Overview
I am a postdoctoral associate working in the Heitman lab as part of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology of the School of Medicine. I graduated as a Ph. D. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Murcia in Spain, my home country and a wonderful place to visit. I am fascinated by fungal biology and especially, in molecular mechanisms exploited by opportunistic pathogens to cause disease.
In my spare time, I love building themed LEGO sets, the bigger the better, from my favorite movie sagas. I am a big science fiction and fantasy fan, but I also like classic films -particularly film noir and western- and old jidaigeki and chanbara movies. Also, I like to play games, either video or board games, and going out once in a while. Especially, if there is food involved.
In my spare time, I love building themed LEGO sets, the bigger the better, from my favorite movie sagas. I am a big science fiction and fantasy fan, but I also like classic films -particularly film noir and western- and old jidaigeki and chanbara movies. Also, I like to play games, either video or board games, and going out once in a while. Especially, if there is food involved.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Postdoctoral Associate
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology,
Basic Science Departments
Recent Publications
Heterochromatin and RNAi act independently to ensure genome stability in Mucorales human fungal pathogens.
Journal Article Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · February 14, 2023 Chromatin modifications play a fundamental role in controlling transcription and genome stability and yet despite their importance, are poorly understood in early-diverging fungi. We present a comprehensive study of histone lysine and DNA methyltransferase ... Full text Link to item CiteTransformation and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated homologous recombination in the fungus Rhizopus microsporus.
Journal Article STAR protocols · March 2022 Here, we describe a reliable approach for targeted DNA integrations in the genome of R. microsporus, one of the main causal agents of mucormycosis. We provide a strategy for stable, targeted integration of DNA templates by homologous recombination ( ... Full text CiteStable and reproducible homologous recombination enables CRISPR-based engineering in the fungus Rhizopus microsporus.
Journal Article Cell reports methods · December 2021 Mucormycosis is a lethal and emerging disease that has lacked a genetic model fulfilling both high virulence and the possibility of performing stable and reproducible gene manipulation by homologous recombination (HR). Here, we developed a new methodology ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
RNAi-dependent epimutation roles in antimicrobial drug resistance and pathogenesis
ResearchPostdoctoral Associate · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2022 - 2027View All Grants