ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY AND BIODEGRADATION (Degradation of Organic Compounds)

The group studies the interaction of bacteria with their environment. We study bacteria that have a beneficial effect on the ecosystem, exploiting their capacities for biotechnological applications. We also study bacterial pathogens to determine the mechanisms involved in host interaction. We pursue multidisciplinary strategies to understand the molecular basis of these activities, with two main research lines: - The study of relevant processes in the interaction of bacteria with the environment (chemotaxis, biofilm formation, cellular signalling). - The improvement of bacterial biodegradation using catabolic genes to design new metabolic pathways, and to engineer pathways to synthesize added value products. The overall objective is to analyse and exploit at the biotechnological level the molecular mechanisms that determine bacterial capacities to persist in and restore the environment, and to contribute to plant health. The group has 10 staff scientists and 30 members on average.