Recipients of Research Scholarship
Istituto di Produzioni Vegetali
Download curriculum vitaeAna Vanessa Aguilar Paredes
Bio
Soil microbial ecology and agroecology, with a focus on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), soil microbiomes and plant–soil–microbe interactions in Mediterranean agricultural systems. At the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, her research has focused on the effects of cover crops and agroecological management on AMF and soil microbial communities in organic vineyards.
Her research activities combine field experimentation with soil physicochemical analyses, assessment of AMF root colonisation, trap cultures, morphological and molecular characterisation, metabarcoding and bioinformatic analyses of multi-kingdom microbial communities, including fungi, bacteria and Cercozoa. More recently, her work has focused on the detailed morphological and molecular characterisation of selected AMF morphotypes of potential interest for plant responses to water stress and their possible application as microbial biostimulants.
Her broader scientific interests include soil health, microbial biodiversity, sustainable soil management, Mediterranean viticulture and climate-resilient agriculture. She also has experience in research project coordination, farmer engagement, technical advisory and knowledge transfer
Research
Soil Microbial Ecology and Soil Health, Agroecology and Agrobiodiversity, Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Plant–Soil–Microbiome Interactions, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Mediterranean Viticulture and Climate-Resilient Agriculture.
Publications
Aguilar-Paredes A., Valdés G., Aguilar-Paredes A., Muñoz-Arbelaez M., Carrillo-Saucedo M., Nuti M. Synergy between agroecological practices and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Agronomy. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16010103
2. Bonilla-Loor M., … Aguilar-Paredes A., et al. (2025). Phytochemical characterization and antioxidant potential of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans L.) from the northern coast of Ecuador using aqueous and ethanolic extraction. South African Journal of Chemical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajce.2025.08.015
3. Marrassini V., Ercoli L., Aguilar-Paredes A., Pellegrino E. (2025). Positive response to inoculation with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as modulated by barley genotype. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 45, 21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-025-01016-3
4. Aguilar-Paredes A., Turrini A., Avio L., et al. (2024). Agricultural Managements Influence the Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Vineyards from Chilean Mediterranean Climate Ecosystems. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01963-y
5. Aguilar-Paredes A., et al. (2023). Microbial Community in the Composting Process and Its Positive Impact on the Soil Biota in Sustainable Agriculture. Agronomy, 13(2), 542. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020542
6. Aguilera P., … Aguilar-Paredes A., et al. (2022). Application of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Vineyards: Water and Biotic Stress Under a Climate Change Scenario: New Challenge for Chilean Grapevine Crop. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13, 826571. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.826571
7. Silva-Flores P., Argüelles-Moyao A., Aguilar-Paredes A., et al. (2021). Mycorrhizal science outreach: Scope of action and available resources in the face of global change. Plants, People, Planet, 3(5), 502–514. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10213
8. Aguilar-Paredes A., Valdés G., Nuti M. (2020). Ecosystem functions of microbial consortia in sustainable agriculture. Agronomy, 10(12), 1902. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121902
Other scientific publications
Cuprewich S.A., Parise A.G., Aguilar-Paredes A. (2025). ICOM 12: An especially collaborative, critical, and creative conference. IMS Newsletter (International Mycorrhiza Society), 6(1), 10–17.
Book chapters
1. Aguilar-Paredes A., et al. (2026, in press). Políticas de regulación de los bioestimulantes en Chile: análisis crítico y perspectivas. In: Goulet F. (ed.), Políticas Públicas y Desarrollo Rural en América Latina (PPAL). CEPAL, FAO & IICA.
2. Aguilar-Paredes A., Aguilar-Paredes A. (2026, in press). Restauración de suelos en la Patagonia: un desafío urgente para la ciencia y las políticas públicas. In: collective volume on social sustainability in Patagonia. ISBN 979-13-7038-556-9.
3. Aguilar-Paredes A., Aguilar-Paredes A. (2026, in press). Suelos vivos en Aysén: Relacionalidades, vínculos y saberes de la Patagonia. In: collective volume on social sustainability in Patagonia. ISBN 979-13-7038-556-9.
4. Silva P., Aguilar A., Diban M., Mujica M. (2019). Mycorrhizas in the South American Mediterranean-type ecosystem: Chilean matorral. In: Pagano M., Lugo M. (eds), Mycorrhizal Fungi in South America. Fungal Biology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15228-4_14