Cornell University
Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology
Ithaca, NY 14853

August 2008-present, MS/PhD Student, Plant -Microbe Biology; Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University

September 2001- November 2005: B.S., Biotechnology, University of Agriculture and Forestry, Vietnam.

Graduate Advisor: Teresa Pawlowska

Research Focus

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are some of the most ancient and widespread mutualists on the planet. It was recently found that many AM fungi harbor bacteria inside their spores and hyphae, adding yet another layer of complexity to this interaction. However, virtually nothing is known regarding their function in the mycorrhizal symbiosis, transmission mode, population structure, or evolutionary history. My ultimate goal is to understand the patterns of coevolution between Glomeromycota and their endobacteria. I have developed a new surface sterilization technique as well as reconstructed host and endosymbiont phylogenies. I will examine globally distributed isolates, represented at the International Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal culture collection as well as field collected isolates from coastal sand dunes.

Professional Experience

Summer, 2005 - Summer, 2007: Work with Dr. Matthew Parker studying ecology, genetics and coevolution in natural plant communities.

Summer, 2006: Plant Genome Research Project intern in Dr. Maria Harrison’s lab working on marker generation for the fine mapping of a plant gene that controls development of mature AM arbuscules

Summer, 2007 – Summer, 2008: Continued work in Dr. Maria Harrison’s lab, where I worked on a high throughput RNAi screen aimed at knocking down a total of 1500 genes of Medicago truncatula hypothesized to play a role in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.

Awards and Honors

May 2007 – Honors in Biology, SUNY Binghamton

May 2007 – Magna Cum Laude, SUNY Binghamton

May 2007 – Certificate of Evolutionary Studies, SUNY Binghamton

Publications

Andam, C. P., Mondo S. J., and Parker, M. A. 2007. Monophyly of nodA and nifH genes across Texan and Costa Rican populations of Cupriavidus nodule symbionts. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73:4686-4690.

Pumplin, N., Mondo, S.J., Stephanie Topp, S., Starker, C.G., Gantt, J.S., and Harrison, M.J. 2009. Medicago truncatula Vapyrin is a novel protein required for arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. The Plant Journal. 61(3):482-494