Alejandra Bravo

María Alejandra Bravo de la Parra (born 29 April 1961) is a Mexican biochemist who was laureated with the 2010 L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science – Latin America for her work on a bacterial toxin that acts as a powerful insecticide.[1] Bravo has co-authored multiple papers with her husband Dr. Mario Soberon.[2][3]

Alejandra Bravo
Born	29 April 1961 Mexico
Nationality	Mexican
Awards	2010 L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science (Latin America).
Scientific career
Fields	Biochemistry
Institutions	National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)

Biography

Bravo holds bachelor (1985), master (1986) and doctoral (1989) degrees in Basic Biomedical Research from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She did research estancies at the Plant Genetic Systems biotech company in Ghent, Belgium (1990-1991)[4] and Institut Pasteur in Paris, France.[5]

Bravo is a researcher in the Institute of Molecular Microbiology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)[6] and member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.[7]

Bravo has created four international patents, which are currently UNAM industrial property.[8] In 2010, she was laureated with the 2010 L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science – Latin America.[1]

Selected publications

• M. Soberon, L. Pardo, C. Muñoz-Garay, J. Sánchez, I. Gómez, H. Porta, A. Bravo. 2010. Pore Formation by Cry Toxins. En: Lakey, J. Proteins: Membrane Binding and Pore Formation (serie Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology volumne 677). Austin, TX. Landes Bioscience y Springer. pp. 127-142
• A. Bravo, S.S. Gill, M. Soberon. 2010. Bacillus thuringiensis Mechanisms and Use with addendum 2010. En: Gill, S.S. Insect Control Biological and Synthetic Agents. Elsevier. pp. 247-282
• M. Soberon, A. Bravo. 2008. Las toxinas Cry de Bacillus thuringiensis: modo de acción y consecuencias de su aplicación. En: Lopez-Munguia, A. Una ventana al quehacer científico. Instituto de Biotecnología de la UNAM 25º aniversario, capítulo 27. México, D.F. UNAM. pp. 303-314
• L. Masson, J. Letowski, A. Bravo, R. Brousseau. 2007. Using DNA Microarrays for Assessing Crystal Protein Genes in Bacillus thuringiensis. En: Proceedings of the 6th Pacific Rim Conference on the Biotechnology of Bacillus thuringiensis and its Environmental Impact. pp. 28-30
• L. Pardo, I. Gómez, C. Muñoz-Garay, N. Jiménez-Juárez, J. Sánchez, C. Pérez, M. Soberon, A. Bravo. 2007. Oligomer Formation of Different Cry Toxins Indicates that a Pre-Pore is an Essential Intermediate in the Mode of Action of the Three-Domain Cry Family. En: Proceedings of the 6th Pacific Rim Conference on the Biotechnology of Bacillus thuringiensis and its Environmental Impact. pp. 7-8
• C. Pérez, L.E. Fernández, J.G. Sun, J.L. Folch, S.S. Gill, M. Soberon, A. Bravo. 2007. Cyt1Aa from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis Synergizes Cry11Aa Toxin Activity by Functioning as a Membrane-Bound Receptor. En: Proceedings of the 6th Pacific Rim Conference on the Biotechnology of Bacillus thuringiensis and its Environmental Impact. pp. 9-11
• M. Soberon, I. Gómez, L. Pardo, C. Muñoz, L.E. Fernández, C. Pérez, S.S. Gill, A. Bravo. 2007. Important Interactions with membrane Receptors in the Mode of Action of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxins. En: Vincent, C. 6th Pacific Rim Conference on the biotechnology of Bacillus thuringiensis and its Environmental Impact, capítulo 1. MontreaL. Erudit. pp. 1-6
• I. Gómez, J. Miranda-Ríos, I. Arenas, R. Grande, B. Becerril, A. Bravo, M. Soberon. 2007. Identification of scFv Molecules that Recognize Loop 3 of Domain II and Domain III of Cry1Ab Toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis. En: Vincent, C. 6th Pacific Rim Conference on the biotechnology of Bacillus thuringiensis and its Environmental Impact. MontreaL. Erudit. pp. 12-14

Distinctions and awards

• 1990-1991: research estancy at the Plant Genetic Systems biotech company in Ghent, Belgium.
• Since 2003 she is part of the biosafety expert committee from the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• 1998: distinction from the Mexican Academy of Sciences in the natural sciences field.
• 2000: young academic distinction in natural sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
• 2003: best agricultural biotechnology research from AgroBIO-Mexico.
• 2010: L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science – Latin America.[1]

See also

• List of people from Morelos, Mexico

References

1. "12th Annual L'ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards For Women in Science Honours Five Exceptional Women Scientists". Paris, France: UNESCO News Service. 2009-10-15. Archived from the original on 11 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
2. L’Oréal Foundation (March 2, 2010). "Prof. Alejandra Bravo, 2010 For Women in Science Laureate for Latin America (Mexico)". YouTube.
3. "pubmed".
4. ". Instituto de Biotecnologia UNAM". www.ibt.unam.mx. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
5. "Bravo de la Parra, María Alejandra | Academia de Ciencias de Morelos". www.acmor.org.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-16.
6. "Desarrollan en la UNAM insecticida ecológico que sólo ataca a plagas". Boletin UNAM-DGCS-650 (in Spanish). Cuernavaca, Mexico: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. 2009-11-02. Archived from the original on 21 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
7. "Dra. Maria Alejandra Bravo de la Parra" (in Spanish). Instituto de Biotecnología de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
8. "Otorgaron cinco patentes más al Instituto de Biotecnología de la UNAM, en 2015". www.dgcs.unam.mx. Retrieved 2020-08-16.