Ana Rosa Ballester Frutos

Biography

My research topic has been mainly focused on the study of fruit-pathogen interactions, mostly on orange-Penicillium digitatum and apple-Penicillum expansum interactions. I have used genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics to increase our knowledge on the fruit responses after the infection of the pathogen or after elicitation of induced resistance, and on the mechanisms of virulence and pathogenicity of the pathogen. From the point of view of the fruit, my results have shown that secondary metabolites, mainly phenylpropanoids, and ethylene play important roles in the induction of resistance in citrus fruit. I have also participated in unravelling the molecular responses of citrus fruit to moderate dehydration by using a fruit specific ABA-deficient mutant.

Research Interest

fruit-pathogen interactions, mostly on orange-Penicillium digitatum and apple-Penicillum expansum interactions