How did life arise on Earth? This fundamental question has driven my scientific curiosity and remains at the heart of my research. It has led me to explore key questions: How stable were primordial proteins? Were early oceans thermophilic? How did life’s basic molecules emerge and evolve to enable the self-organization of the first cells? And crucially: How does the Central Dogma work—how does the flow of information from DNA to RNA to proteins shape the complexity of life? My interdisciplinary background—spanning chemistry, biophysics, and biology—has uniquely positioned me to tackle these questions and contribute to our understanding of the fundamental principles underlying the origin and evolution of cellular life.
I believe modern proteins hold the key to answering these mysteries. Their sequences, structures, and functions encode a rich evolutionary history. Using tools like ancestral protein reconstruction and in vitro evolution, we can decode this history, inferring the sequences of ancient proteins and reconstructing their functions. By bridging prebiotic chemistry and modern biology, my work aims to illuminate how life emerged from abiotic reactions and evolved into the complex systems we see today.
Beyond the Lab
Besides science, I enjoy all forms of outdoor walking—whether wandering city streets, tracing coastlines, or hiking mountain trails. I love discovering new architectural styles and natural landscapes, letting curiosity guide my explorations. This curiosity fuels my scientific work, where I connect patterns in ancient proteins to the stories hidden in our environment. To me, science is another way to explore these connections, decoding the rules that shape life’s complexity—from molecules to mountains.
Scientific Career
2025 Ramón y Cajal Principal Investigator at IQAC-CSIC
2019 Postdoc at Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
2013 Postdoctoral Fellow (Ramon Areces & Koshland Foundation and McDonald-Leapman Grant) at Weizmann Institute of Science
2012 PhD. in Chemistry, University of Granada