Alma de María Maroto Domínguez

Alma de María Maroto D. hold a degree in Biology in 2020 from the University of La Laguna. She completed the Bachelor’s Thesis at the Research Unit of the University Hospital of the Canary Islands, with the aim of carrying out a “Screening of ADN repair proteins involved in transitions of liquid-liquid (LLP)" implementing a study of the protein interactors in these structures (LLP) with a series of protein candidates of the response to DNA damage (DDR), to determine its dynamic presence in human osteosarcoma cells subjected to damage by UV-light, as well as a multifactorial bioinformatic study of the selected candidates. Also, she had the opportunity to work as a Senior Laboratory Analysis Technician in the Agri-food Quality and Valuation Service (Casa de la Miel) in the Island Council of Tenerife, performing physicochemical analyses of honey and carrying out the implementation and preparation for the subsequent introduction of new analysis protocols in the laboratory quality systems.

Likewise, se had the opportunity to work on the Investigo Project in the Agrobiotechnology group together with researcher Dr. Jana Alonso Lorenzo in the Agro-Applied Proteomics and Metabolomics (AGROPROMS) research line, focused on the determination of metabolomic and proteomics profiles of subtropical fruit crops as well as the participation within the BIGAMO (Mojo Genetic Biochemistry) project, which is based on the genetic typing and biochemical characterization of ancient varieties of La Palma pepper, in collaboration with the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture “La Mayora”(IHSM-CSIC) and the Island Council of La Palma.

Subsequently, following hers interests and motivations, she completed a specialization at the Salamanca University within the University Master’s Degree in Agrobiotechnology, where she expanded her expertise in biotechnology applied to agriculture and advances techniques related to plant-microorganism interactions (biocontrol, biofertilization, among others, the study of agricultural relevant pathogens), as well as acquiring a solid foundation in plant genetic improvement, transgenic plant construction, in-vitro plant tissue culture, and the use of plants as biofactories. This was complemented by extensive training in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, and genetic variability analysis. Moreover, she gained in-depth insight into plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses, the conservations of agrobiodiversity through Germplasm Banks and soil analysis. During which she had the opportunity to carry out her Master’s Thesis at the Research Center for Agrobiotechnology (CIALE), within the Plant Physiology and Hormonal Signalling research group, under the supervision of María Zambrano Distinguished Research Dr. Pablo Albertos Arranz as supervisor, and Dr. Antonio Luis de la Torre Morillo as a co-supervisor, carrying out the thesis entitled “Phenotypic, molecular and genetic responses of plants to abiotic stresses controlled by abscisic acid and heat stress signalling pathways”.

She is currently pursuing her PhD. at the IPNA-CSIC, focusing on the study of bioactive molecules that act as elicitors of amino acids functioning as glutamate receptors: as a pathway for the Discovery of new compounds that induce plant defence response against biotic and abiotic stress, within the framework of the Project Interreg Atlantic Area RESILCROPS (Harnessing Circular Economy to Improve Crop Resilience in the Atlantic Area).