Andrea Sierra-Mejia

OverviewAI-generated summary

Andrea Sierra-Mejia investigates plant pathogens and their impact on berry crops. Her research focuses on characterizing and detecting novel viruses, such as a recently identified strawberry crinivirus, and understanding their transmission vectors. Sierra-Mejia has explored the role of specific mite species, like Phyllocoptes parviflori, as vectors for viruses like the blackberry leaf mottle associated virus. She has also developed and applied tools for studying these pathogens, including infectious clones and gene silencing vectors derived from blackberry chlorotic ringspot virus. Her work has addressed challenges in transferring these tools to woody plants, demonstrating the efficacy of dodder as a means of transmission. Sierra-Mejia's research contributes to a systems-based approach for ensuring the health status of berry crops from breeding through field cultivation, with a publication in 2025 detailing the use of black raspberry as a virus indicator for Rubus species.

Metrics

• h-index: 2
• Publications: 7
• Citations: 16