Marco Mechan-Llontop is a Keegstra Post-doctoral fellow in Professor Ashley Shade's laboratory at Michigan State University. He is also a research associate with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.

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Originally from Lambayeque, Northern Peru, Marco completed his BS in Biology, where he focused on studying the genus Pseudomonas in the tomato phyllosphere. He further pursued his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at Virginia Tech, working in the laboratory of Professor Boris Vinatzer. His Ph.D. thesis focused on the colonization of the phyllosphere by rain-associated microbes, revealing that rain may serve as a significant reservoir of plant-associated microbes.

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His primary research goal is to utilize cutting-edge technologies to gain a better understanding of the processes that influence the assembly and ecological functions of the phyllosphere microbiome. As part of Dr. Ashley Shade's team, Marco investigates the interplay between the phyllosphere microbiome, epicuticular wax, and root mucilage in enhancing sorghum resilience.