Dr. Mitzuko Dautt-Castro

Mitzuko Dautt-Castro is a Mexican scientist specialized in plant molecular biology, gene regulation and epigenetics. She holds a degree in Biotechnology Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, and MSc and PhD degrees in Plant Genetics and Molecular Biology from the Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD), Mexico. Her academic training has focused on molecular mechanisms regulating gene expression in plants and on postharvest fruit physiology.
Her early research focused on mango fruit ripening and postharvest quality. During her master’s degree, she identified and characterized mango genes associated with cell wall degradation and firmness loss during fruit ripening using classical molecular biology approaches. During her PhD, she applied transcriptomic tools to evaluate the effect of hydrothermal treatment on mango fruit maturation. These studies strengthened her expertise in plant genomics, transcriptomics, and molecular regulation of agriculturally important traits.
Over the past ten years, she has developed her career as a postdoctoral researcher in two different research centers in Mexico, strengthening her scientific independence and expanding her expertise in plant molecular biology, functional genomics, epigenetics, and plant–microorganism interactions. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at CIAD, Unidad Hermosillo, where her work focuses on molecular and epigenetic mechanisms regulating plant responses, particularly those mediated by small RNAs and DNA methylation.
She currently develops two complementary research projects centered on small RNAs in mango. The first is the SECIHTI-funded Basic and Frontier Science project “Deciphering mango epigenetics: siRNAs as key players in postharvest ripening,” a three-year project for which she serves as technical principal investigator. This project aims to identify 24-nucleotide small interfering RNAs involved in RdDM-mediated transcriptional gene silencing during mango fruit ripening, integrating molecular biology, functional genomics, epigenetics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics.
In parallel, she leads a postdoctoral research project focused on the identification and selection of mango non-coding small RNAs for their potential use in agriculture as a healthier and environmentally friendly alternative technology. Together, these projects connect fundamental knowledge on gene regulation and epigenetics with the development of innovative RNA-based strategies that may contribute to more sustainable crop management. Her research also fosters collaboration with different research institutes and centers in Mexico and contributes to student training through thesis projects aligned with these objectives.
Her broader research experience includes plant–microorganism interactions, molecular mechanisms of resistance and susceptibility, biotic and abiotic stress responses, and functional genomics applied to crops of agricultural importance. She has published 14 scientific articles in internationally indexed journals and 6 book chapters, and has participated in national and international research stays and collaborations.
Dr. Dautt-Castro has been a member of Mexico’s National System of Researchers since 2018, with Level I recognition currently valid for 2024–2028. In addition to her research, she is actively involved in teaching, student mentoring, and academic committees. She also leads science communication activities through her outreach project “Descubriendo Ciencia,” where she promotes public engagement with biotechnology, plant science and evidence-based scientific knowledge.
As a scientist and mother of two, she is committed to contributing to more inclusive scientific environments and to increasing the visibility of women in science. Her long-term goal is to generate fundamental and applied knowledge that contributes to sustainable agriculture, crop resilience and the development of environmentally friendly biotechnological strategies, while inspiring new generations of young women to pursue scientific careers.