I am a biologist interested in host-parasite interactions with special interest in microsporidia and protozoa parasites infecting bees, such as Nosema and Lotmaria. Working in close contact with the phenomenon of honey bee colony losses, during my PhD I analyzed the genetic patterns of microsporidia parasites of the honey bee Apis mellifera along its range of distribution. Later, and attracted to the sublethal effects parasites and pathogens produce on their hosts, I explored the effects of microsporidia and protozoa on the behaviour, cognition and physiological development of bees. Nowadays, I explore the main factors of resistance and virulence of the protozoa Lotmaria passim by applying genetic engineering tools.
Postdoc: Jessica Carreira
Jéssica Carreira is a PhD in Biological Sciences from the State University of Maringá, Brazil (2019). Since her graduation in biology, she has been studying kinetoplastids biologies such as Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi. One other that, Jéssica studies actives compounds in protozoan, bacterial, and fungal development techniques to establish the action mechanism of these compounds. She has been applying a couple of techniques as electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), flow cytometry, fluorometry, and molecular biology. Through her doctorate, she got a scholarship in Granada (Spain) to improve her knowledge, learn new techniques and share her experience. During this period, she got the opportunity to learn and work with molecular biology. Currently, she is an investigator at Granada University in Spain. There she has been researching a new honeybee-trypanosomatid with characterization and biochemical analysis known as Lotmaria passim.
Technician: Olga Barranco Gómez
Olga is a lab technician supported by “Contratos de Garantía Juvenil” of Junta de Andalucía regional government. She is in charge of cell culturing, qPCR and spectrophotometric analysis of Trypanosomatid secretome.
Dr. De Pablos´ Team is embedded under
BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR PARASITOLOGY GROUP (CTS-183, UGR)
