Luis Alfonso Rodríguez Páez, Ph.D. directs the Laboratory of Applied Molecular Biology at Universidad de Córdoba (Montería, Colombia), where he is Professor of Plant Biotechnology and Applied Molecular Biology. His work integrates molecular genetics, genomic characterization and in vitro propagation to accelerate improvement of tropical crops. Rodríguez Páez has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed articles, books and manuals, and is developing biotechnological tools to enhance the resilience and productivity of tropical farming systems.