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Since 2000, my work is focused in the study of genetic regulation and physiology of cyanobacteria.
As head of the group, my main contributions deal with the regulation and functional characterization of the FUR (ferric uptake regulator) proteins in cyanobacteria, and in late years with the study of phototrophic biofilms.
I would highlight the characterization the first antisense RNA in cyanobacteria with a known function (J Mol Biol. 2006), the finding that a Fur regulator (FurA) displays disulfide-reductase activity (Antioxid Redox Signal. 2014), that this regulator uses a unique thiol-based redox switch mechanism of metal and DNA binding (Antioxid Redox Signal. 2016), as well as the definition of the FurA regulon (Nucleic Acids Res. 2014). We demonstrated that FUR proteins respond to multiple environmental signals and are involved in the control of nitrogen metabolism and biofilm formation (Environ Microbiol 2015, Biochem J. 2018, Plant and Cell Physiology 2019, Environ Microbiol. 2022, Environ Microbiol. 2023).
Recently, we have shown that the exometabolome of an Anabaena variant overexpressing FurC (PerR) in enriched in peptidoglycan fragments (mBio, 2024) that can be used as valuable intermediates in the industrial synthesis of anhydrosugars. In collaboration with I Luque (IBVF, CSIC) we have discovered a novel zinc acquisition system that evolved in ancient bacteria and has been conserved in some bacterial lineages for billion years (PlosBiol, 2024).
Another research line we are developing in the last few years is the characterization of cyanobacterial biofilms. We have stablished a method for medium-scale cultures of Anabaena biofilms and performed differential RNAseq of those biofilms versus planktonic cultures. We also have characterized those biofilms in terms of metal composition, which show outstanding metal accumulation in the exopolysaccharides. Our most recent work is aimed to identifying regulatory interactions between FUR proteins and other uncharacterized secondary regulators including transcription factors and two-component systems.
My medium-term goals include improving our understanding of cyanobacterial physiology and exploring potential applications for the newly discovered regulators. Simultaneously, I plan to assess the efficiency of cyanobacterial biofilms in bioremediating various xenobiotics, including heavy metals.
My research activity has been positively evaluated by CNEAE (7 six-year periods, 6 for research and 1 knowledge transfer period). My work has been published mainly in Q1 journals, (7 of them in D1), with 114 publications in WOS (h index 35). I have co-edited 2 books and published 3 book chapters. I have been PI in 14 research projects and 5 contracts with companies. We received the Research Award of the Economic and Social Council-Government of Aragón 2005 and I have been recognized by SAMPUZ for my professional career. I have presented our work in 20 international conferences and participated in the organization of 12 scientific meetings (7 international). I have coordinated 50 Erasmus exchanges since 1999, participated in 4 teaching innovation projects (2 as PI) and supervised 15 PhD thesis, 9 Bs thesis and 13 Ms projects.
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