Systems Biotechnology Group
Multi- and inter-disciplinarity to the service of enzymes: a chemical vision to biological questions for the implementation of biocatalysts in our everyday life.
The research activity of the Systems Biotechnology group lead by Prof. Manuel Ferrer has been markedly multidisciplinary and has had as a common thread to provide a chemical vision to biological questions, with the ultimate goal of producing basic and technological developments using experimental and theoretical tools. It has been and is a competitive research that is in the interface between the analytical chemistry, the chemical biology, the physical-chemistry, the inorganic chemistry and the organic chemistry, with fields and disciplines such as biology, microbiology, health, medicine, energy, environment and materials, to mention a few.
Lab
Our facilities are located at the Institute of Catalysis, in the Autonomous University of Madrid Campus. Enter to take a look!
Team
We are a multidisciplinary team composed on chemists, biochemists, and biologists, in tight collaboration with bioinformatics, to gain a whole perspective of the matters we face. Come and meet us!
Projects
METAMIC 3
The METAMIC 3 project focuses on training doctoral researchers in advancing microbiome science through metaproteomics. Its goal is to tackle the One Health challenge by integrating microbial mechanisms, functional analyses of microbiome dynamics across ecosystems, and translational applications in clinical and biotechnological contexts. The project seeks to drive major advances in health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability, transforming how microbiomes are manipulated and restored.
BAI4MAC
By integrating bioinformatics, computational techniques, machine learning and laboratory techniques, we aim to generate and process microbiome OMICS metadata and discover immune enhancers in HIV and advanced lung cancer.
Nymphe
Our goal is the development and implementation of bioremediation/revitalization strategies of targeted EU contaminated sites. We will use predictive microbial interaction models in the microbiome of the real places, to remove >90% of the main contaminants and improve their biodiversity status.
BIORE2AIRCRAFT
This project is based on analysing the metagenomes from extremophilic microbiomes responsible of the corrosion events in the wing area. Computational tools in the very forefront will enable us to best obtain organic polymers and composite materials-degrading extremozymes. This project lays the groundwork for enabling circularity for entire aircrafts and contribute to carbon-neutral growth, also in construction, demolition, automobile and epoxy industry.
Upcoming Events
Microbiome course UIMP
27-30 July 2026
The International University Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP, Santander, Spain) in collaboration with CSIC’s MicrobiomeHub, will offer the course «Human and environmental microbiome: science, undertaking and society» («Microbioma humano y ambiental: ciencia, emprendimiento y sociedad»). We will attend to these days of deep learning of the subject with a multidisciplinar approach, integrating basic science, data analysis, AI, clinic research, environmental sustainability, ethics and public policy, in this emblematic place.
Extremophiles 2026
13-17 September 2026
The 15th International Congress on Extremophiles that will take place on Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, will be a great opportunity for our group to expand our knowledge on the field, share our science, increase our outreach, and strengthen our network. This edition central theme is “Extremophiles and extremozymes: From Life at the Limits to a Sustainable Bioeconomy,” highlighting the potential of extremophiles and extremozymes for sustainable biotechnology.
JEB 2026
24-25 September 2026
This year, Benicássim (Spain) holds the V Spanish Biocatalysis Simposium (Jornadas Españolas de Biocatálisis, JEB26), and we will be there! Organized by the BioComp group from the Universitat Jaume I,this international event directs its focus to an active network of young researchers working of such a strategic field, both from academia and industry. Around 100 assistant will participate in different formats in this interactive meeting.
