I am interested in the study of microbial communities in different systems (natural and designed by humans). Regardless the specificities of the microbial systems, their dynamics are determined by common factors including external forces (environment), reaction pathways (fermentations), interactions between microbial individuals (such as competition and symbiosis) and reacting media (such as biofilms). This makes the study of microbial systems a unique research field in which knowledge from different scientific disciplines is pivotal.
My research work encompasses the development of mathematical models to describe the dynamics of biochemical systems (see my publications).
I mainly work with knowledge-based models described by ordinary differential equations. These equations are derived from fundamentals laws (e.g., the law of conservation of mass) that govern the system behavior. This type of modeling is sometimes called bottom-up approach.
As it can be drawn, model building requires the integration of knowledge of the mechanisms that take place on the system under study. To achieve this, I collaborate with scientists from different disciplines including biology, chemical (process) engineering, chemistry, control and system theory (see my collaborations).
These models are useful tools to improve the understanding of biological systems. They can be used to predict system behavior and to provide guidelines about how to steer the system to a desired state.
Biochemical systems of my interest include (see my projects):
Professional networks: