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Education:

2013	Ph.D. Plant Pathology. Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. Dissertation: The role of calcium in the regulation of Xylella fastidiosa virulence.
2008	M.Sc. Plant Pathology. Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas. Thesis: Virus resistance obtained by RNAi suppressing Coat Protein of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus and Triticum Mosaic Virus in Wheat. Advisor: Harold Trick, Co-advisor: John P. Fellers
2006	B.Sc. Agronomy. National University of Colombia, Bogota, Colombia. Thesis: Virus identification in Solanum betacea.

De La Fuente Lab Research:

Influence of metals on Xylella fastidiosa attachment/biofilm formation and bacterial virulence biofilm formation.

Current Status:

Postdoc - Pathway Biologic, Plant City, Florida.

Awards and Fellowships:

• 2013 - Outstanding International Graduate Student. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University.
• 2012 - Graduate student thesis/dissertation research award. Auburn University.
• 2012 - Student travel award. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, Providence, RI.
• 2011-2012 - Outstanding Plant Pathology Ph.D. Student. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University.
• 2010 - Student travel award. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University
• 2008 - Student travel award. American Phytopathological Society Centennial Meeting. Minneapolis, MN

Publications:

• Cruz, L.F., J.K. Parker, P.A. Cobine, and L. De La Fuente. 2014. Calcium-enhanced twitching motility in Xylella fastidiosa is linked to a single PilY1 homolog. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2014 Sep 12. pii: AEM.02153-14. [Epub ahead of print].
• Cobine, P., L. F. Cruz, F. Navarrete, D. Duncan, M. Tygart, and L. De La Fuente. 2013. Xylella fastidiosa differentially accumulates mineral elements in biofilm and planktonic cells. PLoS ONE, 8(1):e54936.
• Cruz, L.F., P.A. Cobine, and L. De La Fuente. 2012. Calcium increases surface attachment, biofilm formation, and twitching motility in Xylella fastidiosa. Appl Environ Microbiol, 78(5):1321-1331.

Selected Abstracts/Talks:

• 2013 - Cruz, L.F. and L. De La Fuente. Identification of a Xylella fastidiosa pilY1 homolog responsible for twitching motility response to calcium. Oral Presentation: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.
• 2012 - Cruz, L.F. and L. De La Fuente. The role of calcium in the regulation of Xylella fastidiosa twitching motility. Poster Presentation: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, Providence, RI.
• 2011 - Cruz, L., P. Cobine, and L. De La Fuente. Calcium as a stimulant of Xylella fastidiosa cell attachment structures. 111th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, New Orleans, LA, May 21-24.
• 2010 - Castillo, J.D., K.S. Lawrence, L.F. Cruz, and K.M. Glass. Isolation and molecular identification of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 2 present in Alabama cotton. Poster Presentation: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting. Phytopathology 100:S21.
• 2010 - Cruz, L.F. and L. De La Fuente. The role of calcium and other minerals on biofilm formation and adhesion force in Xylella fastidiosa cells. Poster Presentation: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting.
• 2009 - Cruz L. F., Fellers J. P., Trick H. N..2009.RNAi Mediated Viral Resistance in Transgenic Wheat Society for in vitro Biology annual meeting. Invitro Cellular & Developmenta Biology. (DOI 10.1007/s11626-009-9204-7).
• 2008 - Cruz L. F., Fellers J. P., Trick H. N. Wheat virus resistance via interference RNA. APS Abstract of Presentation. Phytopathology. 98, 6, p. S43.
• 2008 - Cruz L. F., Fellers J. P., Trick H. N. 2008. Wheat virus resistance via interference RNA. Invitro Cellular & Developmental Biology. (DOI 10.1007/s11626-009-9204-7).