Guillermo Baena
Published: 23 August 2021
I consider myself a plant molecular biologist. I started as a postdoc in Rucha Karnik’s lab on summer 2019. My research interests are focused on SNARE trafficking in stomatal defences against bacterial pathogens in Arabidopsis. I am from San Fernando, a sunny small island in the Southwest coast of Spain.
Job group: postdoc
Work: full-time
Caring responsibilities: none
Theme: plant biology, career development, travel, hobbies
I consider myself a plant molecular biologist. I started as a postdoc in Rucha Karnik’s lab on summer 2019. My research interests are focused on SNARE trafficking in stomatal defences against bacterial pathogens in Arabidopsis. I am from San Fernando, a sunny small island in the Southwest coast of Spain. I got my degree in biology and my PhD at the University of Seville, where I worked in post-translational modifications, carbon metabolism, and autophagy in sorghum.
I love travelling and discovering new places. During my PhD, I was lucky to do short projects in 2 different labs overseas: the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane (Australia) and the Gregor Mendel Institute in Vienna (Austria). They were great experiences that allowed me to learn in many ways, and to know how different lab environments can be around the world. Also, I got to see koalas!
Coming to Glasgow was a bigger challenge, this time moving abroad for long-term. It turns out I like the weather here much more than in Spain! I still have a lot to explore around Scotland, since the pandemic did not allow me to see much around. My aim for the future is to keep working in science, looking forward to the new, challenging, and ever-changing field that will hopefully allow me to develop and advance in my career, and to form a family.
As a good scientist, I have an analytic mind and always want to get to the bottom of every matter. About my hobbies, I love cycling and everything related to it. Either go for a ride on the roads or watching professional cycling on TV. I am always ready to have a talk about cycling. Another of my passions are board games, all kinds, from chess to the geekiest ones as Nemesis or Terraforming Mars. If you want to try some board games, do not hesitate and contact me!
First published: 23 August 2021