Institution
Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, Venezuela
Contact: Email: erodriguezroman@gmail.com
About Me
I am an evolutionary biologist interested in the study of viruses. I have a PhD in Microbiology from the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC). Currently, I am a Research Associate in the Center for Microbiology and Cell Biology at the IVIC. Also, I am one of the Young Ambassadors of Science in the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), an Ambassador in the eLIFE Community, and the Junior Ambassador to Venezuela in the Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN). My research interests are focussed in the eco-evolutionary relationships that viruses have with different hosts such as plants, animals and bacteria, and in the molecular and biological characterization of new and (re-) emerging viruses. I use dry and wet lab tools for studying the molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases affecting crops, animals and humans, producing several economic losses and affecting the quality of life in Nations.
Skills/Topics I Teach
- Virology
- Virus Evolution
- Virus Ecology
- Molecular Microbiology
- Molecular Epidemiology
- Emerging viruses
- Molecular and Biological Characterization
- Bioinformatics
- Phylogenetics
- Modelling
Communities and Projects
Communities
- Agricultural Microbiomes Research Coordination Network (AgMicrobiomeRCN)
- International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF)
- Initiative for Venom Associated Microbes and Parasites (iVAMP)
- First Detector Program at the National Plant Diagnostic Network
- PlantingScience Program
- American Society for Virology (ASV)
- Astrobiology Network of Pakistan (ABNP)
- World Society for Virology (WSV)
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN)
- Social Action for a Grassroots Astrobiology Network (SAGANet)
- International Society for Viruses of Microorganisms (ISVM)
- Community Network for African Vector-Borne Plant Viruses (CONNECTED)
- American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
- Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER)
- Venezuelan Association for the Advancement of Science (AsoVAC)
- International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID)
- Venezuelan Society for Ecology (SVE)
Projects
- Molecular epidemiology of bacteria associated with Huanglongbing (HLB) disease in Venezuela. (IVIC-INIA project).
- Bioprospecting of microalgae and/or cyanobacteria with biotechnological interest (IVIC-N1373).
- Studies of photosynthetic microorganisms from Greenwich, Dee and Barrientos islands in the Antarctic continent.
- Isolation of phosphate-fixing and carrier native microorganisms for the formulation of biofertilizers (IVIC-N1293).
- Epidemiology of viral diseases from economically important crops (IVIC-N428).
- PCR standardization for the development of a molecular kit to be used in diagnosis and research of Brucella spp., immersing in the Development, Adaptation, Validation and Transference of Technologies for Molecular Diagnostic of Transmissible Diseases through the Venezuelan Network of Identification and Molecular Diagnostic of Microorganisms (Sub-objective 1.4.1, G-2007001442).
- Standardization and implementation of VNTR and Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) for typification of serovars from Leptospira isolates, immersing in the Development, Adaptation, Validation and Transference of Technologies for Molecular Diagnostic of Transmissible Diseases through the Venezuelan Network of Identification and Molecular Diagnostic of Microorganisms (Sub-objective 2.2, G-2007001442).
- Molecular epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): determination of resistance to antiretroviral drugs and the effect of co-infection with GBV-C on HIV-1 replication (G-2012000892).