Siela Nikolova Maximova, Ph.D.

Siela Nikolova Maximova, Ph.D.

  • Research Professor of Plant Biotechnology
421 Life Sciences Bldg.
University Park, PA 16802

Areas of Expertise

  • Plant Biotechnology
  • Plant Functional Genomics
  • Plant Tissue Culture
  • Plant Propagation
  • Plant Disease Resistance
  • Plant – Microbes Interactions

Education

  • Ph.D. Plant Physiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
  • M.S. Agricultural Engineering & Horticulture, Agricultural University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
  • B.S. Agricultural Engineering & Horticulture, Agricultural University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Publications

Accumulation of cadmium in soils, litter and leaves in cacao farms in the North Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
Geoderma Regional, Guarín, Daniel, Martín-López, Javier M., Libohova, Zamir, Benavides-Bolaños, Jhony, Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., Spargo, John, da Silva, Mayesse, Fernandez, Alejandro, Drohan, Patrick, 2024

A combination of conserved and diverged responses underlies Theobroma cacao's defense response to Phytophthora palmivora.
BMC Biology, Winters, N, Wafula, E, Knollenberg, B, Hämälä, T, Timilsena, P, Perryman, M, Zhang, D, Sheaffer, L, Praul, C, Ralph, P, Prewitt, S, Leandro-Muñoz, M, Delgadillo-Duran, D, Altman, N, Tiffin, P, Maximova, Siela, dePamphilis, Claude W., Marden, James H., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2024

Evaluation of cacao projects in Colombia: The case of the rural Productive Partnerships Project (PAAP)
Evaluation and Program Planning, Gil, A, Brennan, M, Brennan, Jr., Mark A., Chaudhary, A, Maximova, Siela N., 2023

Cadmium contamination in cacao farms of Piura, North Peru: A comprehensive assessment of geogenic and anthropogenic sources and implications for future production
Environmental Challenges, Guarín, Daniel, Hamamura, Nadia, Cortez, Jesús, Benavides, Jhony, Spargo, John, Guiltinan, Mark, Maximova, Siela, de la Cruz, Otilia Acha, Otilia Acha de la Cruz, None, Drohan, Patrick J., 2023

Transcriptomic analyses of cacao flavonoids produced in photobioreactors
BMC Genomics, Gallego, Adriana M., Rojas, Luisa F., Valencia, Wilmar G., Atehortúa, Lucía, Urrea, Aura I., Fister, Andrew S., Guiltinan, Mark J., Maximova, Siela, Pabón-Mora, Natalia, 2021

Soil and plant genomics survey of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Region, Colombia, Libohova, Z, Martín-López, J.M., da Silva, M, Lagoueyte, C, Cruz, J, Drohan, P, Maximova, Siela, Guiltinan, M, Ferruzzi, M.G., Guarin, Daniel, Reich, P, Kome, C, Zapata, Y.P., Gallego-Sánchez, G, Quintero, C, Botero, C, Winters, Noah, Robotham, M, 2021

Cadmium phytoextraction by Helianthus annuus (sunflower), Brassica napus cv Wichita (rapeseed), and Chyrsopogon zizanioides (vetiver)
Chemosphere, Benavides, B, Benavides, Jhony, Drohan, Patrick, Spargo, J. T., Maximova, S. N., Guiltinan, M. J., Miller, Douglas, 2021

Antiradical Activity of Hydrolysates and Extracts from Mollusk A. broughtonii and Practical Application to the Stabilization of Lipids.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland), Tabakaeva, O, Piekoszewski, W, Kalenik, T, Maximova, Siela, Tabakaev, A, Poleshyk, D, Proniewicz, L, 2020

Widely distributed variation in tolerance to Phytophthora palmivora in four genetic groups of cacao
Tree Genetics and Genomes, Fister, Andrew, Leandro-Muñoz, Mariela, Zhang, Dapeng, Marden, James H., Tiffin, Peter, dePamphilis, Claude, Maximova, Siela, Guiltinan, Mark J., 2020

Gene Expression Modularity Reveals Footprints of Polygenic Adaptation in Theobroma cacao
Molecular Biology and Evolution, Hämälä, Tuomas, Guiltinan, Mark J., Marden, James H., Maximova, Siela N., dePamphilis, Claude, Tiffin, Peter, 2020

Clovamide, a Hydroxycinnamic Acid Amide, Is a Resistance Factor Against Phytophthora spp. in Theobroma cacao
Frontiers in Plant Science, Knollenberg, Benjamin, Li, Guo-Xing, Lambert, Joshua D., Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2020

Metabolomic profile of cacao cell suspensions growing in blue light/dark conditions with potential in food biotechnology
Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, Gallego, Adriana M., Rojas, Luisa F., Rodriguez, Héctor A., Mora, Conrado, Atehortúa, Lucía, Urrea, Aura I., Guiltinan, Mark J., Maximova, Siela N., Gaquerel, Emmanuel, Zuluaga, Martha, Pabón-Mora, Natalia, 2019

Resistant and susceptible cacao genotypes exhibit defense gene polymorphism and unique early responses to Phytophthora megakarya inoculation
Plant Molecular Biology, Pokou, Désiré N., Fister, Andrew S., Winters, Noah, Tahi, Mathias, Klotioloma, Coulibaly, Sebastian, Aswathy, Marden, James H., Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2019

Widely distributed variation in tolerance to Phytophthora palmivora in four genetic groups of cacao
TREE GENETICS & GENOMES, Fister, Andrew, Leandro-Munoz, Mariela, Zhang, Dapeng, Marden, J, Tiffin, Peter, dePamphilis, C, Maximova, Siela, Guiltinan, M, 2019

Transcriptomic analyses of cacao cell suspensions in light and dark provide target genes for controlled flavonoid production
Scientific Reports, Gallego, Adriana M., Rojas, Luisa F., Parra, Oriana, Rodriguez, Héctor A., Mazo Rivas, Juan C., Urrea, Aura Inés, Atehortúa, Lucía, Fister, Andrew S., Guiltinan, Mark J., Maximova, Siela N., Pabón-Mora, Natalia, 2018

Glucocorticoid receptor-regulated TcLEC2 expression triggers somatic embryogenesis in Theobroma cacao leaf tissue
PLoS One, Fister, Andrew S., Landherr, Lena, Perryman, Melanie, Zhang, Yufan, Guiltinan, Mark J., Maximova, Siela N., 2018

Transient expression of CRISPR/Cas9 machinery targeting TcNPR3 enhances defense response in theobroma cacao
Frontiers in Plant Science, Fister, Andrew S., Landherr, Lena, Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2018

Effects of microclimatic variables on the symptoms and signs onset of Moniliophthora roreri, causal agent of Moniliophthora pod rot in cacao
PLoS One, Leandro-Muñoz, Mariela E., Tixier, Philippe, Germon, Amandine, Rakotobe, Veromanitra, Phillips-Mora, Wilbert, Maximova, Siela, Avelino, Jacques, 2017

Theobroma cacao L. pathogenesis-related gene tandem array members show diverse expression dynamics in response to pathogen colonization
BMC Genomics, Fister, Andrew S., Mejia, Luis C., Zhang, Yufan, Herre, Edward Allen, Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2016

Protocol: Transient expression system for functional genomics in the tropical tree Theobroma cacao L.
Plant Methods, Fister, Andrew S., Shi, Zi, Zhang, Yufan, Helliwell, Emily E., Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2016

Enhanced resistance in Theobroma cacao against oomycete and fungal pathogens by secretion of phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate-binding proteins
Plant Biotechnology Journal, Helliwell, Emily E., Vega-Arreguín, Julio, Shi, Zi, Bailey, Bryan, Xiao, Shunyuan, Maximova, Siela N., Tyler, Brett M., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2016

Tc-MYBPA is an Arabidopsis TT2-like transcription factor and functions in the regulation of proanthocyanidin synthesis in Theobroma cacao
BMC Plant Biology, Liu, Yi, Shi, Zi, Maximova, Siela N., Payne, Mark J., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2015

Enhanced somatic embryogenesis in Theobroma cacao using the homologous BABY BOOM transcription factor
BMC Plant Biology, Florez, Sergio L., Erwin, Rachel L., Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., Curtis, Wayne R., 2015

Proteome analysis during pod, zygotic and somatic embryo maturation of Theobroma cacao
Z. PFLANZENPHYSIOL., Niemenak, Nicolas, Kaiser, Edward, Maximova, Siela N., Laremore, Tatiana, Guiltinan, Mark J., 2015

Characterization of a stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase gene family from chocolate tree, theobroma cacao L
Frontiers in Plant Science, Zhang, Yufan, Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2015

Yield performance and bean quality traits of cacao propagated by grafting and somatic embryo-derived cuttings
Hortscience: A Publication of the American Society for Hortcultural Science, Goenaga, Ricardo, Guiltinan, Mark, Maximova, Siela, Seguine, Ed, Irizarry, Heber, 2015

Application of glycerol as a foliar spray activates the defence response and enhances disease resistance of Theobroma cacao
Molecular Plant Pathology, Zhang, Yufan, Smith, Philip, Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2015

Two Theobroma cacao genotypes with contrasting pathogen tolerance show aberrant transcriptional and ROS responses after salicylic acid treatment
Journal of Experimental Botany, Fister, Andrew S., O'Neil, Shawn T., Shi, Zi, Zhang, Yufan, Tyler, Brett M., Guiltinan, Mark J., Maximova, Siela N., 2015

Applications of Genomics to the Improvement of Cacao
CHOCOLATE AND HEALTH: CHEMISTRY, NUTRITION AND THERAPY, Guiltinan, M, Maximova, Siela, 2015

Genome-wide analysis reveals divergent patterns of gene expression during zygotic and somatic embryo maturation of Theobroma cacao L., the chocolate tree
BMC Plant Biology, Maximova, Siela N., Florez, Sergio, Shen, Xiangling, Niemenak, Nicolas, Zhang, Yufan, Curtis, Wayne, Guiltinan, Mark J., 2014

The Theobroma cacao B3 domain transcription factor TcLEC2 plays a duel role in control of embryo development and maturation
BMC Plant Biology, Zhang, Yufan, Clemens, Adam, Maximova, Siela N., Guiltinan, Mark J., 2014

Pervasive effects of a dominant foliar endophytic fungus on host genetic and phenotypic expression in a tropical tree
Frontiers in Microbiology, Mejía, Luis C., Herre, Edward A., Sparks, Jed P., Winter, Klaus, García, Milton N., Van Bael, Sunshine A., Stitt, Joseph, Shi, Zi, Zhang, Yufan, Guiltinan, Mark J., Maximova, Siela N., 2014