Detalle de: Systems biology and biotechnology in microalgae

We combine omics technologies, computational modelling and mathematical methods to better understand microalgae and promote their biotechnological applications.

Human world population is increasing drastically, generating unprecedented needs for energy and food. The massive exploitation of fossil fuels to satisfy this energy demand is producing a high accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere and the subsequent climate change. This is affecting crop yield and reducing land area suitable for agriculture, ultimately increasing malnutrition and its associated human diseases. In the current climate emergency scenario with energy and food shortage, microalgae cultivation represents an opportunity as promising sources of sustainable biofuels, agricultural biostimulants, animal feed and human nutrients contributing to the removal of the accumulating CO2. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms controlling the biosynthesis of compounds of biotechnological interest remain mostly uncharacterized in microalgae, hindering the development of their full potential as cell-factories that could contribute substantially to solve these challenges. In our group we follow molecular systems biology multidisciplinary approaches combining omics technologies with High Performance Computing and mathematical methods to develop predictive models characterizing the molecular mechanisms controlling the functioning and physiology of microalgae to promote their biotechnological applications.

We follow an evolutionary methodology in the characterization of these mechanisms, extending our studies to the green lineage or Viridiplantae, focusing specifically on the terrestrialization event during plant evolution. Our favourite model organisms are Ostreococcus tauri, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Klebsormidium nitens, Marchantia polymorpha, Raphidocelis subcapitata and Arabidopsis thaliana. We also study the microalgae of industrial interest Haematococcus lacustris and Chromochloris zofingiensis and crops such as wheat (Triticum aestivum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

Our group is part of the Institute for Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF) in Seville (Spain), a joint centre between the University of Seville and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC).