The capacity of plants to produce thousands of metabolites makes me get fascinated. The capability of plants to produce metabolites was not only the topic that caused me fascination, but it was also how the plant regulates specific genes to produce the metabolites. Some of the essential plant metabolites I am interested in are carotenoids which are isoprenoids that play important roles in plants (photoprotection, pollination, etc.) and are the precursors of plant hormones and apocarotenoids. Also, apocarotenoids are essential in plant development, architecture, and plant-organism interaction. Finally, I am interested in the transformation and genome editing of cereals to understand gene regulation and develop new traits for global warming and food security challenges.

• Lobato-Gomez M, Huang X, Alvarez D, He W, Baysal C, Zhu C, Armario-Najera V, Blanco Perera A, Cerda-Bennasser P, Saba-Mayoral A, Sobrino GM, Abranches R, Abreu I, Balamurugan S, Bock R, Buyel JF, da Cunha NB, Daniell H, Faller R, Folgado A, Gowtham I, Häkkinen ST, Khan I, Kumar RS, Lacorte C, Lomonossoff GP, Luís IM, MaJK C, McDonald KA, Murad A, Nandi S, O’Keef B, Oksman-CaldenteyK-M, Parthiban S, Paul MJ, Ponndorf D, Rech E, RodriguesJCM, Ruf S, Schillberg S, Schwestka J, Shah PS, Singh R, Stoger E, Twyman RM, Varghese IP, Vianna GR, Webster G, Wilbers RHP, Capell T, Christou P (2021) Contributions of the international plant science community to the fight against infectious diseases in humans – part 1: epidemic and pandemic diseases, including HIV/AIDS and coronaviruses. The Plant Biotechnology Journal 19: 1901-1920. DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13657
• He W, Baysal C, Lobato-Gomez M, Huang X, Alvarez D, Zhu C, Armario-Najera V, Blanco Perera A, Cerda-Bennasser P, Saba-Mayoral A, Sobrino GM, Abranches R, Abreu I, Balamurugan S, Bock R, Buyel JF, da Cunha NB, Daniell H, Faller R, Folgado A, Gowtham I, Häkkinen ST, Khan I, Kumar RS, Lacorte C, Lomonossoff GP, Luís IM, MaJK C, McDonald KA, Murad A, Nandi S, O’Keef B, Parthiban S, Paul MJ, Ponndorf D, Rech E, Rodrigues JCM, Ruf S, Schillberg S, Schwestka J, Shah PS, Singh R, Stoger E, Twyman RM, Varghese IP, Vianna GR, Webster G, WilbersRHP, Christou P, Oksman-Caldentey K-M, Capell T (2021) Contributions of the international plant science community to the fight against infectious diseases in humans – part 2: endemic and re-emerging diseases The Plant Biotechnology Journal 19: 1921-1936. DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13658.
• Alvarez D, Cerda-Bennasser P, Stowe E, Ramirez F, Capell T, Dhingra A, Christou P (2021) Fruit crops in the era of genome editing – closing the regulatory gap. Plant Cell Reports 40: 915-930. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s00299-021-02664-x
• Mir-Artigues P, Twyman RM, Alvarez D, Cerda-Bennasser P, Balcells M, Christou P, Capell T (2019) A simplified techno-economic analysis of molecular pharming. Biotechnology and Bioingenieering 116:2526-2539, 1-14. DOI: 10.1002/bit.27093.
• Ruiz, ON, Alvarez D, Torres C, Roman L, and Daniell H (2011) Metallothionein Expression in Chloroplasts Enhances Mercury Accumulation and Phytoremediation Capability. Plant Biotechnology Journal 1-9. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2011.00616.x

January 2018- July 2022: PhD in Agricultural and Food Science and Technology, ETSEA, University of Lleida, Spain.

August 2009- June 2011: Master in Science, Biology, Major in Molecular Biotechnology, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, PR, USA.

January 2003-May 2009: Bachelor in Science, Biotechnology, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, PR, USA.

Jan. 2023- present: Postdoctoral fellow, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.

Prof. Salim Al-Babili's Group

CDA - Center for Desert Agriculture

BESE - Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division