CURRENT LAB MEMBERS

Direction of PhD Students

Lic. Yamila Hipperdinger. [email protected]. FONCyT. 2024-present. I am geneticist, graduated from the National University of the Northwest of Buenos Aires province (UNNOBA). I have always liked Biology, especially molecular biology because I like knowing how it works, that is why I chose to study genetics. I did a pasanty in Bayer crop science company, where it woke my interest in plants. Dr. José Estévez gave me the opportunity to do my PhD at the Leloir institute, under the project "Identification of the regulatory network controlling root hair growth under inorganic phosphate deficiency combined with high salinity conditions in Arabidopsis thaliana", where the aim is to characterize the new genes that have been identified through the GWAS (Genome Wide Association Studies) approach, which regulate root hair growth with Low levels of Pi combined with High/no salinity.

Lic. Gabriela Diaz Dominguez.                                              [email protected]. CONICET. 2021-present.
Root hairs are individual plant cells that play crucial roles in the acquisition of nutrients and water. The main objective is to study the regulation of cell expansion in Arabidopsis thaliana as a single cell experimental model. Polarized cell expansion is directed and maintained by complex signaling coordinated by master regulators that control the flow of calcium ions (Ca2+) and the assembly of actin microfilaments. By carrying out different experiments that will lead to this thesis, we aim to identify and functionally characterize which of the ATPases-IIA-type Ca+2 transporters (ECAs, ER-type Ca2+-ATPases) that are involved in growth regulation. polarization of root hairs. For this, we will try to obtain and study single and multiple mutants for the different transporters and evaluate how their absence or over-expression would modify the normal polarized growth in said biological systems.

Lic. Leonel Lopez.                                           
[email protected]. Agencia. 2022-present.
My name is Leonel Lopez, I have a degree in Genetics from the National University of the Northwest of Buenos Aires province (UNNOBA). Since I was a child I have been interested in Biology and that led me to study Genetics, a career that woke up my passion for research. I have special interest in cell and molecular biology. In my degree thesis I studied the function of two genes involved in the development of the tracheal system using the triatomine Rhodnius prolixus as a model organism. I had never worked with plants until I started working in the biotechnology laboratory of an agricultural company; that experience helped me realise that I find it interesting to work with these organisms. Recently José gave me the opportunity to do my PhD in his laboratory studying the roles of RALF peptides and FER receptor during root growth. I like to learn new things all the time and in my free time I like to listen to music, watch movies and go out with friends.

FORMER LAB MEMBERS (working in Academia or private sector)
Lic. Tomas Urzua. PhD candidate at University of Chile. 2025-present.
Lic. Yossmayer Rondon. Mabxcience (Unidade Garin-Argentina).
Dra. Diana R. Garcia. PhD student (2019-2023) CONICET at FIL-IIBBA. Currently is a Post-Doc at SALK San Diego, California USA.
Dr. Javier Martinez Pacheco. PhD student (2019-2023) CONICET at FIL-IIBBA. Currently is a Post-Doc at SALK San Diego, California USA.
Dr. Manuel Peralta. PostDoc (2020-2022) CONICET at FIL-IIBBA. Currently he is Post-Doc at Paris-France.
Dra. Ana Sede. PhD student (2015-2019) and Post Doc (2019-2021)  CONICET at INGEBI. Currently she is Post-Doc at Strasbourg France.
Dra. Cecilia Borassi. PhD student (2015-2019) and Post-Doc (2019-2021) CONICET. Currently she is Post-Doc at Dolf Weijers´s lab at Wageningen University (Netherlans).
Dra. Silvina Mangano. Post-Doc and Asistant Researcher (CONICET) 2015-2018. Currently, she is Adjunct Researcher (CONICET) at INTECH Chascomus, Argentina.
Dr. Martiniano Ricardi. Post-Doc 2014-2015. Currently he is Asistant Researcher (CONICET) at IFIBYNE, UBA.
Dra. S. Melina Velasquez. Doctoral and Post-Doc 2008-2015. Currently she is Post-Doc at BOKU, Austria (at Jurgen Veinh Klein lab).
Dra. P. Virginia Fernández. Doctoral fellow during 2008-2012. Currently she is Adjunct Researcher (CONICET) in FAUBA (Marina Ciancia lab).
Dra. Silvina Paola Denita Juárez. Doctoral fellow during 2014-2018. Currently at Biogenotec (Mendoza Argentina).