ViroiDoc secondment was highly valuable

MSCA Fellow Judith López on her first ViroiDoc secondment in Greece at the University of Crete (IMBB).

Judith López took her first one-month secondment in February 2026 at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), affiliated with the University of Crete (UoC), Heraklion, Crete. Her secondment supervisors were Dr. Kriton Kalantidis (host) and Dr. Konstantina Katsarou (supervision and guidance).

The secondment was primarily focused on training and skill acquisition, providing essential techniques for Judith’s research project “In vivo imaging of viroid RNA and associated host factors”.

The main objectives of the secondment were (1) to learn methods for plant inoculation with viroids (agroinfiltration and mechanical inoculation), (2) to generate in vitro transcription of infectious viroid RNA from cloned cDNA, and (3) to acquire experience in VIRP1:GFP and VIRP1:RFP imaging using confocal microscopy.

This training allowed Judith to gain confidence and to plan future experiments in Strasbourg at the CNRS (IMBP), including comparative analyses between infected and mock-inoculated plants and studying the effects of viroid infection.

The secondment improved Judith´s technical skills, including plant infection techniques, microscopy, and RNA analysis. Professionally, Judith integrated rapidly into a new laboratory environment, enhanced her teamwork, and expanded her scientific network by interacting with the local scientists within and outside the ViroiDoc network. These interactions are expected to facilitate future collaborations and exchange of ideas.

Judith says: “This secondment was highly valuable. Working in a laboratory with extensive expertise in viroids allowed me to gain practical experience, receive feedback on my project, and address knowledge gaps. Future collaborations with Dr. Kalantidis’ team will provide continued guidance and valuable insights for my ongoing research. Overall, the experience strengthened both my technical abilities and professional development.”

Judith Estefanía López Ponce is an MSCA fellow within the ViroiDoc Network. Judith is working on an individual research project entitled “In vivo imaging of viroid RNA and associated host factors” at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes (IBMP) in France under supervision of Manfred Heinlein / Todd Blevins and co-supervisor Laura Elvira-González, while also pursuing her PhD at the University of Strasbourg´s École Doctorale des Sciences de la Vie et de la Santé.