Western Illinois University: Macomb Campus

Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Assistant Professor

Mycology, Microbial Molecular Ecology

Contact Information:
Office: Waggoner Hall 287
Lab: Waggoner Hall 273
Phone number: (309) 298 1267
E-mail: a-porras-alfaro@wiu.edu

Personal Homepage: http://faculty.wiu.edu/a-porras-alfaro

Degree:
Ph.D. from University of New Mexico, 2008
M.S. from University of Puerto Rico, 2004
B.S. from Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica, 2000

Courses Taught:

• Micro 401G Mycology
• Micro 464G Medical Mycology

Research Interests:
The work in my laboratory focuses on the study of fungal symbiotic associations, their emergent properties, and the effect of global climate change on fungal diversity and community structure. We are interested in ecological roles of fungi, their diversity, biogeographical distributions, and potential applications of novel fungal consortia.

Recent Publications:
Porras-Alfaro A., Herrera J., Odenbach K*., Lowrey T., Sinsabaugh R.L., Natvig D.O. 2008. A novel root fungal consortium associated with a dominant desert grass. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 74: 2805-2813.

Collins S., Sinsabaugh R.L., Crenshaw C., Green L., Porras-Alfaro A., Stursova M., Zeglin L. 2008. Pulse dynamics and microbial processes in aridland ecosystems. Journal of Ecology 96: 413-420.

Green LE, Porras-Alfaro A, Sinsabaugh RL. 2008. Translocation of nitrogen and carbon integrates biotic crust and grass production in desert grassland. Journal of Ecology 96: 1076-1085.

Gallo M., Porras-Alfaro A., Odenbach K*, Sinsabaugh R.L. 2008 Photoaccelaration of plant litter decomposition in an arid environment. Ecology, In press.

Khidir HH*, Eudy DM*, Porras-Alfaro A, Herrera J, Natvig DO, Sinsabaugh RL. 2008. A general suite of fungal endophytes dominate the roots of two dominant grasses in a semiarid grassland. Journal of Arid Environments. In press.
s.
Porras-Alfaro A., Herrera J., Natvig D.O., Sinsabaugh R.L. 2007. Effect of long-term nitrogen fertilization on mycorrhizal fungi associated with a dominant grass in a semiarid grassland. Plant and Soil 296: 65-75.

Porras-Alfaro A., Bayman P. 2007. Mycorrhizal fungi of Vanilla: specificity, phylogeny and effects on seed germination and plant growth. Mycologia 99(4): 510-525.

Porras A., Bayman P. 2003. Mycorrhizal fungi of Vanilla: Root colonization patterns and fungal identification. Lankesteriana 7: 147-150.

* Undergraduate students

Graduate Student Research:
Open positions!

Undergraduate Student Research:
Open positions!