Arletys Verdecia Mogena, PhD

University of Bern, Switzerland – since October 2021

Doctoral Researcher

• Managed a European Research Council (ERC) project as a doctoral researcher to investigate trophic interactions between maize, insect larvae, entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and EPN-associated microbes.
• Designed, standardized, and conducted experiments and molecular analyses for studying plant response to entomopathogenic nematodes and the effects of microbes associated to entomopathogenic nematodes in tritrophic interactions.
• Data analyses (R suite and Linux environment) using the optimized lab protocol for maize specialized metabolite and microbiome analysis.
• Coordinated two gardeners and four research assistants with tasks rendering smooth running of experiments.
• Mentored seven junior researchers equipping them with laboratory skills following biosafety standards.
• Designed and taught a Plant-Microbe Interactions course for master students and supervised Plant Physiology practical for bachelor students
• Collaborated in multidisciplinary projects with researchers in five countries.
• Wrote, reviewed, and published two articles and three posters.

University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands – February 2021-July 2021

Research Intern

• Carried out a research project about the role of microbiome recruitment in enhancing crop resilience in Cucurbits under herbivore stress, supporting sustainable agriculture practices.
• Analysed amplicon sequencing data in a central Linux HPC cluster to study microbial diversity.
• Documented the research findings in a successful master thesis, demonstrating strong analytical and scientific writing skills.

German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Germany – January 2019-April 2019

Guest Researcher

• Conducted greenhouse experiments to investigate the interactions between plants and herbivores, focusing on the impact of root-herbivory on glucosinolate accumulation in Brassica rapa.
• Performed molecular studies, including RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and RT-qPCR, to analyse the expression of genes involved in glucosinolate biosynthesis and transport.
• Collected and analysed data on glucosinolate concentrations using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and interpreted the results to understand the defence mechanisms of plants.
• Collaborated with an international team of researchers and co-authored a peer-reviewed paper, contributing significantly to the experimental work and molecular analyses.

Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Cuba – September 2016-May 2019

Junior Researcher

• Developed, optimized, and implemented novel protocols to isolate bioactive metabolite(s) from microbe that exhibited antagonistic activity against plant parasitic nematodes.
• Mentored two junior scientists, fostering their professional development, and facilitating their contribution to successful project completion including report making and dissertation preparation.
• Literature survey for manuscript and patent writing and protocol development.