We study the molecular basis and regulation of microaerobic respiration and denitrification processes in endosymbiotic bacteria of legumes, both as free-living and in the plant-bacteria-environment interaction.

The activity will focus on nutrient and energy utilization in specific physiologic processes of monogastric animals. This knowledge will be applied to sustainable and environmentally friendly animal production systems based on landraces, native breeds, to obtain animal products of high quality starndards. Additionally, the effects and mechanisms of action of biologically active substances intended to be used in the aforementioned animal production systems will be explored, both in local and cosmopolitan breeds.

The research group aims to develop production systems for ruminants which are sustainable, efficient, with minor environmental impact, yielding high nutritive quality and consumer-healthy products without compromising animal welfare. The activities focus on the nutrition of the ruminant and work on develop feeding strategies to lower the cost of the diet and paying special attention on the optimization of the ruminal fermentation.

The group's activity is focused on the study of the interactions between the chemical composition of the diet and certain physiological and health parameters. Thus, issues such as digestive and metabolic utilization of nutrients, and the physiological effects at both local (intestine) or systemic levels of chemical fractions of foods (proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, etc.) are studied.

The group investigates, at cell and molecular levels, the role of antioxidants, free radicals and nitric oxide in the physiology of horticultural species (pepper, tomato, olive, pea, etc.) for the development of biotechnological tools/strategies which allow a better exploitation of the nutritional features of these crops.

One research line studies the redox signalling in chloroplasts and how it regulates the photosynthetic efficiency and the carbohydrate metabolism through reverse genetics analyses and by using biochemical, molecular and microscopy techniques, amongst others. Other research line investigates the impact of biotic and abiotic stress in the plant metabolism by biochemical, molecular, proteomic and imaging techniques, mainly those related to plant phenotyping.

We use an integrated approach to study the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of ion homeostasis in plants in order to develop biotechnological applications to improve salt tolerance, mineral nutrition and water use efficiency in crop plants.

The group analyzes plant sexual reproduction processes from a multidisciplinary point of view, particularly male and female gametogenesis, compatibility, pollen-stigma interaction, and the mechanisms of attraction, fusion of gametes and fertilization. Basic and applied aspects are investigated, mainly within the frame of an agronomic, nutritional and health (nutraceutical and allergy) scope. The group is highly involved in the particular use of advanced microscopical imaging techniques to analyze these aspects.

In our group we are interested in understanding the mechanisms involved in plant responses to different types of abiotic (heavy metal and xenobiotics) and biotic (Pseudomonas and Fusarium) stress with the aim of applying the knowledge obtained to early stress monitoring and design of improved plant breeding strategies. For that purpose, multidisciplinary approaches will be used: biochemistry, cellular and molecular.

The scientific activity of the research group is to generate new basic and applied knowledge, innovative and transferable, focused on the promotion of sustainable development of agrosystems through the use of low-cost agricultural technologies in pursuit of the ultimate objective of soils, waters and crops-protection.