The society grants this honor to a current APS member in recognition of distinguished contributions to plant pathology or to The American Phytopathological Society. Fellow recognition is based on significant contributions in one or more of the following areas: original research, teaching, administration, professional and public service, and/or extension and outreach.
Dr. Leonardo De La Fuente was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. He has a B.S. in biochemistry (1996) and an
M.S. in biology (2000) from the University of the Republic, Montevideo, and a Ph.D. in plant pathology from Washington State University, Pullman. From 2005-2008, he conducted postdoctoral research at Cornell University, New York Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, on the use of nanotechnology to understand fundamental interactions of Xylella fastidiosa inside its host. In 2008, he joined the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama as an Assistant Professor of Molecular Plant Pathology, and was promoted to Associate and Full Professor in 2014 and 2019, respectively.
Dr. De La Fuente is recognized internationally for his research in the use of nano- and microtechnology, and more specifically in microfluidic devices, to understand fundamental interactions of plant-associated bacteria with their hosts. His pioneering studies of X. fastidiosa in microfluidic chambers helped to identify multiple chemical and biological factors that influence virulence traits of this vascular pathogen such as movement and biofilm formation. He also investigated the process of natural competence, a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer, under flow conditions and showed that it can help the pathogen to adapt to its environment. His research has characterized the role of type IV pili in bacterial plant pathogens living in the vascular system. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, he has used microfluidics to understand the interactions not only of other plant-associated bacteria, but also of human and fish pathogens with their hosts. In addition, he has elucidated the role of mineral elements in interactions between vascular bacterial pathogens and plants. Working primarily with X. fastidiosa, he showed that the availability of specific minerals (e.g., calcium (Ca)) stimulates factors related to virulence including biofilm formation and movement. He found that Ca is in abundance in plants infected with X. fastidiosa, leading to the hypothesis that Ca is at the center of plant-pathogen interactions and, in the case of X. fastidiosa, that the Ca signaling defense response of the plant is used by the pathogen to increase its virulence. Further studies showed that manipulation of mineral nutrition also is involved in symptoms and disease development in other plant hosts and their bacterial pathogens. Thus, manipulation of the ionome (mineral and trace elements) was defined by him to be correlated with virulence in X. fastidiosa, and this work has been cited and used in many host-bacterial pathogen studies other than those involving plants.
His research program has served as a magnet for over 20 domestic and international visitors who have used his microfluidic system to address a variety of questions about human, animal and plant pathogens. His collaborations have included scientists with expertise in diverse backgrounds including chemical and material engineers, applied physicists, and mathematicians. He is currently advancing the use of nanoformulations to control vascular bacterial pathogens.
Over the past decade, Dr. De La Fuente has collaborated with international colleagues to understand the devastating epidemic of X. fastidiosa in Europe. He helped outline European Union regulations on multiple European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) opinions. Due to his expertise, he was invited to write a review defining the challenges needed for research and control of diseases caused by X. fastidiosa. He participates in the 31-institution and 14-country project, “Beyond Xylella, Integrated Management Strategies for Mitigating Xylella fastidiosa Impact in Europe” focused on managing Xylella. In his lab, he trained over a dozen visiting graduate students and technicians from Europe that are now a part of the scientific community studying the basis of the European epidemic caused by X. fastidiosa.
Dr. De La Fuente has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications including 93 scientific papers as well as 7 book chapters and more than 210 meeting abstracts in JCR-SCI referred journals. In 2022, he authored an Annual Review of Phytopathology article on pathogen adaptation to the xylem environment. Dr. De La Fuente is widely sought as a speaker at national and international conferences, having given more than 50 invited presentations worldwide, including many as a keynote speaker.
Especially notable is Dr. De La Fuente’s outstanding record of service in the field of plant pathology and APS. He has served in many roles for APS including Chair, Bacteriology Committee (2011-2014); Member, Annual Meeting Board (2019-2021); Senior Editor, APS Press (2016-2021) and PhytoFrontiers (2022-present); and Associate Editor (2015-2017), twice Senior Editor (2015-2023) and now Editor-in- Chief (2024-present) of Phytopathology. In addition, his service includes Associate Editor of Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research (2012-2020), and Agrociencia (2010-present).
Dr. De La Fuente has been instrumental as both a mentor and teacher in training a generation of students in plant pathology. He is well known for his ability to inspire and motivate young scientists as well as his hands-on approach to teaching. He has taught a total of 14 undergraduate and graduate courses. At Auburn University, he has taught the courses “Plant-Bacterial Interactions,” “General Plant Pathology,” “Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology,” and “Journal Review.” Notable is his course “Undergraduate Research for Biological Sciences Students”, which he developed to introduce undergraduates to scientific research. With this course, he has attracted students majoring in biology, chemistry, engineering and agriculture to perform research in plant pathology, resulting in students who are now physicians, veterinarians or engineers with knowledge and appreciation of plant pathology. He has never forgotten his roots and often teaches courses on plant pathology and plant-bacterial interactions, in both English and Spanish, in South America, Spain and Italy. The courses he teaches in Spain on Xylella typically draw students from all over the EU. In his research program at Auburn University, he has supervised more than 50 undergraduate students, 8 Ph.D., 9 M.S. students, and 5 postdocs.
Dr. De La Fuente’s world-class research, dedication to teaching and mentoring students, and his outstanding sustained service to APS qualify him for selection as Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society.
