Leonardo De La Fuente

Leonardo De La Fuente

  • Professor (Plant Pathology, Bacteriology, Xylella Fastidiosa)
  • Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology
334-844-2582
lzd0005@auburn.edu
209 Life Sciences Building
Google Scholar
De La Fuente Lab

Education

  • Ph.D. in Plant PathologyWashington State University2005

  • M.S. in Biology, minor in MicrobiologyPEDECIBA (Program for the Development of Basic Sciences), University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay2000

  • B.S. in BiochemistrySchool of Sciences, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay1996

Professional Experience

  • 2019 to Present – Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University.
  • 2014-2019 – Associate Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University.
  • 2008-2014 – Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University.
  • 2005-2008 – Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University. Supervisors: Harvey Hoch and Tom Burr. Use of “artificial” xylem vessels (microfluidic chambers) to study biological aspects of the bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa, such as xylem colonization, biofilm formation and twitching movement.
  • 2001-2005 – Graduate research assistant. Department of Plant Pathology. Washington State University. Advisers: D.M. Weller and L.S. Thomashow. I studied ecological and physiological aspects of rhizosphere colonization by Pseudomonas fluorescens producing the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG).
  • 1999-2001 – Research assistant for Project “Reduction of the chemical inputs in a vegetable crop by the use of beneficial rhizospheric microorganisms.” Project Director: Philippe Lemanceau (INRA, Dijon, France). Funded by European Union. INCO-DC EU. In this joint project among European and South American laboratories, we studied the use of beneficial Pseudomonas and mycorrhizas to improve tomato yield.
  • 1998-2001 – Teaching assistant. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of the Republic. Montevideo, Uruguay. Professors: Susana Castro, Adriana Estévez, Claudio Martínez. 2000. Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology courses for graduates and undergraduates students.
  • 1997-1998 – Teaching assistant. Nitrogen Fixation and Mycorrhizal Fungi Associate Unit. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agrononomy, University of the Republic. Montevideo, Uruguay. Professor: Lillián Frioni. 1997. Microbiology courses for graduates and undergraduates students.
  • 1993-2001 – Research scholar. Department of Biochemistry, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE). Montevideo, Uruguay. Supervisor: Alicia Arias. I studied the use of native fluorescent Pseudomonas strains to protect forage legumes against seedling diseases. The mechanisms of biocontrol elucidated in P. fluorescens UP61 included the production of antibiotics with broad range of activity against phytopathogens. I studied the interactions among biocontrol P. fluorescens strains and commercially available rhizobial strains used as inoculants in Uruguay.

Research

My research interests are focused on the interactions between plants and associated microorganisms. Particularly, I am interested in infection processes, host colonization, biofilm formation, and molecular characterization of bacterial plant pathogens. I am answering research questions about the biology of pathogenic bacteria using a variety of microbiology and molecular biology techniques, as well as nanotechnology.

Visit my AUSME research profile.

Awards and Honors

  • Keynote Speaker at the “14th International Conference on Plant Pathogenic Bacteria”. Assisi, Italy, July 3-8, 2022. Presentation: “Mechanisms and distribution of natural competence among Xylella fastidiosa strains”.
  • Keynote Speaker at the “7th Xanthomonas Genomics Conference”. Clearwater, Florida, US, June 13-17, 2022. Presentation: “Natural competence and other functions of type IV pili in Xylella fastidiosa”
  • Research Fellowship Award, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 2022-2023. Characterization of environmental calcium content as predictor of disease severity by the emergent plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa. Host institution: Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAS-CSIC), Córdoba, Spain.
  • Keynote Speaker at “Costa Rica Taller regional de actualización sobre el fitopatógeno Xylella fastidiosa.” Presentation: “Situación actual de Xylella fastidiosa a nivel global”. Online workshop organized by the University of Costa Rica, October 2021.
  • Keynote Speaker at “5ta Expotesis INIA UY”, November 4-6 2020, online meeting based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Presentation: “Interacciones entre plantas y bacterias”.
  • Keynote Speaker at the VII Simposio de Bacterias Fitopatógenas, Guadalajara, Mexico, May 15-17, 2019.
  • Keynote Speaker at meeting “EuroXanth Annual Conference”, Lednice, Czech Republic, 9/9-11/2019. Presentation: “Pathogen Biology: Xylella fastidiosa.”
  • Keynote Speaker at meeting Phytoma 2018, “Xylella fastidiosa, una amenaza imprevisible?”, Valencia, Spain, 12/12-13/2019.
  • Visiting Professor, Universidad de Córdoba, Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, (CSIC), Córdoba, Spain (April – July 2017).
  • Keynote Speaker at the “4to Congreso Argentino de Fitopatologia,” Mendoza, Argentina, April 19-21, 2017.
  • Keynote Speaker at meeting Phytoma 2017, “El olivar: retos de la sanidad vegetal e innovación tecnológica”, Jaen, Spain, 11/8/2017.
  • Endowed Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, 2016-2019.
  • 2015-2018. Invited member of several Working Groups on the outbreak of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe, as part of the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Plant Health.
  • Observer from International Partner Countries. COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) action EuroXanth: Integrating science on Xanthomonadaceae for integrated plant disease management in Europe.
  • Scientific Advisory Board member for project “XfACTORS (Xylella fastidiosa Active Containment Through a Multidisciplinary-Oriented Research Strategy)”, funded by the European Union, Horizon 2020.
  • 2015-2016 Provost’s Award for Faculty Excellence in Fostering Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship, Auburn University.
  • Keynote speaker at the “X Encuentro Nacional de Microbiólogos, Sociedad Uruguaya de Microbiología”, April 15-16 2013, Montevideo, Uruguay. Presentation: “Calcio modula la formación de biofilm en la bacteria fitopatógena Xylella fastidiosa.”
  • 2012 Schroth Faces of the Future-New Frontiers in Plant Bacteriology award, American Phytopathological Society.
  • Elected University Senator (2012-2015) of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University.
  • Graduate Program Officer for Plant Pathology in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology (2012-2021)
  • Keynote speaker at the 44th Brazilian Phytopathological Society meeting, Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil. August 2011.
  • 2004-2005 – Storkan-Hanes-McCaslin Foundation. Grant: “Ecology of rhizosphere fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. involved in suppression of soilborne pathogens”
  • 2004 – Graduate and Professional Students Association of the Washington State University. Graduate student travel grant to attend the 2004 APS Annual Meeting held at Anaheim, California (USA)
  • 2003 – APS Student Travel Award to attend the 2003 APS Annual Meeting held at Charlotte, North Carolina (USA)
  • 1999-2000 – International Foundation for Science (IFS) (Sweden). Grant: “Native fluorescent Pseudomonas as biocontrol agents of alfalfa seedling diseases”
  • 1999-2000 – M.Sc. Scholarship. PEDECIBA Biology (Program for the Development of Basic Sciences), University of the Republic. Montevideo, Uruguay

Professional Societies

  • American Phytopathological Society
  • American Society for Microbiology