Work in the group is focused on the study of molecular regulatory mechanisms in bacterial metabolism and biofilm development, and the application of such knowledge to processes of biotechnological or environmental interest.

The general interest of the group is to understand the mechanisms involved in stem cell/progenitor cell differentiation during development and in transplantation. Our research is focused on the hematopoietic system and uses the mouse as experimental model. In particular, we aim to understand the key characteristics and differentiation mechanisms that distinguish fetal liver hemato/vascular stem/progenitor cells compared to counterpart progenitors from adult bone marrow and liver.

Desarrollo floral en Arabidopsis

Durante los últimos años, nos hemos centrado en el estudio de la complejidad de la maquinaria de conjugación de SUMO maquinaria en plantas, utilizando Arabidopsis como modelo. En las plantas, la sumoylación regula procesos esenciales y se requiere un sistema de sumoylación funcional para la viabilidad del embrión. En general, plantas mutantes afectadas en la homeostasis de la conjugación de SUMO presentan defectos de crecimiento y respuestas a estrés alteradas.

Our research interest is to study the mechanisms by which plants perceive and respond to changes in their light environment, specifically in the regulation of the light-induced developmental transition that occurs during seedling deetiolation and in the regulation of growth under diurnal conditions. The primary focus of our research is to identify the dark signaling mechanisms that operate in the regulation of these plant processes, using Arabidopsis as a model system and integrating a combination of multidisciplinary experimental approaches.

Gene Regulatory networks in plant development The global aim of the group is the characterization and understanding of gene regulatory networks underlying plant development, using a combination of genomic and genetic methods. Our work encompasses both the identification of novel components of those regulatory networks and of regulatory interactions among network components.

Molecular mechanisms of circadian clock function in Arabidopsis thaliana A wide variety of biological processes exhibit a cyclic pattern of activity with a period of 24 hours. The temporal coordination of these rhythms is regulated by an endogenous mechanism denominated circadian clock. From bacteria to humans, the presence of the circadian clock has provided a remarkable adaptive advantage throughout evolution. In past years, considerable research efforts have clearly improved our understanding of circadian clock progression.

SPATIAL CONTROL OF BRASSINOSTEROID SIGNALING IN PLANT STEM CELLS The laboratory of Dr. Caño-Delgado investigates how BR signalling controls plant development, with a particular focus in understanding the spatial regulation of BR signalling in the vascular and stem cells.

The activities of the group of "plant viruses control and mechanisms of transmission" are devoted to perform basic and applied research on plant virology, with a main focus on control strategies of viral diseases in crops. The mechanisms of virus transmission by insect vectors like aphids and whiteflies are being studied in depth, including the functional characterization of viral and vector molecular elements participating in the processes of virus dissemination.

In the Genetics and Genomics of Vegetable Crops Group we are producing and using genomic tools in vegetable crops in order to characterize important agronomic traits, in melon and related species. The objectives are performed in the framework of public funded projects or in collaboration with a private company, Semillas Fitó SA, in the framework of the Fitó-IRTA Joint Unit. We perform oriented research, basically produce basic knowledge that can be transferred to the private sector.