Affiliation: Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata

Nicolas Pedrini’s interest is centered on the biological, biochemical, and molecular interactions between entomopathogenic fungi and their hosts. Focusing on the cuticle of insects as a new target for their control, his lab is devoted to studying the fungal metabolic pathways involved in insect lipid degradation and the mechanisms developed by fungi as alternative modes to entry and infect insects. The fungal genes involved in pathogenesis, cell differentiation, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and the different immune response signaling pathways triggered by insects after fungal infection are also studied.