Plant viruses

The activities of the group of "plant viruses control and mechanisms of transmission" are devoted to perform basic and applied research on plant virology, with a main focus on control strategies of viral diseases in crops. The mechanisms of virus transmission by insect vectors like aphids and whiteflies are being studied in depth, including the functional characterization of viral and vector molecular elements participating in the processes of virus dissemination. Also plant defensive responses against viruses are considered, and among them the RNA silencing mechanisms and the mode of action of viral RNA silencing suppressors.