Recognizing Plant Cell authors: Amy Baetsen-Young
Amy Baetsen-Young, first author of Fusarium virguliforme Transcriptional Plasticity Is Revealed by Host Colonization of Corn vs. Soybean
Current Position: Trait Development Lead at Syngenta Seeds in Stanton, MN, USA
Education: Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at Michigan State University, MI, USA. M.S. in Agronomy at Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA. B.S. in Biology at Northern Michigan University, MI, USA
Non-scientific Interests: camping, gardening, fungal forays, mountain biking
Brief bio: I am excited to explore the diverse ecological niches that fungi envelop and interact with potential hosts to produce agriculturally important diseases. My doctoral research further developed this interest in fungi by dissecting an enigmatic disease of soybean sudden death syndrome caused by Fusarium virguliforme. I probed transcriptomic signatures that underscored the asymptomatic and symptomatic interactions of F. virguliforme with two rotational field crops, corn and soybean, respectively. I also partook in several diverse projects at Michigan State which have led to contributions in the area of agricultural economics, nanotechnology and archaeobotany. In my current position, I am developing traits for sweet corn and legumes disease resistance.
