The research work is mainly aimed at understanding the structure-activity relations of biological macromolecules, as well as at studying the transient protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions – which are crucial in many cell processes. We also try to get a deeper insight into the post-translational modifications of proteins and, in particular, of mitochondrial cytochrome c (Cc) – a protein playing a double role in redox metabolism and programmed cell death (PCD) – upon chemical modification by nitration and phosphorylation.

Filamentous, heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria are multicellular organisms in which the organismic unit is a chain of cells. Growth of these organisms depends on the metabolic activity of two cell types: the vegetative cells that perform oxygenic photosynthesis fixing carbon dioxide and the heterocysts that fix atmospheric nitrogen. By virtue of these activities, the cyanobacteria make an important contribution to the primary productivity of our planet.

The research group “Biotechnology of Microalgae” has focused its research activity in recent years on the photosynthetic production by microalgae of different compounds of commercial, industrial and energetic interest, such as carotenoids phycobiliproteins, lipids, alcohols or polyphosphate inositols. Based on the knowledge of organisms, the involved processes and culture systems, is intended to take advantage of the photosynthetic capacity of them to generate value products, while it helps to remove CO2 from industrial processes.

The research of the group has focused from its beginning on the metabolism of sulfur in plants. Our main focus is the study of cysteine ​​biosynthesis and metabolism and recently signaling by molecules related to cysteine. We have been pioneers in establishing a change of concept, so that these molecules are involved in the signaling pathways that regulate essential processes in the plant, such as the responses to both abiotic and biotic adverse conditions, autophagy and the root hair development.

Our work is focused on the study of the role of the fibrillins (FBNs) in the protection of photosystems against abiotic stresses. FBNs are a family of chloroplastic proteins of unknown function. Some of these proteins are localized in the plastoglobules (PGs, lipo-protein bodies originated from thylakoid membranes and that remain attached to them). We aim to determine the function of those FBNs associated to PGs in different metabolic processes in the chloroplast, and specially in the defense of the photosystems against light and chilling stresses.

The regulatory mechanisms orchestrated by non-coding RNAs have emerged in recent years as ubiquitous in all living beings. In particular, bacterial responses to virtually any stress involve alterations in the abundance of certain species of small RNAs and/or antisense RNAs (noncoding strand). Our group aims to identify and analyze the regulatory mechanisms mediated by non-coding RNAs in cyanobacteria.

The main objective of our group is the improvement of the productivity of photosynthetic microorganisms with applications in biotechnology and aquaculture. We focus our research on several model organisms under different stress conditions, including the study of cyanobacteria, green algae and diatoms. Our scientific activity is related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 13 and 14: “Climate Action” and “Life Below Water”.

Our group studies the regulation of the structure and function of Arabidopsis thaliana telomeres and is integrated since it started by Dr. Miguel Ángel Vega Palas and by María Isabel Vaquero de Sedas, who has a bachelor degree in Biology. In 2021 we got a Spanish grant that included three people: María Isabel Vaquero de Sedas, María Dolores Cubiles de la Vega, Full Professor of Statistics at the University of Seville and Doctor in Informatics, and myself, Miguel Ángel Vega.