Curriculum Vitae

Present Position

Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, University of York.

Based on my expertise in the areas of cell wall and sugar metabolism in plants, I have directed my career toward the challenge of plant biomass conversion into valuable chemicals. It is within this context that I work in collaboration with scientists from different academic institutions and private companies to develop biorefineries.

Previous Positions

From 2003 until 2006 I worked in Prof. Ian Graham’s Group on sugar signaling during embryo development in plants. In that period I produced four publications in peer-reviewed journals (Gomez et al., 2005a, Gomez et al., 2005b, Gomez et al 2006, Gomez et al., 2010) . As a result of the novel effects of our knockout mutants in cell wall development, I started collaborating with Prof. Simon McQueen-Mason to develop this side line of the project.

In 2006 I joined Prof. McQueen-Mason’s group to study the role of arabinans in the plant cell wall. In addition to being responsible for that programme (Gomez et al., 2009), I have been involved in several other research projects such as the study of the desiccation tolerance in resurrection plants using deep transcriptome sequencing, the role of xyloglucans in growth and the role of expansins in wheat grain development (Lizana et al, 2009).

Research experience

2003-2006 Research Associate at the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, Project: The role of trehalose metabolism during embryo development in Arabidopsis.

2002 Royal Society Research Fellow at Rothamsted Research, CPI Division. Project: Characterisation of Arabidopsis and tobacco plants transformed with enzymes that take part in the biosynthesis of the stress-related molecule glutathione and the study of transcription changes in stress related proteins

1999-2001 Research Fellow IACR-Rothamsted, Harpenden, UK. Stress Physiology Group, Biochemistry and Physiology Department. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, National Research Council (CONICET), Argentina.

Project: Cloning and expression of glutathione biosynthetic enzymes in maize leaves.

1998-1999 Institute of Phytopathology and Plant Physiology, CONICET Researcher (Tenure Level 1)– National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), Argentina. Project: Antioxidant defence system and drought tolerance in susceptible and tolerant cultivars of wheat and peanut.

1998 Institute for Grasslands and Environmental Research, Wales, UK. Research fellow of the British Council.

Project: Expression of antioxidant enzymes in two wheat cultivars subjected to osmotic stress and Paraquat treatment.

1997 Researcher at the Institute of Plant Physiology and Phytopathology, INTA, Argentina.

1995-1996 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Research Council (CONICET). Project: Degradation of chloroplastic superoxide-dismutase in wheat foliar tissues under oxidative stress.

1993-1994 Research Fellow, Institute of Phytopathology and Plant Physiology – INTA,Argentina. Project Oxidative and proteolytic regulation of SOD and GR activities in wheat leaves.

1992 Posgraduate Fellowship, Latin American Botanical Council. Sao Paulo Institute of Botany, Brazil. Project: Role of apoplastic enzymes on the photoalexinic response of Sesbania marginata L.

1990-1993: PhD Thesis - Role of extracellular proteases during cell wall elongation of Phaseolus vulgaris L. National University of Córdoba. Fellowship of the National Scientific Council

1989-1990 Posgraduate Research Fellow, Technical and Scientific Research Council of Córdoba.Project Production of flavonoids from calli of Flaveria bidentis.

1988 Undergraduate Project Student. Supervisor Agr. Victorio S. Trippi. Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, National University of Córdoba. Project: Oxygen and light‑induced proteolysis in isolated oat chloroplasts.

Teaching Experience

Present: Collaborate in lecturing in the area of Biorenewables, mentoring of PhD students and undergraduate students at the CNAP. I also teach postgraduate students in different programs.

1994-1995 Associate Lecturer, Plant Physiology, University of Cordoba, Argentina.

1989-1995 Teaching Assistant. Laboratory of Plant Physiology, University of Cordoba, Argentina.

1991 Postgraduate course ”Protein Electrophoresis “ University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

1990 Postgraduate course ”Protein Electrophoresis" Institute of Phytovirology. I.N.T.A.. Argentina

1987-1989 Biology Teacher at secondary school, Cordoba, Argentina.

Editorial duties

I have been a reviewer for the following journals since 1995:

  • Planta

  • Journal of Experimental Botany

  • Plant Biology

  • Annals of Botany

  • Functional Plant Science and Biotechnology

  • Revista Brasiliera de Botanica (Brazil)

  • Agriscientia (Argentina)

  • Journal of the National Institute of Agriculture (Argentina)

  • Biomass and Biofuels

  • Frontiers in Plant Biotechnology

  • Bioenergy Research

  • Biotechnology for Biofuels

  • Global Change Biology Bioenergy

  • Journal of Agronomy and Bioscience

  • Biotechnology and Bioengineering

Education and Academic qualifications

1995 PhD. Thesis. Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, National University of Córdoba (UNC). Degradation of cell wall associated proteins during elongation of bean hypocotyls. Qualification (1-10 scale): 10.

1989 Biologist. Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, UNC. Average qualifications (1-10 scale): 9.

1987 Teacher of Biological Sciences. Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, (UNC). Average qualifications (1-10 scale): 9.05.

1981 Secondary School, Physics and Mathematics Baccalaureate, National School of Teachers "Alejandro Carbó". Córdoba, Argentina. Average qualifications (1-10 scale): 9.