Laura Monturiol Gross

Researchers

  • Associate Professor, Clodomiro Picado Institute, Faculty of Microbiology.
  • Ph.D. in Science, University of Costa Rica, (2014)
  • M.Sc. in Microbiology, emphasis in Cellular Biology, University of Costa Rica, (2006)
  • Lic. in Microbiology and Clinical Chemistry, University of Costa Rica, (2003)

Laura Monturiol Gross

Laura Monturiol is a member of the Academic Division in the Clodomiro Picado Institute of the University of Costa Rica, and is a teacher at the Faculty of Microbiology of the same university, where she teaches graduate and postgraduate classes in Immunology, Biochemistry, advanced subjects in Bacteriology, Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunodiagnosis.

Her area of research is cell biology, particularly the characterization of cellular signal transduction pathways and intracellular traffic pathways of the Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin or phospholipase C, where she uses cell culture techniques, biochemistry, immunology, flux cytometry and fluorescence confocal microscopy to study the mechanism of action of this bacterial toxin. Her contributions to this subject granted her the Clodomiro Picado Twight National Award in Science on 2014. In the area of social action she has coordinated the University Community Service (TCU for is initials in Spanish, 2007-2009 period) on lectures about the prevention and treatment of snakebite accidents in Costa Rica, where the social projection of the CPI focuses on indigenous communities. 
 

Publicaciones representativas de sus intereses de investigación

  • Monturiol, L. (2009). Guía de información «Serpientes de Costa Rica y prevención de mordeduras»/Iwa jer kuaklä «Tkäbe tso Costa Rica ska Tkäbe te sa shkawe wätkewaklä». Libro cabécar (Chirripó)/Español. ISBN 978-9968-555-01-2.
  • Monturiol-Gross, L., Flores-Díaz, M., Araya-Castillo, C., Pineda-Padilla, M. J., Clark, G. C., Titball, R. W. & Alape-Girón, A. (2012). Reactive Oxygen Species and the MEK/ERK Pathway Are Involved in the Toxicity of Clostridium perfringens alpha-Toxin, a Prototype Bacterial Phospholipase C. J Infect Dis, 206(8), 1218-1226
  • Monturiol-Gross, L., Flores-Díaz, M., Campos-Rodríguez, D., Mora, R., Rodríguez-Vega, M., Marks, D.L., & Alape-Girón, A. (2014). Internalization of Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin leads to ERK activation and is involved on its cytotoxic effect. Cellular Microbiology, 16(4), 535-547. doi: 10.1111/cmi.12237
  • Monturiol-Gross, L., Flores-Díaz, M., Pineda-Padilla, M. J., Castro-Castro, A. C., & Alape-Girón, A. (2014). Clostridium perfringens phospholipase C induced ROS production and cytotoxicity require PKC, MEK1 and NFκB activation. PLos One, 9(1), e86475. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086475
  • Flores Díaz, M., Monturiol-Gross, L., Alape-Girón, A. (2015). Membrane-damagingand cytotoxic sphingomyelinases and phospholipases. The Comprehensive Sourcebook of Bacterial Protein Toxins. 4th.Ed. (pp. 627-676). N.Y.: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-800188-2.00022-7
  • Flores-Díaz, M., Monturiol-Gross, L., Naylor, C., Alape-Girón, A., Flieger, A. (2016). Bacterial sphingomyelinases and phospholipases as virulence factors. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev, 80(3), 597-628. doi: 10.1128/MMBR.00082-15