Ricardo Alcala Briseno

I am a virologist and bioinformatician investigating agricultural and natural ecosystems by implementing genomics, metagenomics, and metabarcoding. By implementing computational biology and network analysis, I study the molecular and ecological associations of host-pathogens and their distribution in the landscape, ecological patterns, and community assemblage.

I work with crops and trees of economic interest and wild species or secondary hosts. Here, at Oregon State, I am exploring the forest virome, in trees such as Tanoak, Douglas-fir, redwoods, and the understory. As well as describing genomics characteristics of plant pathogenic fungi and oomycetes. My research focuses on emerging pathogens in natural ecosystems that might spill over monoculture crops.