Dr. University of Buenos Aires, Biological Chemistry (2003).
Current positions
Assistant Professor. Chair of Biochemistry, Facultad de Agronomía - UBA.
Principal researcher, CONICET.
Research interests
Oxidative stress in plants.
Antioxidant mechanisms.
Control of pathogensand and insects.
Plasma non-thermal, agricultural use.
Publications in refereed journals (last 5 years)
Sebastián Vicente, Pablo Grijalba, Karina Balestrasse, Stella M. Alzamora &, Ana Pacin. (2025). A preliminary study of aflatoxin contamination in a traditional Argentine food (fainá) manufactured with chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) naturally and artificially contaminated. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A. Published online: 08 Sep 2025.
Matías G. Ferreyra, Brenda Santamaría, María M. Caffaro, Carla Zilli, Alejandra Hernández, BrendaL. Fina, Karina B. Balestrasse* and Leandro Prevosto*. (2025). Large-Scale Plasma-Activated Water Reactor: The Differential Impact on the Growth of Tomato and Bell Pepper Plants in Nutrient-Rich and Nitrogen-Free Substrates. Agronomy, 15, 829. 2025 * Equal contribution.
Matías G. Ferreyra, María M. Caffaro, Brenda Santamaría, Carla Zilli, Alejandra Hernández Brenda L. Fina, Ada S. Vélez, Karina B. Balestrasse* and Leandro Prevosto*. (2025). Plasma-Activated Water Produced by a Moderately High Energy-Efficient 1-Liter Reactor: Effects on Germination and Growth of Tomato and Bell Pepper Plants. 14.722. 2025. * Equal contribution.
Ricardo Molina, Carmen López-Santos, Karina Balestrasse, Ana Gómez-Ramírez and Jordi Sauló. (2024). Enhancing Essential Oil Extraction from Lavandin Grosso Flowers via Plasma Treatment. International Journal Molecular Sciences. 2024, 25, 2383.
Vélez, A.S.; Balestrasse, K.B.; Fina, B.L; Prevosto, L; Ferreyra, M.; Santamaría, B.; Zilli, C. Arguello, J.A. (2023). Use of non-thermal plasma to improve the physiological quality of chickpea seeds (Cicer arietinum L. cv. Felipe UNC-INTA). Nexo Agropecuario. Volumen 11. 43-49. 2023.
Carla Zilli, Nicolás Pedrini, Eduardo Prietod Juan Roberto Girottic, Pablo Vallecorsa, Matías Ferreyra, Juan Camilo, Chamorro, Ezequiel Cejas, Brenda Fina, Leandro Prevosto, Karina Balestrasse. (2022). Non-thermal plasma as emerging technology for Tribolium castaneum pest-management in stored grains and flours. Journal stored products research 99, 2022, 102031.
Pérez-Pizá María Cecilia, Clausen Liliana, Cejas Ezequiel, Ferreyra Matías, Chamorro-Garcés Juan Camilo, Fina Brenda, Zilli Carla, Vallecorsa Pablo, Prevosto Leandro and Balestrasse Karina. (2022). Non-thermal plasma application improves Megathyrsus maximus germination, early establishment, and productivity. Crop & Pasture Science73 (10)1188-1199. 2022.
Giuseppe Diego Puglia, Karina Balestrasse , José Santiago Bustos and Héctor Roberto Huarte. (2022). New Insights into the Role of Alternating Temperatures and Cyanide in the ROS-Mediated Cardoon Seed Dormancy Termination. Horticulturae 2022,8(10), 960.
Ferreyra Matías, Fina Brenda Natalio J. Milardovich Chamorro-Garcés Juan Camilo Brenda Santamaria, Balestrasse K, Prevosto L. (2022). Indigo Carmine Degradation in Water Induced by a Pulsed Positive Corona Discharge in Air: Discharge and Postdischarge Effects. Plasma.2022.
M. C. Pérez-Pizá,V. N. Ibañez,A. Varela,E. Cejas,M. Ferreyra,J. C. Chamorro-Garcés,C. Zilli,P. Vallecorsa,B. Fina, L. Prevosto,C. F. Marfil & K. B. Balestrasse (2022). Non-Thermal Plasmas Affect Plant Growth and DNA Methylation Patterns in Glycine . Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. ,2732–2742 (2022). Autor correspondiente. Q1 Scimago.
Federico Spagnoletti, Karina Balestrasse, Viviana Chiocchio, Romina Giacometti, Raúl S. Lavado. (2021). The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus intraradices reduces the root rot caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum in wheat.2021. Rhizosphere 19.
Pérez‐Pizá, M. C., Grijalba, P. E., Cejas, E., Chamorro-Garcés, J. C., Ferreyra, M., Zilli, C., Vallecorsa, P., Santa-Cruz, D., Yannarelli, G., Prevosto, L. and Balestrasse, K. (2020). Effects of non‐thermal plasma technology on Diaporthe longicolla cultures and mechanisms involved. Pest Management Science, https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6234, 2020.
María Cecilia Pérez-Pizá, Ezequiel Cejas, Carla Zilli, Leandro Prevosto, Beatriz Mancinelli, Diego Santa-Cruz, Gustavo Yannarelli and Karina Balestrasse. (2020). Enhancement of soybean nodulation by seed treatment with non–thermal plasmas. Scientific Reports. 10:4917. 2020.
María Marta Caffaro, Karina Beatriz Balestrasse, and Gerardo Rubio. (2020). Adsorption to soils and biochemical characterization of commercial phytases. SOIL, 6, 153–162, 2020.
Grad Students
Total number of supervised doctoral or master's theses: : 4 director, 5 as co-director.
Number of doctoral or master's theses currently supervising: 1.
Management of research projects (last 5 years)
Director. Sustainable Agricultural Innovation: Application of Non-Thermal Plasma to Improve Seed Quality and Address Climate Change Challenges. LINCGLOBAL 2024. Responsible: Karina Balestrasse (Argentina), Ricardo Molina (Spain), Carla Quiroga (Bolivia).2024-2026.
Director. Study of the application of non-thermal plasmas directly and indirectly to improve agri-food production. 11220200100459CO. PIP 2021-2023.
Director. Innovative method for integrated pest management of stored grains and flours. Buenos Aires' University. Agronomy faculty. UBA 20020190100043BA. 2020-2023.
Director. Innovative method for integrated pest management of stored grains and flours. Funding entity FONCYT. PICT 2018 Nº702 (2020-2022). Responsible Researcher.
Director. Non-thermal plasmas: an innovative technology for the control of fungal infections in soybeans, 2017-2019 University of Buenos Aires. Agronomy Faculty. UBA.20020160100031BA.
Director. Study of the effects of non-thermal plasma on soybeans and their use as a fungicide: The role of the different active plasma species. Funding entity FONCYT. PICT 2015 Nº1553 (2017-2021).
Postgraduate courses taught at the Alberto Soriano Graduate School (FAUBA)
Abiotic stress in higher plants. EPG, Faculty of Agronomy. UBA. Course directors: Dr. Pedro Insausti, Dr. Edmundo L. Ploschuk. From 2015 to the present. Guest professor.
