Research lines:
Food-borne pathogens inactivation through the application of minimal processing technologies
Application of control strategies (high hydrostatic pressure and biopreservatives) to eliminate
Listeria monocytogenes and enterotoxigenic
Staphylococcus aureus in meat products.
Microbial ecology and traceability studies of food-borne pathogens
Molecular tracking of
L. monocytogenes,
Salmonella enterica and
Cronobacter spp. in food processing environments by whole genome sequencing.
Molecular mechanisms of food-borne pathogens resistance in response to disinfectants
Effect of disinfectants used in food processing environments on planktonic cells and biofilms of
L. monocytogenes and
S. enterica
Improving the nutritional quality of dairy products
Development and characterization of dairy products supplemented with edible seaweeds, or with plant extracts and probiotic microorganisms with hypocholesterolemic properties. Design of specific starter cultures for goat's cheeses, with autochthonous lactic acid bacteria, which might help to maintain their distinctive sensory characteristics
Preventing microbiological spoilage of dairy products
Use of emergent technologies (high-pressure processing) and natural antimicrobials (lactic acid bacteria producing bacteriocins or reuterin, bacteriophages and their endolysins) to preserve cheese from spoilage microorganisms
Improving the sensory quality of meat products
Analysis of the microbiota, lipid oxidation, proteolysis and volatile compound profile of Iberian and Serrano dry-cured ham. Effect of dry-cured ham chemical composition, high-pressure treatments and refrigeration period on the characteristics of dry-cured hams.
Development of safer, healthier and high quality plant foods Elaboration of new hypoallergenic food products. Designing of new formulations enriched with legume flour to improve their nutritional and functional value.
Detection of allergens in plant food
Development of biosensors for the detection of the main allergens of plant food origin in processed food.
Characterization of the strains of the INIA Microorganism Collection for their application in functional food
Characterization of the technological and health-promoting properties of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria strains (antimicrobial production, ability to metabolize phytoestrogens, immunomodulatory properties) for the development of functional foods, with a special interest in improving health conditions in the senescence
Development of vectors for lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria
Development of vectors for the labelling with fluorescent proteins for the differentiation and monitorization of strains of interest, for their use as biosensors and for the production of compounds of interest. Development of food grade vectors.
