Siela Maximova

Research Professor of Plant Biotechnology Co-Director, Endowed Program in the Molecular Biology of Cocoa

Siela Maximova

Research Summary

Molecular basis of plant-pathogen and plant-endophyte interactions. Biotechnology of tree crops. Development of sustainable energy crops.

Huck Graduate Students

Huck Affiliations

Most Recent Publications

The Effect of Maternal and Paternal Genotype on seed Lipid Content, Composition, and Thermal Traits in in Clone Cacao Crossings Sca6 x Pa150, in St. Augustine

Evelyn Kulesza, Helene Hopfer, Gregory R. Ziegler, Juan Calle-Bellido, Chelsea Roberts, Pathmanathan Umaharan, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2025, Tropical Plant Biology

The cacao gene atlas: a transcriptome developmental atlas reveals highly tissue-specific and dynamically-regulated gene networks in Theobroma cacao L

Evelyn Kulesza, Patrick Thomas, Sarah F. Prewitt, Akiva Shalit-Kaneh, Eric Wafula, Benjamin Knollenberg, Noah Winters, Eddi Esteban, Asher Pasha, Nicholas Provart, Craig Praul, Lena Landherr, Claude dePamphilis, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2024, BMC Plant Biology on p. 601

Accumulation of cadmium in soils, litter and leaves in cacao farms in the North Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia

Daniel Guarín, Javier Martín-López, Zamir Libohova, Jhony Benavides-Bolaños, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, John Spargo, Mayesse da Silva, Alejandro Fernandez, Patrick Drohan, 2024, Geoderma Regional

A combination of conserved and diverged responses underlies Theobroma cacao’s defense response to Phytophthora palmivora

N Winters, E Wafula, B Knollenberg, T Hämälä, P Timilsena, M Perryman, D Zhang, L Sheaffer, C Praul, P Ralph, S Prewitt, M Leandro-Muñoz, D Delgadillo-Duran, N Altman, P Tiffin, Siela Maximova, Claude W. dePamphilis, James H. Marden, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2024, BMC Biology on p. 38

Evaluation of cacao projects in Colombia: The case of the rural Productive Partnerships Project (PAAP)

A Gil, M Brennan, Mark A. Brennan, Jr., A Chaudhary, Siela N. Maximova, 2023, Evaluation and Program Planning on p. 102230

Cadmium contamination in cacao farms of Piura, North Peru: A comprehensive assessment of geogenic and anthropogenic sources and implications for future production

Daniel Guarín, Nadia Hamamura, Jesús Cortez, Jhony Benavides, John Spargo, Mark Guiltinan, Siela Maximova, Otilia Acha de la Cruz, Otilia de la Cruz, Patrick Drohan, 2023, Environmental Challenges on p. 100765

Inter-species functional compatibility of the Theobroma cacao and Arabidopsis FT orthologs: 90 million years of functional conservation of meristem identity genes

S. F. Prewitt, A. Shalit-Kaneh, S. N. Maximova, M. J. Guiltinan, 2021, BMC Plant Biology

Transcriptomic analyses of cacao flavonoids produced in photobioreactors

Adriana M. Gallego, Luisa F. Rojas, Wilmar G. Valencia, Lucía Atehortúa, Aura I. Urrea, Andrew S. Fister, Mark J. Guiltinan, Siela Maximova, Natalia Pabón-Mora, 2021, BMC Genomics

Soil and plant genomics survey of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Region, Colombia

Z Libohova, J.M. Martín-López, M da Silva, C Lagoueyte, J Cruz, P Drohan, Siela Maximova, M Guiltinan, M.G. Ferruzzi, Daniel Guarin, P Reich, C Kome, Y.P. Zapata, G Gallego-Sánchez, C Quintero, C Botero, Noah Winters, M Robotham, 2021,

Cadmium phytoextraction by Helianthus annuus (sunflower), Brassica napus cv Wichita (rapeseed), and Chyrsopogon zizanioides (vetiver)

Jhony Benavides, Bolaños Benavides, Patrick Drohan, J. T. Spargo, S. N. Maximova, M. J. Guiltinan, Douglas Miller, 2021, Chemosphere on p. 129086

Most-Cited Papers

Transient expression of CRISPR/Cas9 machinery targeting TcNPR3 enhances defense response in theobroma cacao

Andrew S. Fister, Lena Landherr, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2018, Frontiers in Plant Science

Enhanced somatic embryogenesis in Theobroma cacao using the homologous BABY BOOM transcription factor

Sergio L. Florez, Rachel L. Erwin, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, Wayne R. Curtis, 2015, BMC Plant Biology

Characterization of a stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase gene family from chocolate tree, theobroma cacao L

Yufan Zhang, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2015, Frontiers in Plant Science on p. 1-12

Theobroma cacao L. pathogenesis-related gene tandem array members show diverse expression dynamics in response to pathogen colonization

Andrew S. Fister, Luis C. Mejia, Yufan Zhang, Edward Allen Herre, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2016, BMC Genomics

Protocol: Transient expression system for functional genomics in the tropical tree Theobroma cacao L.

Andrew S. Fister, Zi Shi, Yufan Zhang, Emily E. Helliwell, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2016, Plant Methods

Tc-MYBPA is an Arabidopsis TT2-like transcription factor and functions in the regulation of proanthocyanidin synthesis in Theobroma cacao

Yi Liu, Zi Shi, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Payne, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2015, BMC Plant Biology

Application of glycerol as a foliar spray activates the defence response and enhances disease resistance of Theobroma cacao

Yufan Zhang, Philip Smith, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2015, Molecular Plant Pathology on p. 27-37

Cadmium phytoextraction by Helianthus annuus (sunflower), Brassica napus cv Wichita (rapeseed), and Chyrsopogon zizanioides (vetiver)

Jhony Benavides, Bolaños Benavides, Patrick Drohan, J. T. Spargo, S. N. Maximova, M. J. Guiltinan, Douglas Miller, 2021, Chemosphere on p. 129086

Resistant and susceptible cacao genotypes exhibit defense gene polymorphism and unique early responses to Phytophthora megakarya inoculation

Désiré N. Pokou, Andrew S. Fister, Noah Winters, Mathias Tahi, Coulibaly Klotioloma, Aswathy Sebastian, James H. Marden, Siela N. Maximova, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2019, Plant Molecular Biology on p. 499-516

Enhanced resistance in Theobroma cacao against oomycete and fungal pathogens by secretion of phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate-binding proteins

Emily E. Helliwell, Julio Vega-Arreguín, Zi Shi, Bryan Bailey, Shunyuan Xiao, Siela N. Maximova, Brett M. Tyler, Mark J. Guiltinan, 2016, Plant Biotechnology Journal on p. 875-886

News Articles Featuring Siela Maximova

Jan 27, 2025

Researchers recognized for excellence by Institute of Energy and the Environment

The Institute of Energy and the Environment recognized six Penn State faculty members for their research excellence.

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Dec 02, 2024

Q&A: Penn State COP16 delegation contributes to biodiversity efforts

A delegation of Penn State faculty and graduate students attended the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia.

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Nov 22, 2024

Penn State receives replica of historic ceramic vessel from Ecuador government

In recognition of Penn State’s impactful contributions to cacao and chocolate research, the government of Ecuador presented the University and its College of Agricultural Sciences with a replica of an ancient ceramic vessel.

Full Article

Sep 12, 2024

Nine researchers named Institute of Energy and the Environment Fellows

Nine Penn State researchers have been named fellows of the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) for 2024. The program recognizes and assists the exceptional achievements and unparalleled research impacts of highly successful researchers in the areas of energy and the environment. Nominees for the fellowship were submitted by the University community.

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Jun 26, 2024

Researchers compile Cacao Gene Atlas to help plant breeders boost chocolate tree

A team led by researchers at Penn State has created a genetic information resource to help plant breeders develop resistant strains of cacao that can be grown sustainably in its native Amazon and elsewhere, such as the tropical latitudes of Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.

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Jan 29, 2024

Six researchers recognized with Institute of Energy and the Environment Awards

Six Penn State researchers were recognized with Institute of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) Research Awards at the IEE reception on Jan. 18 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center

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Oct 16, 2023

Grants awarded to Penn State faculty for tropical ecosystems research in Belize

Three projects have been awarded seed grants as part of the Penn State-Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education Research and Education Initiative to develop agroforestry systems .

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Sep 14, 2023

Penn State-led team to study climate-threatened Colombian Paramos’ soil microbes

Estelle Couradeau will lead an international team researching how climate change will affect soil microbes in the ecologically fragile and important Paramos ecosystem in Colombia’s Andes Mountains.

Full Article

Dec 23, 2020

Discovery of chemical clue may lead to solving cacao's black pod rot mystery

The finding of relatively high levels of the antimicrobial compound clovamide in the leaves of a disease-resistant strain of cacao has significant implications for breeding trees that can tolerate black pod rot, according to Penn State researchers who conducted a novel study.

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Dec 06, 2019

Novel way to ID disease-resistance genes in chocolate-producing trees found

Chocolate-producing cacao trees that are resistant to a major pathogen were identified by an international team of plant geneticists. The findings point the way for plant breeders to develop trees that are tolerant of the disease.

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Nov 06, 2019

Global Faculty Fellow will create connections between Penn State and Colombia

Siela Maximova, research professor of plant biotechnology, has been named a Global Faculty Fellow in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and a Land Grant University U.S.-Colombia Fulbright Scholar.

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Oct 24, 2019

These Kids Have Come 500 Miles To Do Science And Make A Difference

The road between Arauquita, relatively near Colombia’s border with Venezuela, and the nation’s capital in Bogota stretches over 800 kilometers (500 miles), but for one week in October, a special group bridged that gap in more ways than one.

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Apr 02, 2019

Guiltinan, Maximova receive the 2019 Kopp International Achievement Award

Mark Guiltinan, professor of plant molecular biology, and Siela Maximova, research professor of plant biotechnology, both in the College of Agricultural Sciences, are the recipients of Penn State's 2019 W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award.

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Sep 15, 2018

Searching for Chocolate’s Roots, and Enemies, in Colombia’s Wilderness

A newfound peace has spurred the hunt for disease-resistant wild cacao within the nation’s borders.

Full Article