About
Summary
The focus of my graduate training has been the study of molecular mechanisms in plants in response to abiotic and biotic stresses. Before, I worked as a research assistant towards conservation of potato and sweetpotato genetic resources. My career goals are to translate my basic knowledge into improving important crops for current environmental constraints, to contribute to global food safety, with emphasis in developing countries.
Positions
Graduate Research Assistant Aug 2008 - Dec 2015
Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia
Dissertation research to study the physiological and molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance in plants. Main project:
- Role of chitin receptors in the crosstalk between salinity stress and plant innate immunity in Arabidopsis
Other projects:
- Functional analysis of Arabidopsis chitin receptor genes in soybean using root hair transformation.
- Large-scale gene expression profiling in the resurrection tolerant grass Sporobolus stapfianus
- Functional analysis of dehydration tolerance genes in the moss Physcomitrella patens
Research Assistant Mar 2003 - Aug 2008
- Supervised a team of technicians and research students to maintain the world’s biggest in vitro genebank of potato, sweetpotato, and other Andean root and tuber crops. Research activities included: tissue culture and cryo-preservation techniques for medium- and long-term conservation of germplasm; pathogen screening and production of pathogen-free genetic material to distribute to farmers and scientists; and genotypic and phenotypic assessment of germplasm.
- Maintained an electronic document management system of laboratory activities and germplasm movement, in collaboration with IT department.
- Wrote annual reports, laboratory protocols for ISO accreditation, and training manuals.
- Training of national and international students.
- Collaborated with key national and regional institutions on issues of intellectual property rights, access to plant genetic resources and benefit sharing.
Intellectual property rights specialist Aug 2002 - Jan 2003
Preparation of two technical documents: ‘Patents referring to Lepidium meyenii (maca): Responses of Peru’, and ‘Traditional and scientific knowledge on maca (Lepidium meyenii) prior to the USA Patents”
Education
University of Missouri-Columbia 2008 - 2015
Field of study: Plant, Insect and Microbial Sciences
Degree: Ph.D.
Emphasis: Plant Biology and Genetics
Dissertation: Molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance in plants
Advisor: Dr. Gary Stacey
Universidad Federico Villarreal 1997 - 2001
Field of study: Biological Sciences
Degree: B.S.
Thesis: Effect of abscisic acid, 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid and caffeic acid on in vitro tuberization and dormancy of potato
Thesis advisor: Dr. Willliam Roca
Skills
Molecular biology; PCR; Molecular Cloning; qRT-PCR; Biochemistry; Protein-protein interaction; Protein expression; Co-immunoprecipitation; western blotting; Calcium imaging; Genotyping; Plant Physiology; Plant tissue culture; protoplasts; Bioinformatics; Biotechnology; Biodiversity; Intellectual Property Rights
Professional interests
Crop improvement; Plant science; abiotic stress; biotic stress; plant physiology; biochemistry; molecular physiology; signaling
Languages
English, Spanish
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