Jose F. Marcos

Jose F. Marcos holds a CSIC Scientific Researcher position at IATA-CSIC. He has developed his career in the areas of biotechnology of filamentous fungi and molecular plant pathology, with contributions to food microbiology and plant biotechnology. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology (University of Valencia, 1991), working on molecular plant virology and the characterisation of viroids, under the advice of Professor R. Flores (IBMCP, Valencia). He then moved as a postdoctoral fellow for three years to the group of Professor R. N. Beachy at TSRI (La Jolla, CA, USA), where he worked on plant genetic transformation for the development of virus-resistant plants using viral genes. During this period, he began his interest in antimicrobial peptides and proteins (AMPs) and pioneered and published the first example of a rationally designed synthetic peptide with activity against a plant virus (Marcos et al., 1995, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92: 12466). Back to Spain in 1995, he first joined the group of Professor V. Pallás (then at CEBAS-CSIC, Murcia) to continue working on the molecular characterisation and diagnosis of plant viruses and viroids. He then moved to IATA and obtained a CSIC permanent position in 2000, with a proposal on the characterisation of fungus-fruit interactions and the development of alternatives for the control of postharvest pathogens, with a focus on the use of antimicrobial peptides.

Dr. Jose Marcos co-leads with Dr. Paloma Manzanares the research group “Fungal Biofactories” (@FungalFact), in the Department of Food Biotechnology at IATA-CSIC. The laboratory focuses on two primary areas of research. The first area involves the identification, characterization, and development of bioactive, antimicrobial, and antifungal peptides and proteins for use in agriculture and food preservation. Recent studies have focused on antifungal proteins (AFP) of fungal origin, aiming to understand their basic functions in the biology of the producing fungus and explore their potential as new antifungal biomolecules. This research has led to: (i) proposing antimicrobial peptides and proteins as sustainable alternatives for controlling plant pathogens (Marcos et al., 2008, Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 46: 273); (ii) identifying specific antifungal mechanisms of action (Bugeda et al., 2020, mSphere, 5: e00595-20; Ropero-Pérez et al., 2023, Microbiology Spectrum, 11: e0484622; Giner-Llorca et al., 2024, Int J Biol Macromol 282: 136980); and (iii) designing and biotechnologically producing new-to-nature antifungal proteins (Giner-Llorca et al., 2023, Int. J. Biol. Macromolec. 225: 135-148). The second area of interest is the development of molecular, cell biology, and synthetic biology tools to study filamentous fungi and exploit them biotechnologically as fungal biofactories for producing high-value biomolecules and proteins (Hernanz-Koers et al., 2018, Fungal Genet. Biol., 116: 51-61; Moreno-Giménez et al., 2023, Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 11: 1222812). The laboratory isolated and characterised one of the world reference strains of the fungus Penicillium digitatum (PHI26, CECT20796), which was the first to have its complete genome sequenced (Marcet-Houben et al., 2012, BMC Genomics 13:646).

Jose Marcos is co-author of 144 publications, including 106 SCI publications and the co-edition of two books. He has participated in 52 research projects or contracts, being the principal investigator (PI) of 11 National, 1 European ERANet, and 1 European H2020 project; filed 8 patents (5 of them international); and directed 10 doctoral theses. NIne of the doctorates have remained dedicated to science, either in academia or biotech companies, including two tenured scientists at CSIC and three abroad. He has been a member of the Academic Commission of the Doctorate in Biotechnology (2014-2019) (UPV). Jose Marcos has been Director of IATA-CSIC (2019-2023). As Director, he presented the IATA Strategic Plan for 2022-2025, a notable accomplishment of which is the accreditation as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence (2023-2026). This distinction marks it as the first center in food science in Spain to receive such recognition, and he serves as a member of its panel of guarantors. Since 2024, he has been a member of the Advisory Council of Directors of the Presidency of the CSIC.