Javier Lopez

Javier is a Ph.D. student in Experimental and Applied Biology at the University of Alicante in Spain. He graduated with honours from the University of Alicante in 2022 with a B.Sc. in Biology. He then completed an M.Sc. in Research and Advances in Microbiology at the University of Granada in 2023, where he investigated halophilic bacteria and their potential application as plant growth-promoting microorganisms.

Now, his research focuses on marine microorganisms, with a particular interest in the recently discovered RNA Obelisks, combining bioinformatics and molecular approaches to investigate their diversity, evolution, and interactions with microbial hosts in marine ecosystems. His research has contributed to first-author publications in Nature Communications and the ISME Journal.

During his stay at the Institute for Systems Biology, he worked on applying the microSPLiT single-cell sequencing method to natural marine microbial communities.
Outside the lab, he enjoys traveling, spending time in nature and watching sports.