Javier del Campo

My laboratory investigates how corals and their symbiotic microbial partners respond to heat stress under the current climate crisis. We adopt a systems biology approach that combines molecular techniques—such as metabarcoding, genomics, and single-cell transcriptomics—with advanced bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and high-resolution imaging. These symbiotic microbial consortia, composed of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, are fundamental to coral physiology, immunity, development, and ecological function. Our research seeks to unravel how climate-induced environmental changes alter the structure and function of these microbial communities, and how such shifts impact coral health and resilience. While corals serve as our primary model, we also investigate similar host-microbe-environment dynamics in other marine taxa, including mollusks and teleost fish, to develop a broader understanding of holobiont responses in the Anthropocene.