PEOPLE
Principal Investigator
Felipe Aguilera, Associate Professor
Felipe earned his Bachelor's Degree in Marine Science from the University of Valparaíso (Chile), where he developed a strong interest in marine biology, biochemistry, and genetics. He then pursued a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology and Bioinformatics at the University of Queensland (Australia), focusing on how molecular repertoires evolve to construct different types of molluscan shells. During this time, he gained expertise in evolution, molecular biology, and bioinformatics.
For his first postdoctoral training at the University of Queensland, Felipe conducted comparative genomics and transcriptomics research, while also immersing himself in developmental biology by working with marine embryos of mollusks, ascidians, and sponges. In his second postdoctoral position at the Michael Sars Centre (Norway), he researched non-classical marine models, applying developmental biology and comparative approaches.
In 2018, Felipe joined the Faculty of Biological Science at the University of Concepción (Chile), where he established his lab. His research combines developmental biology, evolution, and bioinformatics to address EvoDevo questions, utilizing comparative approaches and a variety of marine model systems.
Email: faguilera@udec.cl
Spanish
version
English
version
Research Assistants
Yeruti Cid, Lab Manager and Technician
Yeruti received her Bachelor's Degree in Bioengineering from The University of Concepcion (Chile), where she conducted undergraduate research in characterizing the Hox cluster gene in the Chilean sea urchin (Tetrapygus niger). In the Aguilera lab, Yeruti is investigating the larval skeletogenesis in T. niger at the cellular and molecular levels. In addition, Yeruti is our lab manager and is in charge of running the lab smoothly.
Claudio Quevedo, Bioinformatician
Claudio received his Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering in Bioinformatics from The University of Talca (Chile), where he conducted undergraduate research in characterizing the gene regulatory network underlying spicule formation in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. In the Aguilera lab, Claudio is in charge of analyzing our omics data, including genome assembly and annotation, genome-wide transcriptomics and cis-regulatory, and comparative genomics. Claudio is also constructing bioinformatics pipelines to be used for other people in the lab.
Email: claudio.quev92@gmail.com
Graduate Students
Nicolás Zúñiga-Soto, Ph.D. student
Nicolás received his Bachelor's Degree in Medical Technology from The University of Concepcion (Chile). After that, he pursued a Master´s Degree in Biochemistry and Bioinformatics at the same university institution, where he investigated the evolutionary origin of vesicular glutamate transporters and their functional participation during the neurulation process in Xenopus laevis. In the Aguilera lab, Nicolás is deciphering the cellular identity that drives the differentiation of mesodermal progenitors to muscle cells across animals.
Email: nicozuniga@udec.cl
Sebastián Fuller, Master student
Sebastián received his Bachelor's Degree in Bioengineering from The University of Concepcion (Chile), where he conducted undergraduate research in identifying horizontal gene transfer events and their importance in the formation of molluscan shells. Now, he is pursuing a Master´s Degree in Biochemistry and Bioinformatics at the same university institution, where he is investigating the effect of ocean acidification on the transcriptome and epitranscriptome associated with the embryonic and larval shell formation in Crassostrea gigas.
Email: sfuller2017@udec.cl
Claudio Quevedo, Master student
Besides Claudio being our bioinformatician, is also pursuing a Master´s Degree in Biochemistry and Bioinformatics at The University of Concepcion (Chile), where he is working on obtaining a chromosome-level genome assembly of Boccardia wellingtonensis and conducting comparative genomics analysis in animals, with a focus on regeneration.
Email: claudio.quev92@gmail.com
Nicolás Garrido, Master student
Nicolás received his Bachelor's Degree in Plant Biotechnology Engineering from The University of Concepcion (Chile). Now, he is pursuing a Master´s Degree in Biochemistry and Bioinformatics at the same university institution, where he is investigating the developmental and genomic features that contribute to the timing of zygotic genome activation in Tetrapygus niger and Crassostrea gigas.
Email: ngarrido2154@gmail.com
Luis Amsteins, Master student
Luis is pursuing a Master´s Degree in Microbiology at The University of Concepcion (Chile), where he is identifying phage-like sequencing associated with antimicrobial resistance genes in Pseudomona aeruginosa from Chilean hospitals under the supervision of Dr. Andrés Opazo. In the Aguilera lab, Luis is conducting Nanopore sequencing of Pseudomona strains. Our Principal Investigator is the co-supervisor of Luis in his Master's research.
Email: lamsteins@udec.cl
Maria José Ruiz, Master student
Maria José is pursuing a Master´s Degree in Biochemistry and Bioinformatics at The University of Concepcion (Chile), where she is conducting a functional study of Ric-8A/Gaq in the dorsal mesoderm formation in Xenopus tropicalis under the supervision of Dra. Marcela Torrejón. In the Aguilera lab, Maria José is identifying genes with differential expression between neural crests and the marginal zone in X. tropicalis. Our Principal Investigator is the co-supervisor of Maria José in her Master's research.
Email: mariruiz@udec.cl
Carla Rámirez, Master student
Carla is pursuing a Master´s Degree in Microbiology at The University of Concepcion (Chile), where she is evaluating the effects of anodic materials on the formation, composition, and gene expression of biofilms of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 under the supervision of Prof. Homero Urrutia. In the Aguilera lab, Carla is conducting sequencing Shewanella biofilms and conducting gene expression analysis. Our Principal Investigator is the co-supervisor of Carla in her Master's research.
Email: carlaesramirez@udec.cl
Carlos Pérez, Master student
Carlos is pursuing a Master´s Degree in Biochemistry and Bioinformatics at The University of Concepcion (Chile), where he is generating a transgenic tool for visualizing in vivo how Ric-8A controls the formation and migration of neural crests in Xenopus tropicalis under the supervision of Dr. Marcella Torrejón. In the Aguilera lab, Carlos is identifying promoter regions of regulatory genes associated with neural crest migration in X. tropicalis. Our Principal Investigator is the co-supervisor of Carlos in his Master's research.
Email: carloperez@udec.cl
Undergraduate Students
Cristián Muñoz
Cristián is studying Bioengineering at The University of Concepcion (Chile). In the Aguilera lab, Cristián is evaluating the effects of low pH in embryonic shell formation (prodisconch I) in Crassostrea gigas.
Email: cristmunoz2016@udec.cl
Albert Arriagada
Albert is studying Biology at The University of Concepcion (Chile). In the Aguilera lab, Albert is conducting a comparison of the epigenetic repertoire and methylation profiles in the gonadal tissues of Tetrapygus niger and Crassostrea gigas.
Email: alarriagada2018@udec.cl
Pablo Oyarzo
Pablo is studying Bioengineering at The University of Concepcion (Chile). In the Aguilera lab, Pablo is evaluating the effects of saxitoxin (STX) during the embryonic development of the Chilean sea urchin (Tetrapygus niger).
Email: poyarzo2022@udec.cl
Ingrid Pinto
Ingrid is studying Bioengineering at The University of Concepcion (Chile). In the Aguilera lab, Ingrid is characterizing the neuropeptidome of the Chilean sea urchin (Tetrapygus niger) and the Chilean sea star (Patiria chilensis).
Email: meanabalon2020@udec.cl
Jonathan Nuñez
Jonathan is studying Bioengineering at The University of Concepcion (Chile) and conducting his undergraduate research thesis under the supervision of Dra. Evelyn Jara. In the Aguilera lab, Jonathan is analyzing proteomics data to characterize the serum from hypothyroxinemic pregnant women. Our Principal Investigator is the co-supervisor of Jonathan in his Undergraduate research.
Email: jonunez2018@udec.cl
Matías Herrera
Matías is studying Environmental Engineering at The University of Concepcion (Chile) and conducting his undergraduate research thesis under the supervision of Dra. Mariela Yevenes. In the Aguilera lab, Matías is conducting metagenomic Nanopore sequencing experiments and characterizing the methane bacterial communities in the Tres Pascualas lagoon. Our Principal Investigator is the co-supervisor of Matías in his Undergraduate research.
Email: matherrera2016@udec.cl
Alumni
-
Gustavo Sánchez (2023-2024)
-
Lefney Cumilaf (2022-2023)
-
Claudia Aguilera (2022-2023)
-
Japhet Rojas (2022-2023)
-
Cecilia Beltrán (2022-2023)
-
Daniel Antivero (2021-2022)
-
Cristóbal Benavente (2021-2022)
-
Carlos Muñoz (2019-2023)
-
Constanza Aguirre (2020-2023)
-
Valentina Troncoso (2020-2022)
-
Ignacio Torres (2019-2022)
-
Camilo Muñoz (2019-2022)
-
Nicolás Gárate (2019-2021)