I am Professor of Plant Pathology at the Universidad de Alicante in SE Spain. I have taught at undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Botany, Mycology, Plant Pathology and Marine Biology. My research was carried out in Spain, the Netherlands, Scotland (where I got my PhD), USA and Canada. I have worked on the mode of action (at molecular, cell and ecological levels) and practical development of biocontrol fungi. I also worked on the endophytic behaviour of nematophagous and entomopathogenic fungi and their implications in biocontrol and plant growth promotion. My group has also investigated the role of root endophytes in natural vegetation under stress and their applications. We also have experience on palm fungal pathogens and pests and their biocontrol and on chitosan as antifungal and its compatibility with biocontrol fungi. Our group has filed patents, mostly on biotechnological applications of fungi in sustainable agriculture. The group is also resulting from part of this industrial property, Glen Biotech the first spin-off company of Alicante University, specialised in biocontrol, originated from our lab was founded in 2010.

I hold a degree in Biology from the University of Alicante (2004-2010). At present, I am involved in a PhD project on the antifungal mode of action of chitosan on Neurospora crassa and fungal human pathogens. My project involves the understanding of the differential response of fungi to chitosan. Some fungi such as N. crassa are chitosan sensitive whereas the biocontrol fungi Pochonia chlamydosporia is resistant to this compound. During my PhD I spend a two month in the Glass Lab (Berkeley, USA) to identify gene targets related with chitosan antifungal activity on N. crassa. I am also evaluating the role of chitosan in plasma membrane remodelling and the fungicidal mode of action of this compound on N. crassa. My studies require the use of cultivation techniques, inoculation and use of antifungal compounds, microscopic techniques, molecular biology and genetics also different uses in bioinformatics tools (genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics database).

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