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Luis Fernando Larrondo Castro

Associate Professor

Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

Santiago, Chile

Líneas de Investigación


Circadian Rhythms, fungal genetics, photobiology, fungal genomics, synthetic biology

Educación

  •  Cell and Molecular Biology, PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DE CHILE. Chile, 2003
  •  Biochemistry, PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DE CHILE. Chile, 1999

Experiencia Académica

  •   Postdoctoral Fellow Full Time

    DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

    Hanover, Estados Unidos

    2004 - 2009

  •   Assistant Professor Full Time

    PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DE CHILE

    Ciencias Biologicas

    Santiago, Chile

    2009 - 2014

  •   Associate Professor Full Time

    PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DE CHILE

    Ciencias Biologicas

    Santiago, Chile

    2014 - A la fecha

Experiencia Profesional

  •   Director Full Time

    Millennium Nucleus for Fungal Integrative and Synthetic Biology

    Santiago, Chile

    2013 - 2017

  •   Director Other

    Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)

    Santiago, Chile

    2018 - A la fecha

Formación de Capital Humano


Ph.D. THESIS DIRECTION
- Yerko Lovera 2029 (Expected; co-supervised with Dr. Consuelo Olivares-Yañez U. Mayor)
- Lilian Toro 2029 (Expected)
- Hugo Munoz 2028 (Expected; co-supervised with Dr. Magdalena Walczak UC)
- Carlos Ruiz 2028 (Expected; co-supervised with Dr. Pablo Marquet, U. Mayor)
- Gabriel Vera 2027 (Expected; co-supervised with Dr. Enrico Resende, UC)
- Carlos Corrial 2027 (Expected; co-supervised with Dr. Elena Vidal, U. Mayor)
- José Ignacio Costa 2026
- Rodrigo Pérez 2024
- Vicente Rojas 2023
- Verónica del Rio 2022
- Marlene Henriquez 2020 (Co-supervised with Dr. Paulo Canessa, UNAB)
- Verónica Delgado 2020
- Alejandra Goity 2019
- Felipe Muñoz 2019
- Rodrigo Diaz 2016
- Consuelo Olivares-Yañez 2015
- Montserrat Hevia 2015
- Alejandro Montenegro-Montero 2014

UNDERGRADUATE THESIS DIRECTION
- Catalina Ardiles 2026 (Co-supervised with Dr. Wladimir Mardones, iBio)
- Catalina Muñoz 2025 (Co-supervised with Francisco Cubillos, USACH)
- José Magaña 2025 (Co-supervised with Dr. Alejandra Goity, iBio)
- Roberto Sanhueza 2025
- Isabella Bresciani 2024
- Lilian Toro 2023
- Leonardo Guzmán 2022
- Sebastian Denhardt 2022
- Cyndi Tabilo 2021
- Valeria Eltit 2021
- Andrés Romero 2019
- Vicente Rojas 2016
- Hanna Muller 2015
- Pilar Alessandri 2015
- Claudia Villegas 2015
- Alejandro Stevens-Lagos 2012
- Alejandra Goity 2012
- Felipe Muñoz 2010


POSTDOCTORAL SUPERVISION
Year Finished Name Current Position
2024 Wladimir Mardones Young Investigator iBio
2025 Verónica Del Rio Postdoc IIMB-UC
2025 Vicente Rojas Postdoc, Cancer Research Center of Marseille
2023 Alejandra Goity Postdoc/Young Investigator iBio
2022 Verónica Delgado Patent Expert UTEM
2021 Felipe Muñoz Young Investigator iBio
2018 Aldo Seguel Entrepreneur
2017 Consuelo Olivares-Yañez Assistant Professor, U. Mayor, Chile
2017 Francisco Salinas Associate Professor, Univ. Austral de Chile
2017 Veronique Hill. Research Assistant, Inst. Curie, France)
2016 Alejandro Montenegro-Montero Executive Editor, CSH Protocols, CSHL Press
2016 Montserrat Hevia Entrepreneur

EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES.
Editorial Boards
2009- 2017: Member of the editorial board. Applied and Environmental Microbiology (ASM)
2014- present: Member of the editorial board. Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group)
2014- present: Member of the editorial board. Fungal Biology and Biotechnology (BMC)
2015- present: Member of the editorial board. Biological Research (BMC)
2018- present: Member of the editorial board. Frontiers in Microbiology
2019- present: Member of the advisory editorial board. Genetics & Genomics Next (Wiley)
2019- present: Member of the editorial board. Infection & Immunity (ASM)
2019- 2026: Member of the board of reviewing editors. eLife
2023- 2023: Invited Editor Annual Reviews in Microbiology
2023- present: npj Biological Timing and Sleep
2025- present: Mycology (Taylor & Francis)

Ad-hoc Reviewer
Applied & Environmental Microbiology, Scientific Reports, Fungal Genetics and Biology, mBio, PLoS Genetics, Eukaryotic Cell, PLoS ONE, PNAS, Marine Biotechnology, Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology, BMC Biology, Journal of Biological Rhythms, Microbial Biotechnology, Current Genetics, Journal of Applied Microbiology, Free Radical Biology & Medicine, BMC Genomics, Plant, Cell & Environment, G3, ACS Synthetic Biology, Fungal Biology, Environmental Microbiology, Nucleic Acids Research, New Phytologist, Nature, Nature Protocols, ISME Journal, Current Biology, Molecular Plant Pathology, Trends in Plant Science, JoVE, mSpectrum, Nature Communications, Communications Biology, Postharvest Biology and Technology, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.


Difusión y Transferencia


- Patent application (INAPI) 201603010, “A yeast optogenetic expression system”
- Patent application (INAPI) 3363-2016, “Method for high-throughput screening of substances for the control of phytopathogenic fungi, based on genetically modified strains”


Premios y Distinciones

  •   International Research Scholars

    Howard Hughes Medical Institute

    Estados Unidos, 2017

    HHMI funds exceptionally talented scientists and educators to advance the front lines of biomedical research and train the next generation of scientific leaders.

  •   Young Affiliated member

    TWAS

    Italia, 2011

    Elected as Young Affiliated member of the Academy of Science for the Developing World (TWAS)

  •   PEW Postdoctoral Latin American Fellowship in the Biomedical Science

    THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS

    Estados Unidos, 2004

    2004-2006

  •   Medalla Herman Niemeyer

    SOCIEDAD DE BIOQUIMICA DE CHILE

    Chile, 2002

    Receives the Herman Niemeyer award given by the SBBCH (Sociedad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Chile) as a distinguished Ph.D. student.

  •   Aschoff's Rule

    Society for Reserach on Biological Rhythms

    Estados Unidos, 2017

    Prize given every year to a scientists who has advanced the field of chronobiology

  •   AAM

    American Academy of Microbiology

    Estados Unidos, 2020

    Elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology

  •   ACAL

    Academia de Ciencias de America Latina y el caribe

    Venezuela, 2019

    Elected Member of ACAL

  •   Corresponding Member Chilean Academy of Sciences

    ACADEMIA CHILENA DE CIENCIAS

    Chile, 2025

    Incorporated as corresponding member of the academy

  •   Pontifical Academy of Sciences

    Pontifical Academy of Sciences

    Vaticano, 2025

    4th Chilean in becoming a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences

  •   EMBO Associate Member

    EMBO

    Alemania, 2026

    4th Chilean in becoming a member of EMBO


 

Article (52)

MAL33 drives natural variation in maltose metabolism in Saccharomyces eubayanus
Circadian rhythms: pervasive, and often times evasive
Transcriptional rewiring of an evolutionarily conserved circadian clock
A circadian clock in Neurospora crassa functions during plant cell wall deconstruction
Fungal Endophytes Exert Positive Effects on Colobanthus quitensis Under Water Stress but Neutral Under a Projected Climate Change Scenario in Antarctica
Broad Substrate-Specific Phosphorylation Events Are Associated With the Initial Stage of Plant Cell Wall Recognition in Neurospora crassa
Indirect monitoring of TORC1 signalling pathway reveals molecular diversity among different yeast strains
Fungal Light-Oxygen-Voltage Domains for Optogenetic Control of Gene Expression and Flocculation in Yeast
GPD1 and ADH3 Natural Variants Underlie Glycerol Yield Differences in Wine Fermentation
Neurospora crassa developmental control mediated by the FLB-3 transcription factor
The developmental regulator Pcz1 affects the production of secondary metabolites in the filamentous fungus Penicillium roqueforti
Optogenetic switches for light-controlled gene expression in yeast
Spontaneous circadian rhythms in a cold-adapted natural isolate of Aureobasidium pullulans
Circadian clocks and the regulation of virulence in fungi: Getting up to speed
Daily magnesium fluxes regulate cellular timekeeping and energy balance
Modulation of Circadian Gene Expression and Metabolic Compensation by the RCO-1 Corepressor of Neurospora crassa
Natural variation in non-coding regions underlying phenotypic diversity in budding yeast
RIM15 antagonistic pleiotropy is responsible for differences in fermentation and stress response kinetics in budding yeast
A circadian oscillator in the fungus Botrytis cinerea regulates virulence when infecting Arabidopsis thaliana
bcpmr1 encodes a P-type Ca2+/Mn2+-ATPase mediating cell-wall integrity and virulence in the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea
Decoupling circadian clock protein turnover from circadian period determination
The bZIP Transcription Factor HAC-1 Is Involved in the Unfolded Protein Response and Is Necessary for Growth on Cellulose in Neurospora crassa
A Kinetic Study of the Effects of Light on Circadian Rhythmicity of the frq Promoter of Neurospora crassa
Analysis of the Phlebiopsis gigantea Genome, Transcriptome and Secretome Provides Insight into Its Pioneer Colonization Strategies of Wood
Bright to Dim Oscillatory Response of the Neurospora Circadian Oscillator
Circadian rhythms synchronize mitosis in Neurospora crassa
Determination and Inference of Eukaryotic Transcription Factor Sequence Specificity
Assessing the Effects of Light on Differentiation and Virulence of the Plant Pathogen Botrytis cinerea: Characterization of the White Collar Complex
Conserved RNA Helicase FRH Acts Nonenzymatically to Support the Intrinsically Disordered Neurospora Clock Protein FRQ
The Neurospora Circadian System: From Genes to Proteins and Back in Less Than 24 hours
Characterization of PIR1, a GATA family transcription factor involved in iron responses in the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium
Comparative genomics of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora and Phanerochaete chrysosporium provide insight into selective ligninolysis
High-resolution spatiotemporal analysis of gene expression in real time: In vivo analysis of circadian rhythms in Neurospora crassa using a FREQUENCY-luciferase translational reporter
The Paleozoic Origin of Enzymatic Lignin Decomposition Reconstructed from 31 Fungal Genomes
Molecular and structural modeling of the Phanerochaete flavido-alba extracellular laccase reveals its ferroxidase structure
Genome, transcriptome, and secretome analysis of wood decay fungus Postia placenta supports unique mechanisms of lignocellulose conversion
An eleven amino acid residue deletion expands the substrate specificity of acetyl xylan esterase II (AXE II) from Penicillium purpurogenum
Functional analysis of the endoxylanase B (xynB) promoter from Penicillium purpurogenum
Genome sequencing and analysis of the biomass-degrading fungus Trichoderma reesei (syn. Hypocrea jecorina)
Cloning and characterization of the genes encoding the high-affinity iron-uptake protein complex Fet3/Ftr1 in the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium
Structure and transcriptional impact of divergent repetitive elements inserted within Phanerochaete chrysosporium strain RP-78 genes
Cloning and functional characterization of the gene encoding the transcription factor Ace1 in the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium
Cloning and functional characterization of the gene encoding the transcription factor Acel in the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium
Induction of cellular prion protein gene expression by copper in neurons
The nop gene from Phanerochaete chrysosporium encodes a peroxidase with novel structural features
Characterization of a multicopper oxidase gene cluster in Phanerochaete chrysosporium and evidence of altered splicing of the mco transcripts
Genome sequence of the lignocellulose degrading fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium strain RP78
A novel extracellular multicopper oxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium with ferroxidase activity
Heterologous expression of laccase cDNA from Ceriporiopsis subvermispora yields copper-activated apoprotein and complex isoform patterns
Enzymology and molecular genetics of the ligninolytic system of the basidiomycete Ceriporiopsis subvermispora
Isoenzyme multiplicity and characterization of recombinant manganese peroxidases from Ceriporiopsis subvermispora and Phanerochaete chrysosporium
Characterization of three new manganese peroxidase genes from the ligninolytic basidiomycete Ceriporiopsis subvermispora

BookSection (1)

Exploiting Fungal Photobiology as a Source of Novel Bio-blocks for Optogenetic Systems

BookWhole (1)

The Clock Keeps on Ticking: Emerging Roles for Circadian Regulation in the Control of Fungal Physiology and Pathogenesis

EditorialMaterial (3)

Conserved signaling gears that sustain circadian clock robustness Spotlight
Circadian entrainment of in vitro reactions, in real time, and around the clock
In the Driver's Seat: The Case for Transcriptional Regulation and Coupling as Relevant Determinants of the Circadian Transcriptome and Proteome in Eukaryotes

Proyecto (3)

Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBIO)
A synthetic biology strategy to delve into the properties and plasticity of circadian oscillators and other transcriptional regulatory circuits
Millennium Nucleus for Fungal Integrative and Synthetic Biology (MN-FISB)

Review (6)

A new flavor of synthetic yeast communities sees the light
Clock Regulation and Fungal Physiology: Molecular Mechanisms Underpinning the Timely Control of Just About Everything
Redesigning and rethinking genetic circuits: the potential of transcriptional rewiring in filamentous fungi
Recent Advances in the Study of the Plant Pathogenic Fungus Botrytis cinerea and its Interaction with the Environment
Environmental responses and the control of iron homeostasis in fungal systems
The role of oxidative stress in the toxicity induced by amyloid beta-peptide in Alzheimer's disease
1
Daniela Seelenfreund

Profesor Asociado

Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS QUÍMICAS Y FARMACÉUTICAS, UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE

Santiago, Chile

4
Francisco Melo

Profesor Titular

Genetica Molecular y Microbiologia

PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DE CHILE

Santiago, Chile

10
Rubén Polanco

Associate Professor

Biological Sciences

UNIVERSIDAD ANDRÉS BELLO (UNAB)

SANTIAGO, Chile

2
Renato Chavez

Full Professor

Biology

UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE CHILE

Santiago, Chile

1
Inmaculada Vaca

Associate Professor

Chemistry Department

UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE

Santiago, Chile

2
Alexis Rivas

Investigador Postdoctoral

Instituto de Neurociencias Biomédicas

Universidad de Chile

Santiago, Chile

1
Bernardo González

Full Professor

UNIVERSIDAD ADOLFO IBAÑEZ

Santiago, Chile

3
Verónica García

academico

DECYTAL

Universidad de Santaigo

Estación central, Chile

1
Gloria Levican

Académica Profesora Titular

Departamento de Biología

UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE CHILE

Santiago, Chile

2
Nibaldo Inestrosa

Full Professor

PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DE CHILE

Santiago, Chile

3
Luis Castillo

Profesor Asociado

de Biología

UNIVERSIDAD DE LA SERENA, FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS, DEPARTAMENTO DE BIOLOGÍA

La Serena, Chile

2
Augusto Manubens

Director

Tecnical Support

BIOSONDA S.A.

Santiago, Chile

1
Patricio Ramos

academico

Instituto de ciencias biológicas

UNIVERSIDAD DE TALCA

Talca, Chile

69
Luis Larrondo

Associate Professor

Genetica Molecular y Microbiologia

Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

Santiago, Chile

1
RODRIGO DIAZ

Asesor científico

Centro de Innovación UC Anacleto Angelini

Fast Genetic Solutions

Santiago, Chile

3
Tomas Perez-Acle

Full Professor

Computational Biology Lab

Fundación Ciencia para la Vida

Santiago, Chile

3
Carlos Lagos

Profesor Asociado

FACULTAD DE MEDICINA Y CIENCIA

UNIVERSIDAD SAN SEBASTIÁN

SANTIAGO, Chile

1
Lorena Varela

Assistant Professor

Biological Sciences

Universidad Andres Bello

Santiago, Chile

1
Gino Corsini

Director Instituto Ciencias Biomédicas

Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas

Universidad Autónoma de Chile

Santiago, Chile

1
Samuel Morales

Académico Conferenciante

Universidad de Talca

Talca, Chile

5
Francisco Salinas

Profesor Asociado

Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiolgía

Universidad Austral de Chile

Valdivia, Chile

4
Francisco Cubillos

Investigador Asociado

Departamento de Biologia

Universidad de Santiago de Chile

Santiago, Chile

4
Claudio Martinez

Profesor Titular

Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos

Universidad de Santiago de Chile

Santiago, Chile

15
Paulo Canessa

Associate Professor

Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida

Universidad Andrés Bello

Santiago, Chile

3
Mario Tello

Académico

Biología

Universidad de Santiago de Chile

Santiago, Chile

1
José Gárate

Profesor Asistente

Instituto de Neurociencia

Universidad de Valparaíso

Valaparaiso, Chile

1
Pablo Villarreal

Profesor Asistente

Universidad Mayor de Chile

Santiago, Chile

1
Jennifer Molinet

Académica Investigadora

Universidad Autónoma de Chile

Santiago, Chile

2
Eduardo Kessi

Investigador

Universidad de Santiago de Chile

Santiago, Chile

2
Verónica Plaza

Profesor - Investigador

Biología

Universidad de La Serena

La Serena, Chile

1
Raul Araya

Profesor Asistente

Facultad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia

Universidad San Sebastián

Santiago, Chile

1
Pedro Gundel

Titular Professor

Universidad de Talca

Talca, Chile

1
Carlos Gil

Coordinador del area de Biotecnología

Spora SPA

Santiago de Chile, Chile

4
Alejandra Goity

Investigador postdoctoral iBio

Genética Molecular

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Santiago, Chile

2
Veronica Delgado

Investigador postdoctoral

Genética Molecular y Microbiología

Instituto Milenio de Biología Integrativa (iBio)

Santiago, Chile

1
Gabriel Ballesteros

Investigador Adjunto

Universidad de Talca

Talca, Chile

1
Tomas Peña

Candidato Doctor en Biotecnología

Departamento de Biología

Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Universidad de Santiago de Chile

Santiago, Chile

4
Consuelo Olivares

Profesor Asistente

Universidad Mayor de Chile

Santiago, Chile

3
Felipe Muñoz

Investigador Jovén

iBio

Santiago, Chile