About me

I am a microbial ecologist investigating the role of microorganisms in major biogeochemical cycles across extreme environments. I am an Associate Professor of Environmental Biotechnology at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), in the Department of Science and Agroforestry Technology and Genetics [webpage]. My research combines microbial genomics and biogeochemistry to understand how microbial communities from polar (e.g., Arctic ponds) and arid ecosystems (e.g., hypersaline salterns) drive global carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling.

Microbes are the primary drivers of biogeochemical cycles, with an even more pronounced influence in extreme ecosystems such as ice-cold and saline lakes, where they are fundamental to ecosystem development and functioning. This raises key questions: Which microorganisms shape these ecosystems? Which biogeochemical processes do they mediate? How do they respond to environmental change over both short and long timescales?

Addressing these questions requires understanding how microbial diversity and functional traits respond to environmental drivers such as climate change and nutrient enrichment, particularly in ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to disturbance. Linking microbial community composition with major biogeochemical processes is essential for understanding ecosystem functioning, from improving climate change predictions to advancing bioremediation strategies.

My research has explored these questions across a wide range of extreme environments and global change scenarios, including nutrient enrichment, permafrost thaw, glacier retreat, and wildfire disturbance. I have worked in diverse locations worldwide, from the Northwest Territories, Svalbard, and Finnmark to Mediterranean wildfire-affected ecosystems and hypersaline environments in southern Spain. For more info, click here.