VALERIE DE ANDA, Ph.D.
Environmental Microbial bioinformatician | National Geographic Explorer | Research Scientist, University of Vienna
Exploring how microbes shape Earth’s past, present, and future outcomes of life on Earth
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wELCOME!
wELCOME!
I am a Research Scientist at the University of Vienna in the Microbial Oceanography Unit, where I study evolution of microbial metabolism with at particular focus on rare biochemistries and extreme environments
Previously, I served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida and led the Environmental Microbial Genomics Lab, 2024-2025. Before that, I spent six years at the University of Texas at Austin in the Baker Marine Microbial Ecology Lab, first as a postdoctoral reseracher and then as a research associate with PI status. I earned my Biology degree with summa cum laude from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and completed my Ph.D. in Experimental Molecular Evolution under Dr. Valeria Souza, with co-advise by Dr. Bruno Contreras Moreira at the Spanish National Research Council (EEAD-CSIC). As a Mexican, first-generation female scientist, I care deeply about empowering students, especially underrepresented minorities to pursue careers in the sciences.
Research
Research
My research focuses on understanding the evolution of microbial metabolism in extreme environments through a comprehensive approach that integrates lab work, fieldwork, and computational methods. I bridge data science and microbial ecology, employing culture-independent techniques to reveal the metabolic principles that govern microbial life across ecological and evolutionary scales. By developing computational algorithms and integrating perspectives from microbial ecology, molecular biology, evolution, and paleobiology, my work uses microbial metabolism as a framework to predict the past, present, and future outcomes of life on Earth and their implications in a changing environment. Learn more about specific projects here
The logo was designed by my talented friend Alberto Vivó, reflects the planetary scale of my reserach and honors my mexican heritage. More about the logo here
Current highlights
Current highlights
news (2025)
news (2025)
September 2025. The lab moved to the University of Vienna!
DATE
CATEGORY
NEWS
Link
NOV-DEC 2025
Fieldwork
Joining the “Searching for the Asgard” #SPARC expedition aboard the R/V Falkor (too), led by Dr Brett Baker (University of Texas at Austin) and an international team. The mission is to search for Asgard in the South Atlantic Ocean to uncover how these microbes shaped the origin of complex life. I will also bring my National Geographic–funded project ATLACODE to sea, pioneering real-time metagenomics to uncover how marine microbes sustain planetary processes. Click the logo for more info about #SPARC expedition
03/NOV/2025
Funding
My project real time metagenomics shaping the future of ocean exploration (ATLA-CODE) was funded by the National Geographic Society and Schmidt Ocean Institute under the Ocean Exploration & Discovery Program. More about #ATLACODE on the logo
15/OCT/2025
Award
Selected for the shortlist in the Scientific Achievement category of the 2025 Nature Awards: Inspiring Women in Science (#IWIS25). Attended the official ceremony hosted by Nature Portfolio and The Estée Lauder Companies. More here
11/OCT/2025
Publication
New paper on ISME Comms is out! Led by my former mentee Maggie Langwig. Congrats Maggie!!
26/SEP/2025
Publication
New paper out! I contributed as part of the Data Reuse Consortium to the Nature Microbiology consensus statement “A roadmap for equitable reuse of public microbiome data,” promoting fair recognition and transparent reuse of sequencing data.
24/SEP/2025
Invited talk
Thank you to Ana Conesa for inviting me to give a talk the Institute of Systems Biology (I2SysBio, a joint UV/CSIC centre), Valencia, Spain.
16/SEP/2025
Lab update
The lab moved to the University of Vienna!
JULY 20-25/2025
Conference/Poster presentation
Presenting my Preprint publication at the the Archaeal Genomics for Understanding Origin of Eukaryotes and for Biotechnology Applications in Les Diablerets, Vaud (fr), Switzerland
JULY 15/2025
Fellowship/Award
Selected as second-ranked candidate at national level for the prestigios Ramón y Cajal Fellowship – Programa de Atracción de Talento, competitive research fellowship program (equivalent to a tenure-track faculty position). Declined to pursue a research appointment at the University of Vienna.
JULY 13-18/2025
Conference/Invited Speaker
Presenting at the GRC Bridging Scales to Unveil the Power of Environmental Microbiology South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA.
21/JUNE/2025
Conference/Invited Speaker
Giving a talk at the In Depth session Microbes and Their Environment Across Billions of Years ASM Microbe Los Angeles, USA.
14/MAY/2025
Outreach
Excited to talk about my research at the #MattersMicrobial episode 92. Available on Spotify!
10/MARCH/2025
Invited Speaker
Thanks to Mandy Joye for inviting me to a talk at the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Georgia
24/JAN/2025
Invited Speaker
Thanks to Jimmy Saw Mandy Joye for inviting me to a talk at the Department of Biological Sciences at the George Washigton University
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