Biography

The development of my research career is mainly framed in the fields of molecular biology, plant biochemistry and biotechnology of photosynthetic microorganisms, and can be summarised in three specific strategic lines of research:
▪
Development and optimization of molecular biology tools, synthetic biology, and genetic and metabolic engineering in photosynthetic microorganisms.
▪
Extraction and production of high added value compounds from microalgae and cyanobacteria with biotechnological applications in aquaculture, agriculture, biomedicine and the biofuel industry.
▪
Study of physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in the response to thermal, light, and metal stress in microalgae and cyanobacteria.

This work has been carried out both nationally: University of Huelva (Huelva); Centre for Research in Agrigenomics (CRAG; Barcelona); Kimitec Group Company (Almeria) and Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBFV), University of Sevilla-CSIC; (Seville); and internationally: Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Nitra, Slovakia); Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA), University of Algarve (Faro, Portugal); Commission for Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies (CEA) at its centre in Cadarache (CEA-University of Marseille-CNRS, Cadarache, France) and CEA at its centre in Paris-Saclay (University of Paris Sud-CNRS, Paris, France), generating a solid network of national and international collaboration with consolidated and prestigious researchers in their respective areas.
Throughout my scientific career, I have acquired both professional and personal skills, while at the same time consolidating and acquiring new technical skills in synthetic biology, genetic and metabolic engineering, proteomics, lipidomics, analytical chemistry techniques and bioinformatics. The scientific production resulting from this research career consists of: a total of 14 publications in indexed scientific journals of relevant impact in the field of microalgae, including 12 original scientific articles and 2 book chapters; participation in more than 20 congresses, seminars and conferences; and one invention patent. In addition, I have actively participated in 7 national and international research projects, including a teaching innovation project. On the other hand, I have directed and supervised the experimental project of the students of the Diploma of Specialisation in Clinical and Biomedical Laboratory Science from the CEU-San Pablo, and I have co-directed and supervised 4 bibliographic theses for the final Degree in Biology (TFG) from the University of Seville. In terms of scientific dissemination, I have participated in several editions of the "European Researchers' Night", the "Ciencia en la mochila" programme, the Science Fair, the QuiFiBioMat event at the University of Seville and, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Finally, and more recently, I have obtained a positive evaluation from ANECA for the accreditation of the position of Associate Professor (Profesor Contratado Doctor).