Rosario Gil Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva Universitat de València e-mail: rosario.gil@uv.es phone: +34 96 354 3824 fax: +34 96 354 3670

Position

Associate Professor of Genetics
Institut for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology,
University of Valencia (Spain)

Education

1991      Ph.D. (Pharmacy), University of Valencia

Major research interests

My research interests focus on functional genomics of endosymbiotic bacteria from insects, minimal genomes, and the evolution of metabolism in bacteria. At present I am working on the complete sequencing and analysis of the genome of SOPE (Sitophilus oryzae primary endosymbiont) to understand the first steps on the genome- reduction process after the establishment of an obligate mutualistic symbiosis. I am also working on the evolution of complex metabolic networks in bacteria. We analyze the stoichiometric properties of naturally reduced and theoretically derived minimal metabolic networks of heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria, and we intend to examine the evolution of such networks towards more complex ones.

Current research projects

• Evolutionary genomics of endosymbiotic bacteria of insects
• Origins of metabolic complexity: evolutionary analysis of metabolic networks in bacteria with different lifestyles.

Recent publications

· Gil, R., B. Sabater-Muñoz, A. Latorre, F. J. Silva & A. Moya.

Extreme genome reduction in Buchnera spp.: towards the minimal genome needed for symbiotic life.

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 99: 4454-4458 (2002).

· Gil, R., F. J. Silva, E. Zientz, F. Delmotte, F.  González-Candelas, A. Latorre, C. Rausell, J. Kamerbeek, J. Gadau, B. Hölldobler, R. C. H. J. van Ham, R. Gross & A. Moya.

The genome sequence of Blochmannia floridanus: comparative analysis of reduced genomes.

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 100: 9388-9393 (2003).

· Latorre, A., R. Gil, F. J. Silva, D. Martínez-Torres & A. Moya.

Tempo and mode of genomic reduction in endosymbiotic bacteria.

Symbiosis, 34: 301-316 (2003).

· Gil, R., F. J. Silva, J. Peretó, & y A. Moya.

Determination of the core of the minimal bacterial gene set.

Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., 68: 518-537 (2004).

· Gil, R., A. Moya & A. Latorre.

Bacterial endosymbionts of insects: insights from Comparative Genomics.

Environ. Microbiol., 6: 1109-1122 (2004).

· Pérez-Brocal, V., A. Latorre, R. Gil & y A. Moya.

Comparative analysis of two regions among four strains of Buchnera aphidicola, primary endosymbiont of aphids.

Gene, 345/1: 73-80 (2005).

· Latorre, A., R. Gil, F. J. Silva & A. Moya.

Chromosomal stasis versus plasmids plasticity in Buchnera aphidicola.

Heredity, 95: 339-347 (2005).

· Gil, R., B. Sabater-Muñoz, V. Perez-Brocal, F. J. Silva & A. Latorre.

Plasmids in the aphid endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola with the smallest genomes. A puzzling evolutionary story.

Gene, 370: 17-25 (2006).

· Pérez-Brocal, V., R. Gil, S. Ramos, A. Lamelas, M. Postigo, J. M. Michelena, F. J. Silva, A. Moya & A. Latorre.

A small microbial genome: the end of a long symbiotic relationship?

Science 314: 312-313 (2006).

· Gil, R., V. Perez-Brocal, A. Latorre &. A. Moya.

Minimal genomes required for life.

In Procaryotic Diversity: Mechanisms and Significance, pp. 105-121. Society for General Microbiology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK (2006).

· T. Gabaldón, J. Peretó, F. Montero, R. Gil, A. Latorre & A. Moya
Structural analyses of a hypothetical minimal metabolism.
Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. Biol. Sci. 362:1751-1762 (2007).

· Tamames, R. Gil, A. Latorre, J. Peretó, F.J. Silva, & A. Moya
The frontier between cell and organelle: genome analysis of Candidatus Carsonella ruddii

Science 314: 312-313 (2006).

· Gil, R. ; Belda, E.; Gosalbes, M. J.; Delaye, L.; Vallier, A.; Vincent-Monégat, C.; Heddi, A.; Silva, F. J.; Moya, A.; Latorre, A.
Massive presence of insertion sequences in the genome of SOPE, the primary endosymbiont of the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae.
Int. Microbiol. 11:41-48 (2008).

· Moya, A., J. Peretó, R. Gil, & A. Latorre.

Learning how to live together: genomic insights into prokaryote-animal symbioses.

Nature Rev. Genet.. 9:218-229 (2008).

· Moya, A., R. Gil, A. Latorre., J. Peretó, M.P. Garcillán-Barcia, & F. de la Cruz.

Towards minimal bacterial cells: evolution versus design.

FEMS. Microbiol. Rev. 33:225-235 (2009).

· Moya, A., R. Gil, A. Latorre.
The evolutionary history of symbiotic associations among bacteria and its animal host: a model.
Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 15 (Suppl. I): 11-13 (2009)

Courses taught

Genetics (for undergraduates in Biology)

Introduction to Research in Biology (for undergraduates in Biology)

Genomics (Master Program in Molecular, Cellular and Genetic Biology)

Evolutionary Genetics Group Web Page

Mailing address

Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva
Universitat de València
Apartat Postal 22085
            46071 - Valencia
Spain

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Parc Científic de la Universitat de València
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Spain

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