Melania Figueroa, University of Minnesota, is the 2018 recipient of the APS Syngenta Award. This award is given by Syngenta Crop Protection to an APS member for an outstanding recent contribution to teaching, research, or extension in plant pathology. Priority for this award is given to APS members who are in the first decade of a career in plant pathology.


Melania Figueroa, second from left, receives the APS Syngenta Award at ICPP2018

What area(s) of molecular plant–microbe interactions do you feel your research has impacted most?

I feel that my research has influenced two areas: first in nonhost resistance, and second in understanding the genomics of complex pathogens. As a post-doc, I started developing Brachypodium distachyon as a system to understand the boundaries of plant susceptibility to Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (wheat stem rust). Rust fungi pose a significant constraint to the production of small grains, such as wheat, barley, and oat. The potential to utilize this fungal species to engineer disease resistance to rust and define the molecular mechanisms that dictate whether a plant will serve as a host is fascinating. Through this work, I have had the pleasure to work with a network of scientists who have made important contributions in developing genetic and genomic resources in B. distachyon to enable studies like those pursued in my laboratory. As an assistant professor, I have since worked on decoding the complex genomes of rust fungi, which are dikaryotic organisms and possess two quite diverse nuclear genomes. I have had the opportunity to direct my group to address critical challenges to generate genome references for rust fungi that allow comparisons of both nuclei. This work has been crucial to understanding the genetic diversity between both haplotypes, which has important implications for the evolution of virulence. In this research area, I have been very fortunate to work excellent scientists to discover the first effector gene in a cereal rust.

What advice do you have for young scientists aspiring to achieve the level of science that has major impact?

An important step to achieve impactful science is first to identify an area of research that addresses a real gap in understanding and can change the way we think or deliver a solution to a problem that affects many of us. I also believe it is important that we are truly passionate about our work, so choose a topic that really interests you. Curiosity, creativity, and persistence are essential qualities. We should always remember that there is always a way to test a hypothesis; it is just a matter of finding how and being open-minded about alternative possibilities. We should always let the science be our guide. I advise young scientists to not be afraid or ashamed to ask for help when needed. Surround yourself with collaborators with whom you can have fun. The bonds you build with them will provide you with support if you ever feel discouraged.

When you were a post-doc, what had the largest influence on your decision to enter your specific research area in your permanent position? Was this a “hot topic” at the time, or did you choose to go in a different direction?

My decision to enter my current areas of research was not influenced by a “hot topic.” I simply wished to learn more about the systems I was studying as a post-doc. I recognized that there was a lot to be done and was ready to move on to the next step in my career to achieve these goals. Since I started my position as an assistant professor, my research program has grown to areas I would have never predicted. Every day I learn something new (well…almost every day).

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