Biography

Myriam Izarra is a biologist based in Lima, Peru, with an M.Sc. in Molecular Biology. She began her work at CIP in 2010 as an undergraduate student, developing a detection methodology for bacterial contaminants in in vitro sweet potato plants. Since becoming a staff member in 2012, her work has included applying molecular techniques and bioinformatic analysis. In the breeding area, she has studied avirulence genes of Phytophthora infestans to improve disease management, providing valuable insights for breeders developing resistant crop varieties. She has also contributed to projects aimed at developing extreme resistance to PVY. Currently, Myriam works in regenerative agriculture, focusing on the molecular characterization of Phytophthora infestans and Ralstonia solanacearum, as well as studying soil microbiomes through metabarcoding analysis.