Dr. Catalina Posada-Vergara
Research Interests
• Biological control of pests and diseases• Entomopathogenic fungus-plant-insect interactions
Entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium spp. can grow as endophytes in plants (EEPF = endophytic entomopathogenic fungus), and, as endophytes, they can facilitate the control of insect pests and plant diseases. This has been shown for different entomopathogenic fungi, colonizing a broad range of plant species, and having negative effects on a broad range of insect pests. Moreover, EEPF can also increase plant root and shoot biomass, and induce resistance or tolerance against abiotic stresses and plant pathogens.
The aim of my research is to understand better the entomopathogenic fungus-plant-insect interaction, at the molecular, morphological and physiological level.
Publications
Posada-Vergara C, Vidal S, Rostás M (2023): Local Competition and Enhanced Defense: How Metarhizium brunneum Inhibits Verticillium longisporum in Oilseed Rape Plants. J. Fungi 9(8), 796 doi: 10.3390/jof9080796Posada-Vergara C, Lohaus K, Alhussein M, Vidal S, Rostás M (2022): Root Colonization by Fungal Entomopathogen Systemically Primes Belowground Plant Defense against Cabbage Root Fly. Journal of Fungi 8(9):969 doi:10.3390/jof8090969