1. Karla Ramírez Estrada. PhD in Plant Biotechnology
Felip Pedrell # 23. Esc. A; Atic 2ª L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Barcelona, Spain. 08905.
Phone: +34 722796237. kems3estrada@gmail.com
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Education and scientific formation
Postdoctoral Research (2016-present). Center of Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), Campus UAB, Barcelona,
España. “Role of the steryl glucosides in biotic and abiotic stress response in tomato”. CONACYT Postdoctoral
scholarship. Results presented in poster format in a Spanish national congress.
PhD in Biotechnology (2010-2015). Cum Laude. Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. “Taxus spp. cell cultures an
efficient tool for biotechnological production of taxol and development of basic studies about its biosynthesis”.
CONACYT PhD degree scholarship. Results presented as six oral presentations and two posters in different international
and national congresses.
Experimental Master in Pharmaceutical Science (2010-2011). Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. “Study of in
vitro taxol production in Taxus globosa Schltdl”.
Master in Sciences, in Plant Biotechnology (2006-2009). Center of investigation and advance studies (CINVESTAV), IPN
Irapuato, Mexico; “Promoter region and 5’UTR functional analysis of phtD and phtM genes from the pht region of
Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola”. CONACYT and CONCyTEG Master degree scholarship. Results presented in
poster format in a national congress.
Bachelor degree, Chemistry/Pharmacy. First Class Honors. Faculty of Chemistry. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León
(UANL); Monterrey, NL Mexico. UANL Young talent Undergraduate scholarship.
Professional experience.
Research.
• Postdoctoral Researcher (2016-present). Center of Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG). Transient and stable
plant transformation, genotyping, plant stress response studies, gene expression profiles and model plants crossing.
• Research assistant (2013-2014). Private project, L’Oreal Paris – Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain. Cell
suspension culture elicitation, secondary metabolites extraction and HPLC analysis.
• Research assistant (2009-2010). Private project CINVESTAV- Petramin-Alcesa, Irapuato, Mexico. Microbiologic
production of bioethanol from agriculture residues.
• Research assistant (2005-2006). Biotechnology Laboratory of Chemistry Faculty in UANL, Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
Extraction of bioactive compounds from “Mezcal” industry residues.
Teaching
• Undergraduate and graduate students mentoring (2012-2016). Mentoring of research projects for undergraduate
students and specific tasks for graduate students goals achievement.
• Graduate teacher assistant (2010-2014). Pharmacy Bachelor at Pharmacy School, Univesitat de Barcelona. Barcelona,
Spain. Experimental practices of Plant physiology course.
• Graduate teacher assistant (2010-2014). Master of Biotechnology at Pharmacy School, Univesitat de Barcelona.
Barcelona, Spain. Experimental practices of Plant biofactories course.
Skills
Plant cell culture and plant secondary metabolites.
* Induction of callus production and propagation * Plant cell suspension culture generation.
* In vitro propagation of plant cell suspensions culture (plant stem cells), roots, seedlings and complete plant
* Cell suspension culture elicitation strategies for increase secondary metabolite production
* Plant secondary metabolites extraction
* HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS/MS analysis
Molecular biology
* Transient and stable plant transformation * DNA cloning (Gateway and others) * Gene expression analysis
* DNA and RNA extraction * Real time PCR (qPCR) * Fluidigm for gene expression
* Use of DNA and protein software * General bacteria molecular biology skills.

2. Protein
* Protein overexpression (in model plants and bacteria) * Western blot (immunobloting)
* Extraction and purification of proteins (from model plants and bacteria) * Enzymatic activity evaluation
Others
* Creative thinking * Teaching * Interpersonal communication *Dynamic and enthusiastic
* Teamwork * Mentoring * Problem solving
Honors and awards
• 2016. Honorary member of the Mexican National Research System (SNI) level I.
• 2014. Third place award. Best oral presentations at the VIII Research symposium of the “Federació Farmacèutica”,
Pharmacy Faculty, Univerisitat de Barcelona.
• 2010. Second place award and honorable mention at the III Technology Innovation Guanajuato Contest, in the
category of senior entrepreneur and businessman. “Bioethanol production from agriculture residues”.
• 2005. BENAVIDES pharmacies best grade award of the Chemistry-Pharmacy grade.
Languages level
Spanish: native language
English: Full professional proficiency TOELF (03/2010); score: 88
French: Basic proficiency. DELF A2 (06/2010); score 90,50
Publications
Ramírez-Estrada K., Vidal H.R., Hidalgo D., Moyano E., Goleniowski M., Cusido R.M., Palazón J. (2016). Elicitation, an
Effective Strategy for the Biotechnological Production of Bioactive High-Added Value Compounds in Plant Cell Factories.
Molecules, 21(2):182. doi:10.3390/molecules21020182.
Ramírez-Estrada K., Osuna L., Moyano E., Bonfill M., Tapia N., Cusido R.M. and Palazón J. (2015). Changes in gene
transcription and taxane production in elicited cell cultures of Taxus x media and Taxus globosa. Phytochemistry; 117:
174-184.
Ramírez-Estrada K., Altabella T., Onrubia M., Moyano E., Cedric N., Osuna L., Vanden Bossche R., Gossens A., Cusido
R.M. and Palazón J. (2015). Transcrip profiling of jasmonate-elicited Taxus cells reveals a b-phenylalanine-CoA ligase.
Plant Biotechnology Journal; 14(1):85-96.
Martínez-Márquez A., Morante-Carriel JA, Ramírez-Estrada K, Cusidó RM, Palazon J, Bru-Martínez R. (2016). Production
of highly bioactive resveratrol analogues pterostilbene and piceatannol in metabolically engineered grapevine cell
cultures. Plant Biotechnology Journal. doi: 10.1111/pbi.12539. Results presented in poster format in an international
congress.
Dilshad E., Rosa Maria Cusido R., Palazon J., Ramirez-Estrada K., Bonfill M. and Mirza B. (2015). Enhanced artemisinin
yield by expression of rol genes in Artemisia annua. Malaria Journal; 14:424. DOI 10.1186/s12936-015-0951-5
Martínez-Márquez A., Morante-Carriel J.A., Ramírez-Estrada K., Cusidó R.M., Palazón J., Pedreño M.A., Bru-Martínez R.
(2015). A relaible protocol for stable transformation of non-embiogenic cells cultures of grapavine (Vitis vinifera L.) and
Taxus x media. Journal of Biological Methods; 2(2):1-8
Dilshad E., Cusido R.M., Ramírez-Estrada K., Bonfill M., Mirza B. (2015) Genetic Transformation of Artemisia carvifolia
Buch with rol Genes Enhances Artemisinin Accumulation. PLoS ONE 10(10): e0140266.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140266
Gallego A., Ramírez-Estrada K., Vidal-Limón H.R., Hidalgo D., Lalaleo L., Khan Kayani W., Cusido R.M. and Palazón J.
(2014). Biotechnological production of centellosides in cell cultures of Centella asiatica (L) Urban. Review. Engeneering
in life sciences; 14(6):1-10.
Onrubia M., Cusido R.M., Ramírez K., Moyano E., Bonfil M., Palazón J. (2013). Bioprocessing of plant in vitro systems for
the mass production of pharmaceutically important metabolites: paclitaxel and derivates. Current Medicinal Chemistry;
20:880-891.
Onrubia M., Gallego A., Ramírez K., Vidal Limón H.R., Cusido, R.M., Bonfil M., Palazón J., Moyano E. (2011). Changes of
taxane production and gene expression during the development of in vitro Taxus plant cultures. Planta Medica;
77:1282.