Dr. Francisco Ochoa-Corona, Assistant Professor
National Institute for Microbial Forensics & Food and Agricultural Biosecurity (NIMFFAB)
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Agriculture Engineer, University of Zulia, Venezuela
M.S. Plant Protection, University of Central Venezuela
Ph.D. Plant Pathology , University of Florida, Gainesville
Francisco.ochoa_corona@okstate.edu
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Biographic sketch:
Dr. Ochoa Corona a forensic plant pathologist, specializes in delivering and developing reference diagnostics for exotic, naturalized, and indigenous plant viruses and other phytopathogens of relevance to agricultural biosecurity. His work is applicable to plant pathogens that can be intercepted at the border, or detected by general surveillance of field settings or within transitional facilities. Ochoa Corona's research in plant pathology contributes scientific input to regulatory officials regarding plant health emergencies. He joined OSU in 2008 from the Investigation and Diagnostic Centre (IDC) at Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), where he was Principal Adviser in Virology.
Links:
National Institute for Microbial Forensics & Food and Agricultural Biosecurity (NIMFFAB)
The Forensic Plant Pathology & Agricultural Biosecurity Laboratory at OSU (in preparation)
Teaching:
'Global issues in Agricultural Biosecurity and Forensics'
First offering Spring 2010 as ENTO/PLP 4400 "special topics"
Next offering as ENTO/PLP 2143
3 credits hours, No Pre-requisites
Lectures Tuesdays & Thursdays: 09:00 to 10:15 a.m. Room: NRC 216.
Biosecurity, biosafety, bioterrorism, microbial forensics, emerging organisms, invasive species, quarantine, response, surveillance, detection, diagnostics, and how all system components integrate to science, and to Ag specialties, Economics and Defense. The course introduce to the topic of Ag biosecurity and forensics, research, or roles in biosecurity agencies. Students learn from study cases of global significance, class work, readings, reporting, guest experts, and a final simulation exercise.
This course meet the needs of a new group of students seeking for a carreer in Biosecurity agencies. This new course will enhance the Ag and Forensics science currilulums and offers a new educational perspective not covered by current Ag and Forensics science currilulums.
Research interest:
My research interest focus on targeted aspects of forensic plant pathology that are relevant to agricultural biosecurity in Oklahoma, the southern plains, the United States and other regions of the world such as the South Pacific and Central and South America. The research work at NIMFFAB will include adaptation and development of novel tools for pathogen detection, diagnosis and discrimination. Further research will characterize the organization and functioning of plant pathogen genomes, including the identification of molecular landmarks and signatures, conserved and divergent genomic sequences, and the implication of this variability on taxonomical relationships, morphology, evolutionary pathways, host-pathogen associations and the dynamics of the plant pathogen bio-geographic distribution. The biodiversity of regulated-exotic, naturalized, and indigenous microorganisms (including Select Agents) and diseases of relevance to agricultural biosecurity will be considered. The project also will include identification of new and relevant plant pathogen taxa, clarification of phylogenetic relationships among plant-associated microorganisms and/or between these pathogens and their hosts, and global dispersal routes of pathogenic microorganisms.
Sponsors:
OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (DASNR)
OSU Office of the Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer
Sitlington Enriched Graduate Scholarships
USDA, CSREES
Laboratory members:
Arif, Mohamed. Ph.D.
Arif, Mohammad is original of Agra, India and is conducting a Post Doctoral research at the Ag Biosecurity and Forensic Laboratory. Dr. Arif obtained his Bachelor degree in Agriculture and Master degree in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology from G. B. Plant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar. During his master program, he worked on population genetics of Fusarium sp. associate with malformation disease in mango. He finished his Ph.D. in Biosciences at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. His doctoral research focused on molecular marker assisted screening for disease susceptibility in shisham seeds and pathogenic variability in Fusarium solani. He was nominated for three different young scientist and M. J. Narsimhan merit academic awards for his doctoral research. He was recipient of a merit scholarship during master and fellowship doctoral program from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India. He also worked for a short time as Research Associate at the Central Rice Research Institute on Allele Mining and Expression Profiling of Resistance -and Avirulence- genes in Rice-Blast Pathosystem for Development of Race Non-Specific Disease Resistance. During his Post Doctoral research Arif is working on developments of novel diagnostics and detection methods based on micro-array, real time PCR and multiplex PCR. Arif also conducts research on population genetics and molecular plant - microbe interaction through the Soilborne Plant Pathology Laboratory lead by Dr Carla Garzon.
Caasi, Donna. M.Sc.
Donna Ria J. Caasi is original of the Republic of the Philippines and is following a doctoral program at the Ag Biosecurity and Forensic Laboratory. Donna obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a Major in Plant Pathology from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, and worked on biological control of bacterial wilt-caused by Ralsfonia solanacearum using Streptomycetes during her undergraduate thesis. After finishing college she worked as a Research Assistant at the lnstitute of Plant Breeding of the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, and completed two years of teaching experience in two state universities in the Philippines prior joining OSU. She finished a M.S. Plant and Soil Sciences at OSU. Her M.S. research focused on fecal bacterial detection in water and sediments. During her doctoral research Donna will asses new biomaterials, water sampling procedures and will develop new diagnostic methods for waterborne microorganisms. Donna is an outstanding recipient of a Sitlington Enriched Graduate Scholarship.
Graduate students and professional interactions
At NIMFFAB Forensic Plant Pathology & Agricultural Biosecurity Laboratory we also closely interact and supervise other graduate students within NIMFFAB and the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department.
Mindy James, DHS project/Dr. Jaqueline Fletcher.
TeeCee West, WSMV-SNPs/ Dr. Ulrich Melcher.
Stephany Rogers, WSMV/ Dr. Jaqueline Fletcher.
M.Sc. Sophia Kamenidou, FBI/Rosetta Stone/ Dr. Jaqueline Fletcher.
Nalinda Wasala, Tick-Host interaction project/ Dr. Dr. Deborah Jaworski
Cooperation
The NIMFFAB Ag Biosecurity and Forensic Laboratory maintain contact and exchange with scientists at the Investigation and Diagnostic Centre (IDC), Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) located in Auckland, New Zealand.
The NIMFFAB Ag Biosecurity and Forensic Laboratory maintains a cooperative research and exchange in the area of artificial positive controls with Dr Louise Winder from the Biosecurity Group, Biocontrol, Biosecurity and Bioprocessing Section of AgResearch Limited, Lincoln, New Zealand regarding the development of artificial positive controls.
The NIMFFAB Ag Biosecurity and Forensic Laboratory maintains a cooperative interaction with Drs Stanley Bellgard and Sarah Dodd from Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand, on the biosecurity aspects of using viruses for the manufacture of Bioherbicides as an innovative, inundative biocontrol option to manage forest weeds.
Visitors
A selected group of enthusiastic young scientists from Kazakhstan visited OSU during the month of November, 2009. During their stage they visited the Ag Biosecurity and Forensic Laboratory. It was a good opportunity to exchange about the two countries, culture, educational systems and common areas of interest in science, biosecurity and agriculture. Oklahoma and Kazakhstan have similar weather, crops (like wheat) and agricultural settings. Kazakhstan and OSU scientists will be looking forward for a more close scientific cooperation and educational exchange. We are optimistic it will be possible to receive trainees and graduate students and to develop diagnostics and detection methods for agricultural biosecurity and microbial forensics applications that will benefit the two countries. The visit of this group was funded by the World Bank and the government of Kazakhstan.
Dr. Denica Blazheva, is originally from Bulgaria and is a visiting Borlaug fellow, Dr. Blazheva has been interacting with Dr. Carla Garzon at the Soilborne Plant Pathology laboratory and had also visiting with the Ag Biosecurity and Forensic Laboratory. Dr. Blazheva obtained a Ph.D. at the University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. She worked on the production of palatinose with immobilized Serratia plymuthica cells and is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, The University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv. She teaches in several courses including General microbiology, Food microbiology, Microbial food technologies and Microbiological Control of Food and Cosmetic Products. Dr. Blazheva shares a common interest with the NIMFFAB Ag Biosecurity and Forensic Laboratory in the area of development of PCR based diagnostics and is currently working on the development of a multiplex and sensitive detection method for Aspergillus flavus targeting the beta-tubulin gene and aflatoxin genes (aflQ, aflR).
Publications:
Click here for a complete list pf my pubs.
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