Lisset Herrera-Isidron has been a Professor and Researcher at the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico, (UPIIG IPN) since 2008, has a PhD in Plant Biotechnology from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (Cinvestav Irapuato, 2005) and a BSc. in Biochemical Science from the University of Havana (1993). Work experience from 2008 to date: the organogenesis of plants with the aim of mass micropropagation; gene regulatory network in potatoes; the in vitro conservation of threatened plant species of endemic cacti and agaves; and the design and construction of temporary immersion plant bioreactors. Additional experience includes the biological and molecular characterization of the Citrus Tristeza virus and other plant viruses (Cinvestav, Bioplant Center of Ciego de Avila University and CIGB, 1993-2005). Awards: Agrobio Award for Best Doctoral Thesis (2005, Mexico), National Award of Cuban Science Academy in Plant Biotechnology Section (1999, Cuba), and IFS Grants awards (Swiss, 1997). Current and previous research interests include gene expression analysis and molecular modeling of induction and development of potato microtubers, production in bioreactors of plant bioactive compounds with positive health effects, and the phytochemical characterization of plant extracts used in traditional medicine.

Eliana Valencia Lozano is a PhD from CINVESTAV IPN, Unidad, Irapuato. In 2020, her focus was on the “Genetic transformation of Coffea arabica L. to obtain insect resistance plants to the coffee berry borer.” She has published 13 scientific papers in JCR journals and has participated in 5 international congresses. She has skills in plant tissue culture, somatic embryogenesis, and plant molecular biology, with a focus on genetic transformation and genome editing, analysis of transcriptional data, and the design of protein–protein interaction networks to study the inducers of development of somatic embryogenesis in crops such as coffee Coffea arabica, potato Solanum tuberosum, and tomato Solanum Lycopersicum.

Braulio Uribe López was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico, and is a Biotechnological Engineer from IPN. López has always been attracted to biology, and has had the opportunity to work at CINVESTAV, where López is part of a team of researchers. López’s main focus has been the generation of somatic embryos and molecular biology, and will continue in research, seeking to contribute to knowledge and find new solutions.

John Paul Délano-Frier was born in Mexico City in 1958. He received a BSc in Food Technology and Marine Science from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico, in 1981, a MSc in Food Science, with Distinction, from The University of Reading, England, in 1987, and a PhD from Washington State University, USA, in 1997. Délano-Frier’s PhD project was based on the characterization of prosystemin, the precursor protein of systemin, and other biological peptides associated with biotic stress responses in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and closely related plants. Délano-Frier is currently a Research Professor at the Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, at Irapuato, Gto., México. Délano-Frier’s research focuses on the understanding of (a)biotic stress responses, mostly triggered by extreme heat, drought, or waterlogging, and also on the elucidation of mechanisms governing beneficial plant–microbe interactions. Délano-Frier uses grain amaranths, tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana as his main plant models.

Aarón Barraza is a CONACYT-CIBNOR Research Fellow with a PhD from the Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 2013. Barraza has spent five years at CONACYT-CIBNOR as a research fellow (2015 to present) and is a guest professor at CINVESTAV, Unidad Irapuato (2013-2015). Barraza holds a postdoctoral position at Instituto de Biotecnología, UNAM (2013). Barraza focuses on microbial diversity and ecological interactions of microorganisms, computational biology, next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics, carbohydrate metabolism, plant cell differentiation and development, and molecular physiological response to abiotic and biotic stresses.

José Luis Cabrera-Ponce has a PhD from Universidad de Colima, Colima, México, 2021, and is involved with the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV) Irapuato, Dept. of Genetic Engineering, Biological Engineering Lab, 36824 Gto. Mexico. Cabrera-Ponce’s interests include genetic transformation, plant tissue culture, somatic embryogenesis, transcriptomic analysis, genome editing, somatic embryo maturation, gene networks, drought, and osmotic stress.