2026 Santiago F. Elena: Genetics Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Genetics	76	1825	1735	840	790	332	21672
Medicine	75	19100	17936	9525	8795	343	21710

Research.com Recognitions

Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)

Overview

Santiago F. Elena is affiliated with the Santa Fe Institute in the United States. Their research primarily spans the fields of Agricultural and Biological Sciences, and Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology. The scientist's work is notably concentrated in subfields including Plant Science, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Endocrinology, and Infectious Diseases.

The research topics covered by Santiago F. Elena include Plant Virus Research Studies, Evolution and Genetic Dynamics, Plant Parasitism and Resistance, Plant and Fungal Interactions Research, Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity, Bacteriophages and microbial interactions, and Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models.

Among recent papers authored or co-authored by Santiago F. Elena are the following:

Four principles to establish a universal virus taxonomy (2023), published in PLoS Biology
Plant virus evolution under strong drought conditions results in a transition from parasitism to mutualism (2021), published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
From genotypes to organisms: State-of-the-art and perspectives of a cornerstone in evolutionary dynamics (2021), published in Physics of Life Reviews
Viral Fitness Determines the Magnitude of Transcriptomic and Epigenomic Reprograming of Defense Responses in Plants (2020), published in Molecular Biology and Evolution
Transmission modes affect the population structure of potato virus Y in potato (2020), published in PLoS Pathogens

Santiago F. Elena has frequently published in venues such as bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Virus Evolution, Viruses, Preprints.org, and Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research).

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Virus Evolution
Viruses
Preprints.org
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Collaborators regularly working with Santiago F. Elena include María J. Olmo-Uceda, Rubén González, Anamarija Butković, Josep Sardanyés, and Silvia Ambrós.

María J. Olmo-Uceda
Rubén González
Anamarija Butković
Josep Sardanyés
Silvia Ambrós

The scientist has contributed to a book titled "Viral Fitness and Evolution," published by Springer Science+Business Media in 2023.

Santiago F. Elena is a recipient of the membership in the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

Best Publications

Evolution experiments with microorganisms: the dynamics and genetic bases of adaptation.

Santiago F. Elena;Richard E. Lenski

1723
Citations
Perspective: Evolution and detection of genetic robustness.

J. Arjan G. M. de Visser;Joachim Hermisson;Günter P. Wagner;Lauren Ancel Meyers

796
Citations
The distribution of fitness effects caused by single-nucleotide substitutions in an RNA virus.

Rafael Sanjuán;Andrés Moya;Santiago F. Elena

695
Citations
Basic concepts in RNA virus evolution.

Esteban Domingo;Cristina Escarmís;Noemi Sevilla;Andres Moya

599
Citations
Test of synergistic interactions among deleterious mutations in bacteria.

Santiago F. Elena;Richard E. Lenski

478
Citations
Punctuated Evolution Caused by Selection of Rare Beneficial Mutations

Santiago F. Elena;Vaughn S. Cooper;Richard E. Lenski

466
Citations
Adaptive Value of High Mutation Rates of RNA Viruses: Separating Causes from Consequences

Santiago F. Elena;Rafael Sanjuán

378
Citations
Clonal interference and the evolution of RNA viruses.

Rosario Miralles;Philip J. Gerrish;Andrés Moya;Santiago F. Elena

325
Citations
The evolution of sex: empirical insights into the roles of epistasis and drift

J Arjan G M de Visser;Santiago F Elena

324
Citations
Exponential increases of RNA virus fitness during large population transmissions

Isabel S. Novella;Elizabeth A. Duarte;Santiago F. Elena;Andres Moya

318
Citations
Extremely high mutation rate of a hammerhead viroid

Selma Gago;Selma Gago;Santiago F. Elena;Santiago F. Elena;Ricardo Flores;Ricardo Flores;Rafael Sanjuán;Rafael Sanjuán

290
Citations
The contribution of epistasis to the architecture of fitness in an RNA virus

Rafael Sanjuán;Andrés Moya;Santiago F. Elena

277
Citations
Cost of host radiation in an RNA virus.

Paul E. Turner;Santiago F. Elena

277
Citations
RNA virus quasispecies: significance for viral disease and epidemiology.

E. A. Duarte;I. S. Novella;Scott Weaver;E. Domingo

267
Citations
Endosymbiotic bacteria: GroEL buffers against deleterious mutations

Mario A. Fares;Mario X. Ruiz-González;Andrés Moya;Santiago F. Elena

265
Citations
Evolution and ecology of plant viruses.

Pierre Lefeuvre;Darren Patrick Martin;Santiago F. Elena;Santiago F. Elena;Dionne Natalie Shepherd

264
Citations
The causes of epistasis.

J. Arjan G. M. de Visser;Tim F. Cooper;Santiago F. Elena

243
Citations
Distribution of Fitness and Virulence Effects Caused by Single-Nucleotide Substitutions in Tobacco Etch Virus

Purificación Carrasco;Francisca de la Iglesia;Santiago F. Elena

239
Citations
Correction: Corrigendum: Variability in mutational fitness effects prevents full lethal transitions in large quasispecies populations

Josep Sardanyés;Carles Simó;Regina Martínez;Ricard V. Solé

227
Citations
EVOLUTION AND DETECTION OF GENETIC ROBUSTNESS

J. Arjan G. M. De Visser;Joachim Hermisson;Lauren Ancel Meyers;Homayoun Bagheri-Chaichian

143
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Andrés Moya University of Valencia

Ricard V. Solé Pompeu Fabra University

José-Antonio Daròs Universitat Politècnica de València

Rafael Sanjuán University of Valencia

Richard E. Lenski Michigan State University

Esteban Domingo Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa

Ricardo Flores Universitat Politècnica de València

John J. Holland University of California, San Diego

Lin Chao University of California, San Diego

Nam-Hai Chua National University of Singapore

External Links

Personal website of Santiago F. Elena

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