Amaya Garcia Costas, Ph.D.

I have two distinct projects within the field of Microbiology. I am interested in the physiology and ecology of microorganisms that tolerate and thrive under extreme oxidative and radiation conditions, and in the molecular biology of phage-bacteria interactions. Students in my lab isolate and characterize bacteria from environments with high UV exposure such as solar panels and the atmosphere, or from highly oxygenated environments like the phototrophic alkaline mats in Yellowstone National Park. In addition, students in my lab use molecular genetics and biochemical approaches to study the function of selected phage genes associated with phage host interactions. These phage studies are conducted in collaboration with the HHMI Seaphages and Sea-GENES programs.

Chair of the Biology Department, CSU-Pueblo

STEM lead for the Discovery Scholars program, CSU-Pueblo

HHMI Biointeractive Ambassador (https://www.biointeractive.org/)

Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, editor  (https://journals.asm.org/journal/jmbe)

‪Amaya Garcia Costas‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬

• Ansaf, R*. Kohl, L*., Humphries, H.*, Maharaj, A.*, and García Costas, A. 2025. Higher Human and Animal Activity Levels Near Natural and Treated Water Sources Correlate with Coliform and Escherichia coli Undergraduate Journal of Experimental Microbiology and Immunology, vol 11: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.14288/ujemi.v11i.
• Freise, A. C., Furlong, K., Klyczek, K., Beyer, A., Chong, R…. Garcia Costas, A., and Ruthner, A. 2025. Comparative genomic analysis of Cluster AZ Arthrobacter phages. bioRxiv 10.1101/2025.05.26.655371
• DI Hanauer, T Zhang, MJ Graham, SD Adams, P Yesmi, RM Alvey, ... AM Garcia Costas et al. 2023. Models of Classroom Assessment for Course-Based Research Experiences. Frontiers in Education 8, 1279921
• Sasaota, A.*, Arellano, O.*, Hatch, X.*, and Garcia Costas, A. 2023. Genome sequence of bacteriophage Aoka, a cluster FO phage isolated using Arthrobacter globiformis. Microbiol Resour Announc. 12(10).
• Isenhart, S.*, Gillison, A.*, Brown, D.*, Kleven, A.*, Allen, M.*, Bohn, B.*, Martinez, L. A., Garcia Costas, A. M. 2022. Genome sequence of three Actinobacteriophage from cluster FH isolated using Arthrobacter globiformis. Microbiol Resour Announc. 11(11):e0080522 • Alleman, AB, Garcia Costas, A. Mus, F., and Peters, J.W.. 2022. Rnf and Fix Have Specific Roles during Aerobic Nitrogen Fixation in Azotobacter vinelandii. Microbiol. 88 (17), e01049-22
• Brown, D.*, Isenhart, S.*, Kleven, A.*, Gillison, A.*, Martinez, L. A., and Garcia Costas, A.M. 2021. Complete genome sequence of actinophage Adumb2043. Microbiol Resour Announc. 10 (41), e00776-21. Saini, M. K., Sebastian, A. Shirotori, Y., Soulier, N., Garcia Costas, A.M, Drautz-Moses, D., Schuster, S., Albert, I., Haruta, S., Hanada, S., Thiel, V., Tank, M., and Bryant, D.A. 2021. Genomic and phenotypic characterization of Chloracidobacterium isolates provides evidence for multiple species. Front Microbiol. 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.704168.
• Boury, N, Alvarez, K., Garcia Costas, A.M., Knapp, G., & Seipelt, R. 2021. Teaching in the time of COVID-19: Digital Interns annotate science Podcasts to develop scientific thinking skills. J Microbiol Biol Edu. 22 (1).
• Min-Hyung Ryu, M.-H., Zhang, J., Toth, T., Geddes,B., Garcia-Costas, A., Mus, F., Peters, J.W., Poole, P. S., Voigt, C. A. 2020. Control of nitrogen fixation in bacteria that associate with cereals. Nature Microbiology.5, 314-330
• Thiel, V., Garcia Costas, A. M., Fortney, N.W., Martinex, J. N., Tank, M., Roden, E., Boyd, E. Ward, D., and Bryant, D. A. 2018. "Candidatus Thermonerobacter thiotrophicus," a non-phototrophic sulfate reducing member of the Chlorobi inhabiting hot spring environment. Frontiers in Microbiology. 9: 3159.
• M., Garcia Costas, A. M., and Bryant, D.A., 2018. Genus Chapter: Chloracidobacterium. Bergey’s Manual. • Garcia Costas, A. M., Poudel, S., Miller, A.-F., Schut, G. J., Ledbetter, R. N.,Fixen, K. R., Seefeldt, L. C., Adams, M.W., Harwood, C. S., Boyd, E. S., and Peters, J. W. 2017. Defining Electron Bifurcation in the Electron Transferring Flavoprotein Family. J Bacteriol. 199 (21): e00440-17.
• Ledbetter, R. N., Garcia Costas, A. M., Lubner, C. E., Mulder, D. W., Tokmina-Lukaszewska, M., Artz, J. H., Patterson, A., Magnuson, T. S., Jay, Z. J., Duan, H. D., Miller, J., Plunkett, M. H., Hoben, J. P., Barney, B. M., Carlson, R. P., Miller, A.-F., Bothner, B., King, P. W, Peters, J. W., and Seefeldt, L. C. 2017. The Electron Bifurcating FixABCX Protein Complex from Azotobacter vinelandii: Generation of Low-Potential Reducing Equivalents for Nitrogenase Catalysis. Biochemistry 56 (32), 4177–4190.
• Garcia Costas, A. M., Ragen, D. L., and Peters, J. W. 2017. Searching for nitrogen-fixing microorganisms: an original, relevant and successful early research experience. American Biology Teacher, 79(3):191-197.
• Mus, F., Crook, M.B., Garcia, K., Garcia Costas, A. M., Geddes, B.A., Kouri, E.-D., Paramasivan, P., Ryu, M. H., Ane, J.-M., Oldroyd, G. E. D. , Poole, P., Udvardi, M., Voigt, C. A., Peters, J. W. 2016. Biotechnological Challenges in Extending Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation to Non-Legumes. Environ. Microbiol. 13, 3698-710.
• Geddes, B.A., Ryu, M. H., Mus, F., Garcia Costas, A. M., Peters, J. W., Voigt, C. A., and Poole, P. 2015. Use of plant colonizing bacteria as chassis for transfer of Nitrogen-fixation to cereals. Opin. Biotechnol. 32, 216-222
• Boyd, E-. S., Garcia Costas, A. M., Hamilton, T. L., Mus, F, and Peters, J. W. 2015. Evolution of molybdenum nitrogenase during the transition from anaerobic to aerobic metabolism. Bacteriol.197 (9), 1690-1699
• Garcia Costas, A. M., Liu, Z., Tomsho, L., Schuster, S. C., and Bryant, D. A. 2012. Complete genome of a photoheterotrophic Acidobacterium, Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum. Microbiol. 14:177-190.
• Garcia Costas, A. M., Tsukatani, Y., Rijpstra, W. I. C., Schouten, S., Welander, P. V., Summons, R. E., and Bryant, D. A. 2012. Identification of the bacteriochlorophylls, carotenoids, quinones, lipids, and hopanoids of "Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum." Bacteriol. 194:1158-68.
• Bryant, D. A., Liu, Z., Li, T., Zhao, F., Garcia Costas, A. M., Klatt, C. G., Ward, D. M.,
• Frigaard, N.-U., and Overmann, J. 2012. Comparative and functional genomics of anoxygenic green bacteria from the taxa Chlorobi, Chloroflexi, and In: Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, Vol. 35, Functional Genomics and Evolution of Photosynthetic Systems, (Burnap, R. L. and Vermaas, W., eds.), pp. 47-102, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
• Garcia Costas, A. M., Tsukatani, Y., Romberger, S. P., Oostergetel, G. T., Boekema, E. J., Golbeck, J. H., and Bryant, D. A. 2011. Ultrastructural analysis and identification of envelope proteins of "Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum" chlorosomes. Bacteriol. 193:6701-11.
• Li, H., Jubelier, S., Garcia Costas, A. M., Frigaard, N.U., and Bryant, D. A. 2009. Multiple antioxidant proteins protect green sulfur bacteria against oxygen and reactive oxygen species. Microbiol. 191:853-867.
• Carrieri, D., Ananyev, G. Garcia Costas, A. M., Bryant, D. A., and Dismukes, G. C. 2008. Renewable hydrogen production by cyanobacteria: nickel requirements for optimal hydrogenase activity. J. Hydrogen Energy 33: 2014-2022.
• Garcia Costas, A. M., Graham, J.E., and Bryant, D.A. 2008. Ketocarotenoids in chlorosomes of Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum. In: Energy from the Sun (J. F. Allen, E. Gantt, J. H. Golbeck, and B. Osmond, eds.), pp. 1161-1164. Springer, Dordrecht.
• Bryant, D. A., Garcia Costas, A.M., Maresca, J. A., Gomez Maqueo Chew, A., Klatt, C. G., Bateson, M. M., Tallon, L. J. Hostetler, J., Nelson, W. C., Heidelberg, J. F., and Ward, D. M. 2007. “Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum”: an aerobic phototrophic acidobacterium. Science 317: 523-526.
• Garcia Costas, A.M., White, A. K., and Metcalf, W. W. 2001. Purification and Characterization of a Novel Phosphorous-oxidizing Enzyme from Pseudomonas stutzeri J. Biol. Chem. 276: 17429-17436.