Alejandro Grajales, Ph.D. RGGS

Email:

agrajalesSPAMFILTER@amnh.org

Education

B. Sc, 2005, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. “Molecular coevolution, application to the rRNA of two optimal growth temperatures archeas Universidad de Montpellier II”M. Sc, 2007. Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. “Diverstiy and distribution of zooxanthellae asociated to hard corals in Colombia)”

Research Interests

My research interest has focused on the molecular evolution on a broad scale. I have worked in molecular systematics and evolution of different organisms as archeas, cnidarians and vertebrates, with emphasis in methodologies of molecular data analysis. Recently, I focused on molecular systematics, phenotypic plasticity and symbiosis of coral reefs organisms, especially cnidarians (hard corals, octocorals and hydrozoans) using bioinformatics and molecular analysis as main tools. Currently, I am interested in genomics as a research tool planning to apply it to the phylogeny of invasive species of sea anemones.

Publications

Grajales, A., Aguilar, C., Sánchez J.A. (2007) Phylogenetic reconstruction using secondary structures of Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2, rDNA): finding the molecular and morphological gap in Caribbean gorgonian corals. BMC Evolutionary Biology2007, 7:90

Grajales, A and Sánchez J.A. (2006) Discharged nematocysts of Millepora alcicornis. Coral Reefs 25, (4): 671

González A., Sierra, R., Cárdenas, M.E., Grajales, A., Restrepo S., Cepero de G. M.C., Celis A. Atypical Tween 80 assimilation pattern of Malassezia furfur isolates in Colombia. Journal of Clinical Microbiology (in press).

Camargo C., Sánchez J.A., Maldonado J.H., Alvarado E., Moreno R., Manrique N,. Osorio J.D., Mogollón A., and Grajales-V A.Community involvement in management for maintaining coral reef resilience and biodiversity in southern Caribbean Marine Protected Areas. Biodiversity and conservation (in press).

Ceh, J. Grajales, A.. Allelopathic impacts of the phaeophyte Padina pavonia and inter- and intraspecific allelopathic impacts of fungiid corals on early coral larvallife stages. JEMBE (submitted)

Grajales, A. Sanchez, J.A. Holobiont assembling (Symbiodinium type + coral species) shapes community structure in Caribbean reefs. Molecular ecology (submitted)

Grajales, A. Sanchez, J.A. Symbiodinium spp. diversity survey in the Colombian reefs reveals a high proportion of polytypic associations among different cnidarian groups. (submitted)