María Laura García
Elected Member
Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
Argentina
Current term (2023): First
Biography
María Laura García has been a plant virologist since 1991, working on citrus psorosis virus (CPsV). In 1994, she proposed the name Ophiovirus for the genus, together with Robert Milne, who was the first to describe its snake-like appearance. In 2003, her publication of the genome sequence of CPsV, and its comparison with other viruses with similar morphology, supported a monophyletic group separated from all other negative-stranded RNA viruses. Other publications about viral protein functions and virus-host interactions of CPsV and Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus also added to the basic knowledge of ophioviruses. Dr. Garcia has been a member of the Ophiovirus/Aspiviridae Study Group since 2000, and currently she is the chair.
For more information:
https://www.researchgate.net/lab/Maria-Laura-Garcia-Lab
