Institution: School of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences. National University of Río Cuarto, Argentina (UNRC)
Current positions
Full time-Adjunct Professor. School of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires (FAUBA). Biochemistry Area.
Assistant Researcher from the National Research Council (CONICET).
Research interests
Biocontrol Mechanisms against Phytopathogens.
Plant-Insect-Bacteria Interactions.
Microbial genetics.
Publications in refereed journals (last 5 years)
Alvarez F, Grispi JA, Montecchia MS, Draghi WO, Cabrera GM, Romero AM, Roberts IN, Simonetti E. (2025). Burkholderia gladioli BNM349 as a promising source of bacterial metabolites for biocontrol of common bacterial blight of bean. BioControl 70, 131-144.
Alvarez F, Zavala JA. (2025). Genome-editing tools for biotic stress tolerance in plants. Chapter 16, 206-216. In Gene-Edited Crops. The CRSPR Solution for Global Food Security. Ed. Taylor & Francis Group. Edited by Aftab Ahmad, Nayla Munawar, and Baohong Zhang. Pages:330. eBook ISBN 9781003500933.
Alvarez F, Simonetti E, Draghi WO, Vinacour M, Palumbo MC, Do Porto DF, Montecchia MS, Roberts IN, Ruiz JA. (2022). Genome mining of Burkholderia ambifaria strain T16, a rhizobacterium able to produce antimicrobial compounds and degrade the mycotoxin fusaric acid. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology (Springer) 38 (7):114.
Simonetti E, Alvarez F, Feldman N, Vinacour M, Roberts IN, Ruiz JA. (2021). Genomic insights into the potent antifungal activity of B. ambifaria T16. Biological Control 155, 104530-12.
Oyuela Aguilar M, Alvarez F, Medeot D, Jofre E, Semorile L, Pistorio M. (2021). Screening of epiphytic rhizosphere-associated bacteria in Argentinian Malbec and Cabernet-Sauvignon vineyards for potential use as biological fertilisers and pathogen-control agents. Oeno One, 55(4), 145-157.
Draghi WO, Alvarez F, Russo DM, Lagares A, Wall LG, Zorreguieta A. (2021). Root-associated Burkholderia spp. on the hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) cover crop vary depending on soil history of use. Rhizosphere 17, 100297.
Grad Students
(2011-2013) Co-supervisor of a Master’s thesis. Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP), Brazil.
(2023- present) Supervisor of two undergraduate thesis of the Agronomy students (FAUBA).
Management of research projects (last 5 years)
(2023-Present) Co-Director of the Pluriannual Research Project (PIP) “Search, identification an application of bioactive metabolites produced by Burkholderia strains for the control of phytopathogens”. Project code 11220210100381CO. Director: Dra. Ester Simonetti.
Postgraduate courses taught at the Alberto Soriano Graduate School (FAUBA)
(2023-present): Co-director of the course “Introduction to Ecological Biochemistry”. Master´s degree in Terrestrial Renewable Natural Resources.
