Luis F. Larrondo, Ph.D.

Research

The Larrondo lab studies how fungi sense and integrate environmental signals to regulate gene expression, physiology, and ecological interactions. We are particularly interested in how circadian clocks and signals such as light and temperature generate dynamic changes in cellular behavior. Using fungal models including Neurospora crassa, phytopathogenic and biocontrol fungi, we combine genetics, molecular biology, synthetic biology, and optogenetics to uncover the mechanisms underlying these responses. Our work has revealed how circadian regulation can influence fungal virulence and secondary metabolism, while pioneering optogenetic approaches to precisely manipulate gene expression and intercellular communication. More recently, we are using these tools to explore optoecology—the use of light to study and control interactions within fungal communities.

Partnership Award

With the Partnership Award, Gerardo Cárcamo-Oyarce, Ph.D., and Luis F. Larrondo, Ph.D., will team up to establish a new optogenetic (light-based) platform for studying the formation of biofilms by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These biofilms contribute to microbial persistence, virulence, and antibiotic tolerance. The processes by which biofilms form are poorly understood, largely because researchers lack the tools to study them with the necessary spatiotemporal precision. This work unites Larrondo’s expertise in optogenetics with Cárcamo-Oyarce’s experience in bacterial genetics and Pseudomonas physiology. Together, they will engineer optogenetic switches that can be used to precisely control ecological interactions, creating a new optoecology platform for investigating how metabolic cooperation and spatial organization drive biofilm formation. Using this platform, they will define the rules of biofilm formation and decode how biofilms interact with their hosts. This project will lay the foundation for a long-term collaboration with the potential to illuminate key aspects of bacterial dynamics and evolution.