Laura Elisa García
Laura Elisa García is an industrial and environmental microbiologist from the University of Antioquia, Colombia, with a master’s degree in Biological Sciences from CES University. Her research experience includes agricultural microbiology and microbial community analysis in cacao fermentation. At Purdue, she will explore microbial interactions in tomato crops, focusing on their potential for sustainable management.
Maria Fernanda Moreno
Maria Fernanda Moreno is an Agronomic Engineer student at EAFIT University in Medellin, Colombia. As part of the 100K Strong in the Americas Program, she will work on detecting foliar diseases in tomatoes using hyperspectral imaging in order to extrapolate this approach to biological control and disease detection in cocoa crops.
Nicolas Chavez
Nicolas Chavez is a Biochemical Engineering student at ICESI University in Cali, Colombia, with a focus on the study of endophytic microorganisms applied to pathogen suppression. As part of the 100K Strong in the Americas Program, he will be working on the evaluation of different fungal strains against cocoa pathogens.
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