Group Leader/s
Head of lab
Group PI/s
Ip of lab
intro
The problem of environmental pollution generated by the massive use of plastic materials derived from the petrochemical industry has attracted much interest in the implementation of sustainable processes, involving the use of biomass derived from waste to generate alternative materials (bioplastics) to these high consumption products. Although our projects involve several polymers of biotechnological interest like bacterial nanocellulose, many of our research activities focus on the production of bacterial polyesters or polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), which are considered one of the most promising bioplastics due to their biodegradable character. Our designs are based on the use of industrial and urban biowastes such as glycerol, fatty residues or synthetic gas (syngas) as sources for the bacterial fermentation. Both natural-producing bacteria, such as Pseudomonas putida and Rhodospirillum rubrum, as well as genetically optimized microorganisms, are considered in these processes. We invest our effort in studying the metabolic and regulatory networks in producing microorganisms and others sharing their natural environment such as predatory bacteria like Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. We apply our findings in the production of new materials including the second generation functionalized PHA with new properties (e.g. anti-microbial), and susceptible to chemical modification after its biosynthesis. In addition, we are very interested in the design and development of new downstream systems to process the bacterial biomass for the separation of intracellular bioproducts. In this aspect, we use different strategies to control the release of bioproducts to the extracellular medium as controlled self-cell-disruption systems based on the production of lytic proteins in the producer microorganism. Finally, we are working on the identification and characterization of enzymes for synthesis and biodegradation of materials, as well as the production of building blocks as monomers for polymer synthesis.
Members
| Cristina Campano Tiedra |
| María Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez |
| Laura Isabel de Eugenio Martínez |
| Oliver Drzyzga |
| Isabel Pardo Mendoza |
| Natalia Hernandez Herreros |
| Alberto Rodriguez Martin |
| MAria Virginia Rivero Buceta |
| Maria-Tsampika Manoli |
| Lara Serrano Aguirre |
| Marco Antonio Pereyra Camacho |
| Ana María Hernández Arriaga |
| Melissa Mendez Gonzalez |
| Alba Calonge Garcia |
| Elena Ramos Serrano |
| Santiago Roque de Miguel Sanz |
| José Daniel Jiménez Santos-García |
| Marina Rodríguez Carreiro |
| Susana Capel Navarro |
| Aitana Martin Manrique |
| Celia Parrado Castaño |
| Anna Jauregui Esteve |
Selected Publications
Laura Cabrera-Villamizar, Cristina Campano, Amparo López-Rubio, María José Fabra, M Auxiliadora Prieto [2024]. Tailoring the structural and physicochemical properties of rice straw cellulose-based cryogels by cell-mediated polyhydroxyalkanoate deposition
Cristina Herencias, Virginia Rivero-Buceta, Sergio Salgado, Natalia Hernández-Herreros, Fernando Baquero, Rosa Del Campo, Juan Nogales, M Auxiliadora Prieto [2024]. Bdellovibrio’s prey-independent lifestyle is fueled by amino acids as a carbon source
Manuel S Godoy, Irene Verdú, Santiago R De Miguel, José D Jiménez, M Auxiliadora Prieto [2024]. Exploring Rhodospirillum rubrum response to high doses of carbon monoxide under light and dark conditions
José D Jiménez, Manuel S Godoy, Carlos Del Cerro, M Auxiliadora Prieto [2024]. Hints from nature for a PHA circular economy: carbon synthesis and sharing by Pseudomonas solani GK13
Sophia Mihalyi, Eva Sykacek, Cristina Campano, Natalia Hernández-Herreros, Alberto Rodríguez, Andreas Mautner, M Auxiliadora Prieto, Felice Quartinello, Georg M Guebitz [2024]. Bio-upcycling of viscose/polyamide textile blends waste to biopolymers and fibers
Francisco G. Blanco, Cristina Campano, Virginia Rivero-Buceta, Ana M. Hernández-Arriaga & M. Auxiliadora Prieto [2024]. Bacterial cellulose with CHAPK-mediated specific antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus
Elena Marcello, Rinat Nigmatullin, Pooja Basnett, Muhammad Maqbool, M. Auxiliadora Prieto, Jonathan C. Knowles, Aldo R. Boccaccini, Ipsita Roy [2024]. 3D melt-extrusion printing of medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates and their application as antibiotic-free antibacterial scaffolds for bone regeneration
Natalia Hernández-Herreros, Alberto Rodríguez, Beatriz Galán, M. Auxiliadora Prieto [2024]. Boosting hydrogen production in Rhodospirillum rubrum by syngas-driven photoheterotrophic adaptive evolution
Sergio Salgado, Natalia Hernández-Herreros, M. Auxiliadora Prieto [2024]. Controlling the expression of heterologous genes in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus using synthetic biology strategies
Maria-Tsampika Manoli, Álvaro Gargantilla-Becerra, Carlos del Cerro Sánchez, Virginia Rivero-Buceta, M Auxiliadora Prieto, Juan Nogales [2024]. A model-driven approach to upcycling recalcitrant feedstocks in Pseudomonas putida by decoupling PHA production from nutrient limitation
Lara Serrano-Aguirre, M. Auxiliadora Prieto [2024]. Can bioplastics always offer a truly sustainable alternative to fossil-based plastics?
Natalia Hernández-Herreros, Virginia Rivero-Buceta, Isabel Pardo, M Auxiliadora Prieto [2024]. Production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly (lactic acid) from industrial wastewater by wild-type Cupriavidus necator H16
Francisco G Blanco, Rainhard Machatschek, Manuela Keller, Ana M Hernández-Arriaga, Manuel S Godoy, Natalia A Tarazona, M Auxiliadora Prieto [2023]. Nature-inspired material binding peptides with versatile polyester affinities and binding strengths
Manuel S Godoy, Santiago R De Miguel, M Auxiliadora Prieto [2023]. A singular PpaA/AerR-like protein in Rhodospirillum rubrum rules beyond the boundaries of photosynthesis in response to the intracellular redox state
Blas Blázquez, David San León, Jesús Torres-Bacete, Álvaro Gómez-Luengo, Ryan Kniewel, Igor Martínez, Sandra Sordon, Aleksandra Wilczak, Sergio Salgado, Ewa Huszcza, Jarosław Popłoński, Auxiliadora Prieto, Juan Nogales [2023]. Golden Standard: a complete standard, portable, and interoperative MoClo tool for model and non-model proteobacteria
Funding
Project: ReBioCycle - A new European blueprint for circular bioplastics upcycling solutions
Funding entity: HORIZON-JU-CBE-2023-IA-04
Reference: 101156032
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2024 - 2028
Project: deCYPher - Decipher cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) by digital tools to produce
flavonoids and terpenoids
Funding entity: HORIZON-CL6-2022-CIRCBIO-02-two-stage
Reference: 101081782
Principle investigator: Juan Nogales (CNB-CSIC) with Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez (CIB-CSIC)
Duration: 2023 - 2027
Project: AgriLoop - Pushing the frontier of circular agriculture by converting residues into novel economic, social and environmental opportunities
Funding entity: EU HORIZON-CL6-2022-CIRCBIO-01-05
Reference: 101081776
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2022 - 2026
Project: BIOPHUN - Biological phthalate funneling for the valorization of plastic wastes
Funding entity: MCIN/AEI/10.13039/50110001103 / European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR
Reference: TED2021-130850A-I00
Principle investigator: Isabel Pardo Mendoza
Duration: 2022 - 2024
Project: BIOCIR - Revaluation of waste directed towards the circularity of bioplastics: synthesis, degradation, recycling and diversification of bacterial polyesters
Funding entity: MICINN
Reference: PID2020-112766RB-C21 financed by MCIN / AEI /10.13039/501100011033
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2021 - 2024
Project: FERMENTA - Bioprocess pilot plant for a circular economy
Funding entity: AEI (Adquisición de Equipamiento Científico-Técnico)
Reference: EQC2021-006941-P financed by MCIN / AEI / 10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union´s NextGenerationEU / PRTR
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2021 - 2024
Project: REVOLUZION - Solving plastics sustainability through functional multi-purpose enzymes
Funding entity: AEI (I+D+i en líneas estratégicas)
Reference: PLEC2021-008188 financed by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union´s NextGenerationEU/ PRTR
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2021 - 2024
Project: Applications of biomaterials based on biopolymers: Creation of a spin-off (BioDriven Technologies)
Funding entity: AEI (Proyectos Prueba de Concepto)
Reference: PDC2021-121381-100 financed by MCIN / AEI / 10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union´s NextGenerationEU / PRTR
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2021 - 2024
Project: MIX-UP - MIXed plastics biodegradation and UPcycling using microbial communities
Funding entity: EU H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-2018-2020
Reference: 870294
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2020 - 2024
Project: NANOBIOCARGO-CM - Nanocontenedores y nanovehículos dirigidos al transporte y liberación de agentes bioactivos
Funding entity: CAM
Reference: P2018/NMT4389
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2019 - 2022
Project: SinFonia - Synthetic biology-guided engineering of Pseudomonas putida for biofluorination
Funding entity: EU- H2020-NMBP-BIO-2018
Reference: 814418
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2019 - 2023
Project: ENGICOIN - Engineered microbial factories for CO2 exploitation in an integrated waste treatment platform
Funding entity: EU- H2020-NMBP-BIO-2017
Reference: 760994
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2018 - 2022
Project: AFTERLIFE - Advanced filtration technologies for the recovery and later conversion of relevant fractions from wastewater
Funding entity: EU- H2020-BBI-JTI-2016-R01
Reference: 745737
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2017 - 2022
Project: TECMABIO. Application of cutting edge TEChnologies for the synthesis of biofunctional MAterials based on bacterial BIOpolymers.
Funding entity: MINECO
Reference: BIO2017-83448-R financed by MCIN / AEI / 10.13039/501100011033 / and by FEDER (Una manera de hacer Europa)
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2018 - 2020
Project: REFUCOAT - Full recyclable food package with enhanced gas barrier properties and new functionalities by the use of high performance coatings
Funding entity: EU- H2020-BBI-JTI-2016-R05
Reference: 745791
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2017 - 2020
More info
Project: CELBICON - Cost-effective CO2 conversion into chemicals via combination of capture, electrochemical and biochemical conversion technologies
Funding entity: EU- H2020-ISIB-2015-2
Reference: 679050
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2016 - 2019
Project “Explora Ciencia” y “Explora Tecnologia” recientemente concedido: "Antibióticos vivos frente a patógenos intracelulares”.
Reference: MINECO
Funding entity: BIO2014-61515-EXP
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2015 - 2017
Project: P4SB – From plastic waste to plastic value using Pseudomonas putida Synthetic Biology
Funding entity: EU-H2020-LEIT-BIO-2014-1
Reference: 633962
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2015 - 2019
Project Retos-Colaboración: "Producción de bioproductos a través de residuos alimentarios".
Funding entity: MINECO, Cofinanciado UE, FONDOS FEDER
Reference: RTC-2015-3825-5
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto
Coordinator: Biopolis S.L.
Participating entities: Biopolis S.L., DACSA (Maicerías Españolas S.A.), GAIKER Centro Tecnológico, CIB-CSIC
Duration: 2014 - 2017
Acciones de dinamización "Redes de excelencia": Convocatoria 2014.
Bacfitered - Red de excelencia para la explotación de bacterias con fines terapéuticos
Funding entity: MINECO
Reference: SAF2014-56716-REDT
Investigador principal: Esteban Veiga Chacon
Project: nanoBIOSOMA - Diseño, desarrollo y producción de nanocontenedores y nanovehículos
Funding entity: CAM
Reference: P2013/MIT2807
Coordinator: José María Valpuesta
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2014 - 2018
Project: Integración de agentes líticos de origen biológico en el diseño de nuevos métodos de “downstream” para la producción de bioplásticos.
Funding entity: MINECO
Reference: BIO2013-44878-R
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2014 - 2017
Project: Revalgas - Revalorización del gas de síntesis (syngas) mediante fermentación bacteriana
Funding entity: Retos Colaboración
Reference: RTC-2014-1764-3
Coordinador: Abengoa Research
Principle investigator: Elena Puerta-Fernández
Duration: 2014 - 2016
Project: SYNPOL - Biopolymers from syngas fermentation
Funding entity: EU-FP7-KBBE-2012-6
Reference: 311815
Principle investigator: Mª Auxiliadora Prieto Jiménez
Duration: 2012 - 2016