About us
We study how global change factors alter interactions among ectothermic organisms (microbes, plants, invertebrates) and the implications on the structure and function of populations and communities.
Our research spans various organizational and trophic levels. Employing an integrative and interdisciplinary approach, our work encompasses molecular biology, physiology, behavioral analysis, population and community ecology, as well as electrical engineering. Our results play a pivotal role in informing ecosystem management strategies.
Research areas
Microbe-mediated functional innovations
Please send me an email, and I will be happy to share the aim with you.
Integrative approach
Microbiology
Physiological ecology
Organismal and Environmental microbiomes (metagenomics)
Chemical ecology
Population and community ecology
Behavioral ecology
Conservation physiology
Ecotoxicology
Crew-Collaborators
You
We seek persons interested in fundamental and applied global change ecology/biology. Undergraduate and graduate students: please email me with a CV .
Mitzy Porras Becerra
Carlos Navas
Collaborator/ Evolutionary physiology, Professor, Universtity of Sao Paulo
Mónica Medina
Collaborator/ Marine ecology, Professor, Pennsylvania State University
James Marden
Collaborator/ Biology, Professor, Pennsylvania State University
Tomás López
Collaborator
Michael Hrncir
Collaborator/ Animal physiology, Professor, University of Sao Paulo
Juan Antonio Raygoza
Collaborator/ Researcher, University of Iowa
Jesper Givskov Sørensen
Collaborator/ Evolution, Professor, Aarhus University
Geo Santiago-Martinez
Collaborator/ Molecular and cell biology, University of Connecticut
Sylavain Pincebourde
Collaborator/ Biophysical ecology, Tours University
Clemencia Rojas
Collaborator/ Associate professor, University of Nebraska Lincoln
Salvador Meza
Collaborator/Programa Nacional Moscas de la Fruta. Metapa de Domínguez Chiapas,Mexico
Alejandro Rojas
Collaborator/ University of Arkansas
Rodrigo Pinzon
Science & Rock Fest C.E.O.
Río Ñambi Natural Reserve
Collaborator
Planetario de Bogotá-Idartes
2021-2023: Postdoctoral Scholar, Rajotte Lab. Dept. Entomology. Penn State University. Impacts of multiple stressors on microbiome, physiology, and fitness of solitary bees, predator and herbivore insects
2019-2021: Postdoctoral Scholar, Rajotte Lab. Dept. Entomology. Penn State University. Dispersal patterns of an invasive species (Spotted lanternfly)
2017: FAO-UN-International Atomic Energy Agency, Laboratory of pest control, Fellow researcher.Development of a new strain of Ceratitis capitata for the Sterile insect technique
2012-2018: Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D.
2011: Colciencias Scholarship
2010: Researcher, Corporación Colombiana de Investigación
2008-2009: Researcher, honor thesis. Corporación Colombiana de Investigación
2007: Researcher, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria
2004: Researcher, Institute of Biodiversity Research, Alexander Von Humboldt, Villa de Leyva, Colombia.
Former undergraduate
Kevin Kennedy
Biology. Penn State. Present: Ph.D. student in Food Science and Technology. 2015-2016
David Smilnak
Environmental Resource Management- Water Science Concentration, Penn State 2014-2015. Current position: Ph.D. student, Virgina Tech
Paula Gudiela Orrego
Chemical Engineering. 2022. Fulbright seeder
Former graduate students
Luisa Melo
Biology, concentration ecophysiology of mosses. Tadeo University, 2021-2023
Jhovana Medina
Biology
Mentoring
Manual of mutual expectations
Available upon request
Publications
I have provided a link to the publisher's sites below. However, if you encounter a paywall and are unable to access the content, please feel free to email me, and I will be more than happy to share a copy with you
-
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14953-2.
-
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-00248-z
-
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-30023-6
-Complete list of publications
21. Porras, M.F., Raygoza Garay, J.A., Brought, M. et al. Fungicide ingestion reduces net energy gain and microbiome diversity of the solitary mason bee. Scientific Reports 14, 3229 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53935-y
20. Porras MF, Navas CA, Agudelo-Cantero G, Santiago-Martínez G, Loeschcke V, Sørensen JG, Crandall S, Biddinger D, and Rajotte EG. 2023. Extreme heat alters the performance of hosts and pathogen. Frontiers of Ecology and Evolution. Sec. Coevolution. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1186452
19. Klin O, Phan N, Porras MF, Chavana J, Little C, Stemet L, Biddinger DJ, Reddy G.V., Rajotte EG,Joshi NK. 2023. et al. Biology, GeneticDiversity, and Conservation of Wild Bees in Tree Fruit Orchards. Biology 2023, 12, 31.
18. Porras MF, Lopez-Londoño T, Duque J, Navas CA, Camargo E, Cuervo J, Gamba D, Castañeda L, Pardo J, Sandoval A, Rajotte EG. 2022. Science & Rock Fest: Connecting People and Science through Music and Arts. American Entomologist. 64.
17. Porras MF, McCartney N, Raspotnig G, Rajotte EG. 2022. Chemical footprints mediate habitat selection in co-occurring aphids. Behavioral Ecology. arac076, https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arac076
16. Porras MF, Malacrinò A, An H, Hian Seng K, Socheath O, Norton G, Miller S, Rosa C, Rajotte E, O’Rourke ME. 2022. An integrated pest management package outperforms conventional practices for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in Cambodia. Plant Health Progress
15. Porras MF, Agudelo-Cantero G, Santiago, G, Navas CA, Loeschcke V, Sørensen JG, Rajotte EG. 2021.Fungal infections lead to shifts in thermal tolerance and voluntary exposure to extreme temperatures in both prey and predator insects. Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-00248-z
14. Porras MF, Navas C, Marden J, De Moraes CM, et al.2020. Enhanced heat tolerance of viral-infected aphids leads to niche expansion and reduced interspecific competition. Nature Communications. 11, 1184. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14953-2
13. Porras MF, Meza JS, Rajotte E, Bourtzis K., Caceres-Barrios CE. 2020. Improving the Phenotypic Properties of the Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) Temperature-Sensitive Lethal Genetic Sexing Strain in Support of Sterile Insect Technique Applications J. Econ. Entomol. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaa220
12. Porras MF, Lopez T, Rosh J, Biddinger D, Calvin D, Rajotte EG. 2020. A method for a long-term marking of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) using a stable isotope of nitrogen. Env. Entomol. 1-5.
11. Keller J, Rost J, Hoover K, Urban J, Leach H, Porras M, Walsh B, Bosold M, Calvin D, Dispersion Patterns and Sample Size Estimates for Egg Masses of Spotted Lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), Env. Entomol., nvaa107.
10. Porras M, De Moraes CM, Mescher MC, Rajotte EG, Carlo T. 2018. Viruses promote facilitative interactions between aphids. Scientific Reports 8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-30023-6
9. Carvajalino-Fernández J, Porras MF, Ortega Chinchilla JE, Barrientos L. 2017. Vocalizations of an endangered species: Description of release calls of Atelopus nahumae, an endemic species from the Masiff Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia). Herpetologia 48:273-275.
8. Carvajalino-Fernández J, Porras MF. 2013. Altitudinal and life zone extension of the Harlequin frog Atelopus laetissimus, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Herpetological Bulletin (125): 18-21.
7. Carvajalino-Fernández J, Saboyá-Acosta L, Padilla C, Escarraga-Fajardo M, Porras MF. 2012. New records of the harlequin frog Atelopus nahumae, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia), with notes of its distribution (Anura: Bufonidae). Herpetozoa 24 (3/4):29-36.
6. Porras MF. 2011. Una vibrante y luminosa combinación de colores: nuevas especies de saltamontes payaso Paramastax (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae). [A vibrant and bright color combination: new species of clown grasshoppers Paramastax (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae)]. Revista Colombiana de Entomología 37 (1): 140-144.
5. Porras MF. 2010. The monkey grasshoppers, genus Zeromastax Porras (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae): two new species from Neotropic. Zootaxa. 2669: 34–44.
4. Porras MF, López-Ávila A. 2009. Lethal effects of saponin extracts from Sapindus saponaria on the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae. Revista Colombiana de Entomología 35 (1): 7-11.
3. Porras MF. 2009. Del Carnaval al estereoscopio (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae), un nuevo género de saltamontes payaso. [From carnival to stereoscope: a new genus of monkey grasshoppers]. Revista Colombiana de Entomología 33(1): 73-79.
2. Carbonell CS, Rowell CHF, Bentos-Pereira A, Porras MF. 2007. Checklist of Orthoptera Caelifera from Colombia. Zootaxa 1594: 39-59.
1. Porras MF, Bentos A. 2005. Un Eslabón entre dos géneros de saltamontes payaso (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae) una nueva especie de Colombia. [A link between two genera of monkey grasshoppers: a new species from Colombia]. Revista Colombiana de Entomología 31(2): 227-228.
Book chapter:
Porras MF. 2010. Orthoptera. In: Amat, G. Biodiversidad Regional Santa María, Boyacá, Colombia [Orthoptera: Regional Biodiversity of Santa Maria (Boyaca) Field Guide]. Guía de Campo. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales No. 5. ISBN: 978-958-719-372-5. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. 96-103.
Education and Outreach
Gallery
Make a gift: Science & Rock Fest
Have questions? Please call and email us
We’ll be happy to help you make a difference for the next generation of global change ecologists and Ecophysiologists.
Tel: 415.338.6571
Fax: 415.338.0918
Email: irinak@sfsu.edu
Office of University Development
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue, ADM 153
San Francisco, CA 94132
Events
Trial and error dynamics behind the research on the role of microbes on thermal tolerance Subscribe the channel!----->https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpcPLyggcTHmL_-8PpJu5dQ
Hello everyone 👋🏻!! Tomorrow is the super event "Physio Webinars Spin-off: Advanced Topics in Thermal Biology", you won't be left out right?!