We are a diverse group of researchers and educators with interests in the ecology, evolution, and potential applications of symbioses. Our special focus is on the fungal portion of plant microbiomes, with particular interest in foliar endophytic fungi and the soilborne fungi that interact with seeds -- but our interests also include mycorrhizal fungi, insect-associated fungi, and fungal-bacterial interactions. Our field sites range from the Arctic to tropical rainforests, and our skills encompass traditional microbiology, field ecology, phylogenetics, and genomics. We are increasingly interested in the applications of fungal symbionts of plants in smart agriculture. Our home is in the School of Plant Sciences, UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences -- but we have collaborators and connections across UA's interdisciplinary campus community and beyond. Thank you for meeting us!
Representative sample of the Arnold lab, spring 2018. Standing: Alison Harrington, Sequoia Fischer, Ashton Leo, Stacey Weiss, Halina Siewiora, Emma Woytenko (Holland), Mohammed Alhaddad, Shuzo Oita, Joe Spraker, Kendra Thomas, Zach Hawkins, Aasiya Hamzazai, Tyler Pesqueira. Sitting: Emily Burke, Liz Bowman, Ming-Min Lee, Rayah Mdanat, Nathaniel Yang, Jamie Carey, Nicole Colon-Carrion, Kiana Clarke, Christina Brown, A. Elizabeth Arnold (Betsy)
Senior lab members
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L-R: Dr. A. Elizabeth Arnold (Betsy); Dr. Camilo Zalamea, Simons Foundation Fellow, with Carolina Sarmiento, Scientist, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Ashton Leo, MS student, Plant Pathology; Desirae Kissell, MS student, Plant Sciences; Liz Bowman, PhD student, Plant Pathology; Shuzo Oita, PhD student, Plant Pathology; Aasiya Hamzazai, PhD student, Plant Sciences; Alison Harrington, PhD student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Nicole Colon-Carrion, PhD student, Plant Pathology; Ming-min Lee, MS, lab manager; Jaime Carey, technician; Ian Kline, technician.
CVs and research interests: Arnold: CV Leo: CV • Interests Kissell: CV • Interests Bowman: CV • Interests Harrington: CV • Interests Oita: CV • Interests Colon-Carrion: CV • Interests |
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Undergraduates
Former postdocs (lab alumni): Dr. Joe Spraker, Fungal-bacterial communication, now Scientist, Hexagon Bio • Dr. Naupaka Zimmerman, Biogeography, fungi-host interactions, comparative genomics of foliar fungi, now Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of San Francisco • Dr. Nicholas Garber, sustainable agriculture, now Conservation Program Manager, Native Seeds/SEARCH • Dr. Jana U'Ren, Dimensions of Biodiversity/endophytes of the boreal biome, now Assistant Professor, Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Arizona • Dr. Sarah Higginbotham, fungal secondary metabolites, Project Manager, Isomerase Therapeutics.
Former graduate students (lab alumni): P1 - Dr. Michele Hoffman, Plant Pathology, PhD: graduated 5/2010 - US Homeland Security • P2 - Dr. Jana U'Ren, PhD, Plant Pathology: graduated 12/2011 - Assistant Professor, ABE, University of Arizona • P3 - Dr. Mariana del Olmo Ruiz, PhD, Plant Pathology: graduated 8/2012 - postdoctoral fellow, Institute for Ecology, UNAM (Mexico) • P4 - Dr. Ellen Martinson, PhD, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: graduated 12/2012 - postdoctoral fellow, University of Rochester • P5- Dr. Mary Jane Epps, PhD, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: graduated 12/2012 - Assistant Professor, Mary Baldwin College • P6: Dr. Justin Shaffer, PhD, Plant Pathology: graduated 7/2017 - Postdoctoral researcher, UC San Diego • P7: Dr. Yu-Ling Huang, PhD, Plant Sciences: graduated 7/2017 - Curator of Mycology, Taiwanese National Museum. M1 - Mr. Dustin Sandberg, MS, Plant Pathology: graduated 5/2013 - plant pathologist, USDA/APHIS/PPQ • M2 - Ms. Kayla Arendt, MS, Plant Pathology: graduated 1/2015 - teaching in science • M3 - Ms. Chantelle Khambholja, MS, Plant Pathology: graduated 5/2015 - veterinary school • M4 - Ms. Sarah Araldi-Brondolo, MS, Plant Pathology: graduated 8/2016 - industry position in plant microbiomes/pursuing PhD • M5 - Mr. Gavin Lehr, MS, Biology: graduated 1/2018 - teacher, Sahuarita High School • M6 - Ms. Emma Woytenko, MS, Genetics: graduated 8/2018 - industry position, STEM.
Former undergraduates and high school teachers: Please see Betsy's CV, linked above... For pics of the Arnold lab through the years, see below! |
L-R: Kendra Thomas, Kiana Clarke, Ellen Pat, Rayah Mdanat, Haley Williams, Christina Brown, Arielle de la Cruz, Caroline Plecki, Erin McCabe, Ryan Valdez, Victoria Brown, Alicia Scull, Larson Matzdorff |
