Max Planck

Group Leader: Frank W. Avila

B.Sc. in Biology, University of Hawaii, USA. 1998
Ph.D. in Genetics, Columbia University, USA. 2006
Postdoc, Dept. of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, USA. 2007–2015
Postdoc, Dept. of Entomology, Cornell University, USA, 2012-2015

Google Scholar Profile

    Curriculum Vitae 

Catalina Alfonso-Parra, PhD.

B.Sc. in Microbiology, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. 2001
Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, USA. 2010
Postdoc, Dept. of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University, USA. 2010-2012
Postdoc, Dept. of Entomology, Cornell University, USA. 2012-2015

Microbiologist from the Universidad de los Andes. Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Texas A&M University (USA). I am interested in understanding reproductive processes of mosquito vectors, from their precopulatory behavior to post-copulatory interactions at the molecular level. My projects so far have ranged from the acoustic behavior of mosquitoes, between only males or between males with females, to the identification of male seminal proteins necessary for the successful production of progeny. I am also interested studying reproductive behaviors in the field.

Sebastián Díaz, MSc
Ph.D. candidate

Biologist from the University of Antioquia, MSc. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). I am interested in the microbial diversity associated with insects and the factors that influence their structure. In my PhD project, I work with the bacterial microbiota of the reproductive tract of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus vector mosquitoes, studying how mating and blood-feeding affect the structure of the bacterial community in these tissues. Also, I want to understand how bacteria influence the development and reproductive biology of mosquitoes by performing microbiota manipulation experiments.

Jessica Paola Osorio Atehortúa
M.Sc. candidate

Microbiologist and bioanalyst from the University of Antioquia. My work is focused on determining how Wolbachia infection of Aedes aegypti females affects their post-mating changes. The release of mosquitoes Ae. aegypti artificially infected with Wolbachia is one of the vector control strategies that is currently being implemented in several countries including Colombia, so my main interest is to study the behavior of mosquitoes at the reproductive level and provide information that contributes to improving this control program.

Sara Villa
M.Sc. candidate

Biological Engineer from Universidad Nacional de Colombia. My interest is the identification of key proteins of the Aedes aegypti male seminal fluid that are important for the fertility of females, and that are necessary for the storage of sperm in the female reproductive tract. This knowledge will provide tools to develop methods for the biological control of vectors that transmit arboviruses.

Erik Mejía
M.Sc. candidate

Biological Engineer from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. I am interested in identifying genes important in the reproductive biology of tropical disease vectors. My project is focused on identifying genes expressed in spermathecas, the sperm storage organs in the female reproductive tract in mosquitoes, that are necessary for the fecundity and storage of sperm in Aedes aegypti females.

Juliana Agudelo
Technician

Microbiologist from the University of Antioquia. My main interest is to understand how the age of Ae. aegypti males influences the induction of post-mating changes in their partners: fertility, fecundity, and the incidence of re-mating. Also, does male age affect sperm use in females that copulate more than once.

Luis Felipe Ramírez Sánchez
Undergraduate student

I’m interested determining how the mating status of the Aedes aegypti males affects fertility and the re-mating incidence in their mates. Mating status is directly related to the quantity of SFPs that males transfer to females during copulation. I am currently working on characterizing sperm storage in the female storage organs, particularly when females mate with males who have previously copulated. This will allow us to have a better idea about the impact of male reproductive status on the fertility of their mates.

Former lab members:

Carolina Camargo, Ph.D. 2017-2020.
Miguel Ángel Toro, PH.D. 2018-2020.