I am a biologist that loves her work, with experience in the identification and characterization of dairy food spoiling strains, by classical culture-based methods and molecular methods such as genomics and proteomics. Furthermore, on the characterization of functional peptides from food matrices by proteomics. 

 

My motivation in researching originated many years ago, specifically during my fellowship at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the end of the B.Sc. graduate in Biology. Indeed, this was the first time I could independently work in research, and immediately realized that I wanted to dedicate my career to it.

 

The following year, I did my master’s in biotechnology and simultaneously started a project at the Department of Microbiology in Santiago de Compostela University with a collaboration grant. We identified different yeast and bacteria strains in condensed milk for the first time. However, the most fascinating aspect was the identification and characterization of a new subspecies of Bacillus safensis (Bacillus safensis subsp. osmophylus).

 

During my Ph.D., I focused my project on the characterization of new peptide biomarkers for the identification of mastitis-causing species isolated in raw milk by mass spectrometry based-techniques. Proteomic techniques using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) instruments have been used for the detection of pathogenic bacterial strains according to specific diagnostic peptides.

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Received a predoctoral grant from Xunta de Galicia, and a predoctoral fellowship was carried out in Lombardy cancer center at Georgetown University, Washington DC., USA during three months. She has teaching experience in the module of “Microbiology I” of “Plan de Organización Docente” from the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology (2112), area of Microbiology (630) at Santiago de Compostela University. Received her international Ph.D. in Biology with Honors at the Santiago de Compostela University (2019) in the field of Proteomics and food safety under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Tomás González Villa and Prof. Dr. Pilar Calo-Mata.

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From July 2020 to December 2021, I was a researcher at the CYTMA (Advanced technology center for the marine and alimentary industry investigation in Vigo (ANFACO-CECOPESCA) working at Tecnomifood project focusing on the characterization of functional peptides from food matrices. 

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Currently, I have a PostDoc position at the University of Santiago de Compostela, working at IMM-CSIC in Vigo, thanks to a Margarita Salas grant. We are studying fish allergies and their relation to the microbiome in an allergic mouse model.

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I am also the first author of 12 peer-reviewed high-impact scientific articles and 6 book chapters. Assistant of several international conferences with oral and poster presentations and an award presentation. Currently collaborating with Dr. Monica Carrera from the department of Food Technology from IIM-CSIC and, the Department of Microbiology and Department of analytical chemistry, nutrition and food science from Santiago de Compostela University working in the publication of several journal articles.

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Last but definitely not least, I am continuously eager to uptake new challenges, planning and performing new projects. I am confident this is the feeling a researcher must have when devoting their life to scientific research.