitumbe' and 'Serrana'. Thesis. Army Polytechnic School (ESPE). Sangolqui, Ecuador.