I am originally from Valencia (Spain) where I obtained my BS in Biology and MS in Genetics from the University of Valencia. I then traveled to the University of Georgia and obtained my PD in Entomology. After postdoctoral and assistant research scientist positions at the University of Georgia, I accepted a faculty position in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee, where I am currently a professor in the area of Insect Physiology and Molecular Pathology.

My research interests focus on the insect digestive system as a target for developing novel and safer bioinsecticides, and as a prospecting resource for new enzymes of industrial interest, specifically enzymes to digest plant biomass during ethanol biofuel production. My expertise is on the mode of action and resistance mechanisms against insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which are the most important bioinsecticide worldwide and are also produced by transgenic crops. In this field, I have contributed to the identification of functional receptors for Bt toxins and to identify mechanisms of resistance in laboratory and field-selected insect pests. I have also contributed to understanding the insect gut defense to intoxication.

Another area of professional interest is insecticidal gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) and the mechanisms of resistance that insects develop against this technology. The goal of my research is to develop efficacious insecticidal technologies for more sustainable and safer food production.

I serve as Editor for PLoS ONE and on the Editorial Board of Applied and Environmental Microbiology. I have published more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and 10 book chapters and have received diverse research awards. My research has been funded by the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the National Sciences Foundation, the Department of Energy, and private industry partners.