Macarena has extensive experience in plant transformation and tissue culture across a wide range of crops, including wheat, barley, Medicago, Brassica and tobacco. She is part of the Wheat Transformation and Gene Editing team, contributing to the full wheat transformation pipeline, from explant isolation and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation through to selection, molecular characterisation, and the care of plants at all developmental stages.

She brings molecular and microbiological expertise, including Agrobacterium inoculum production, QA/QC checks, mini-preps, and routine molecular analyses of transgenic material. Her role involves delivering transformation services for both internal and external collaborators, supporting gene modification and gene editing projects that enable researchers to investigate gene function across a broad range of studies.

In addition to her technical responsibilities, Macarena contributes to laboratory management, prepares and distributes plants and seeds to researchers, and provides hands-on training and guidance to students. She also supports the training of visiting researchers when necessary in plant transformation techniques, helping to foster a collaborative and supportive research environment.

What Macarena values most about her work is its variety and impact. She is passionate about working with plants and is motivated by the knowledge that her work supports diverse research projects at JIC and beyond.