ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

Over the past 20 years, the group's research has centred on the microbial ecology of aromatic contaminant degradation and gene expression regulation in bacteria. Initially, the work focused on the Pseudomonas putida TOL plasmid, leading to significant advances in elucidating the regulatory network involved in expressing aromatic compound degradation pathways. Subsequently, the group's research shifted towards anaerobic aromatic degradation processes. This involved analysing the transcriptional regulation of degradation pathways under anaerobic conditions and undertaking a molecular analysis of bacterial communities subjected to drastic environmental changes, with a particular focus on processes occurring under oxygen-limiting conditions. As a result of this work, a new strain capable of producing nanocellulose from aromatic compounds was isolated. This strain has diverse metabolic capacities of great interest, which are currently being explored and exploited by the group.