Alvaro Larran

Background

About Alvaro Larran

Currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) & Professor at Universitat Autonoma de Bacerlona (UAB), Spain. My research line is focused on a protein complex controlling epigenetic silencing in plants. Through my years of pre-grad (6), PhD scholar (5) and postdoc (5) I have acquired a wide experience in mostly all basic techniques in the fields of microbiology, biotechnology and molecular biology. I am familiar with a broad range of plant research perspectives, and I have gained strong skills working with diverse plant species, such as grasslands (Spartina argentinensis and Panicum prionitis), weeds (Amaranthus palmeri, Amaranthus hybridus, and Amaranthus tuberculatus), crops (Triticum aestivum) and the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. My most extensive experience lies in two areas: the molecular mechanisms causing herbicide resistance in weeds, and the the potential of native grasslands to become useful resources for second generation biofuel production. Also, my many years as biology teaching assistant and lecturer gave me the opportunity to acquire a solid training in scholarly communication, student supervision, science didactics and epistemology. I consider myself a passionate and commited person, with a lot of initiative and willingness to learn and help others. I have a natural inclination to pay attention to detail, a great predisposition for team-work, and a fascination for writing and oral presentations. I believe that a good communication is the basis for everything. Besides my native spanish, I have full domain of English and Portuguese, which I consider an essential vehicle for international collaborations.