Ext. 2626

falvarez@yachaytech.edu.ec

Biografía

Professor Francisco J. Álvarez earned a bachelor in Biology from the University of León (León, Spain) and a PhD in Genetics from the Konopka lab, at Stony Brook University (New York, USA), working mainly on the molecular and cell biology of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. He was later awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship for a postdoctoral position in the lab of Prof. Per Ljungdahl at Stockholm University, Sweden, where he worked on a novel in vitro model of vulvovaginal candidiasis. In another postdoctoral position at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland, UK) in the lab of Prof. Neil Gow he improved a chitin purification method and studied the recognition of this important biomolecule by the human innate immune system. In 2012 he worked with dental pulp stem cells in the lab of Dr. Misako Nakashima in the department of Dental Regenerative Medicine, at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (Obu, Aichi, Japan). At the same institution, he was awarded a Daiko Zaidan grant for research in the lab of Dr. Zenzo Isogai on human metalloproteases, which participate in the process of wound healing. In 2014 he applied for a teaching and research position at Yachay Tech. He started his teaching duties in April 2015.

Summary of Interests

Design of novel in vitro conditions for the study of fungal pathogens

Human and non-human diseases

Genetic engineering

Selected publications

• Alvarez, F. J. and Konopka, J.B. “Identification of an N-Acetylglucosamine transporter that mediates hyphal induction in Candida albicans”. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 2007 March;18(3):965-75. DOI: 10.1091/mbc.E06-10-0931.
• Alvarez, F. J., Ryman, K., Hooijmaijers, C., Bulone, V. and Ljungdahl, P. O. “Diverse nitrogen sources in seminal fluid act in synergy to induce filamentous growth of Candida albicans“. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. April 2015;81(8):2770-80. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.03595-14.
• Alvarez, F. J., Douglas, L.M., Rosebrock, A. and Konopka, J.B. “The Sur7 protein regulates plasma membrane organization and prevents intracellular cell wall growth in Candida albicans”. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 2008 December;19:5214-5225. DOI: 10.1091/mbc.E08-05-0479.
• Alvarez, F. J. “The effect of chitin particle size, shape, source and purification method on immune recognition”. Molecules. April 2014;19(4):4433-4451. DOI: 10.3390/molecules19044433.