Sharon Badilla Arias

I am a Ph.D. student in Dr. Mark Gleason’s and Dr. Gwyn Beattie’s labs. I received a B.Sc. and Licentiateship degree in agronomy from the University of Costa Rica. My main interests are IPM and biocontrol. My Ph.D. research focuses on studying biocontrol candidates of Erwinia tracheiphila, such as bacterial candidates and bacteriophages, and the optimization of mesotunnel systems –a physical barrier to reduce the plant exposure to the vector of Serratia marcescens- in terms of pollination and weed control under organic production in the Midwest.