PhD student profile, Elena Maria Colombo

PhD Student: Elena Maria Colombo

Tutor: Prof. Matias Pasquali-DeFENS

Dean: Prof. Ella Pagliarini

Research area: Agri-Environment

 

Research topic

Pathogen informed strategies for sustainable disease management of toxigenic fungi.

 

Project Synopsis

The goal of the research project is to study a historical collection of Streptomyces spp. strains in order to identify activities or molecules able to limit toxin production in the wheat-Fusarium spp. pathosystem. To reach a better understanding on the tripartite interactions (plant-pathogen-antagonist) with the aim of limiting toxin production by the fungus, both in vitro and in planta tests will be performed coupled with biomolecular high-throughput methods.

 

Project keywords

Cereals, food safety, mycotoxin, food microbiology

 

Contacts

Università degli Studi di Milano

DeFENS – Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences

Laboratorio di micologia e patologia vegetale

Edificio 21030

Via Celoria, 2 – 20133, Milano

Phone: +39 02 50316773

e-mail: elenamaria.colombo@unimi.it

 

Collaborations

Dr. Gardana and Prof. Simonetti (UNIMI)

Prof. Barrie Wilkinson (John Innes Center-JIC)

 

Sponsor

Fellowship sponsor: Università degli Studi di Milano

 

Publications

 

Oral communication

Colombo E.M., Kunova A., Pizzatti C., Cortesi P., Saracchi M., Pasquali M. – “In vitro study of endophytic streptomycetes and their influence on wheat-Fusarium spp. pathosystem”, First International Congress of Biological Control, May 14 ^th –16 ^th 2018, Beijing, China.

 

Posters

Colombo E.M., Kunova A., Pizzatti C., Saracchi M., Pasquali M. – “Use of Streptomyces spp. as biocontrol agents of wheat crown rot caused by fusaria”, ICPP2018: Plant health in a global economy, July 29 ^th – August 3^rd 2018, Boston, USA.

Colombo, E.M., Gardana, C., Kunova, A., Pizzatti, C., Saracchi, M., Pasquali, M. 2018. “Killing or modulating. Selection strategies of streptomycetes limiting trichothecene type B in cereals affected by Fusarium”, European Fusarium Seminar, April 8 ^th -11 ^th 2018, Tulln, Austria.

Kunova A., Stecova J., Pizzatti C., Colombo E.M., Pasquali M., Saracchi M., Cortesi P. – “Exploring plant endophytic Streptomyces for their use in sustainable agriculture”, International Symposium Microbe-assisted crop production – opportunities, challenges & needs”, December 4^th-7^th 2017, Wien, Austria.

Colombo E.M., Kunova A., Pizzatti C., Burrone E., Cortesi P., Saracchi M., Pasquali M. – “Streptomycetes against fusaria: limiting toxin production and fungal growth”, XXIII Convegno Nazionale Società Italiana di Patologia Vegetale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, October 4^th-6t^h 2017, Piacenza, Italy.

Colombo E.M., Pasquali M. – “Exploring streptomycetes – fusaria interactions to limit toxin production”, 22^nd Workshop on the Developments in the Italian PhD Research on Food Science Technology and Biotechnology, Free University of Bozen, September 20^th-22^nd 2017, Bozen, Italy.

 

 

Others

Education

Master Degree in “Scienze della Produzione e Protezione delle piante”, Facoltà di Scienze agrarie e alimentari, Università degli Studi di Milano – 2016.

Bachelor Degree in “Produzione e Protezione delle piante e dei Sistemi del verde”, Facoltà di Scienze agrarie e alimentari, Università degli Studi di Milano – 2014.

 

Secondary School:

Istituto Professionale per l’Agricoltura e l’Ambiente “Giordano dell’Amore”, Fondazione Minoprio (CO) – 2011.