Dr LORENA FERNANDEZ-MARTINEZ

  • Reader in Microbial Genetics, Biology
  • Phone01695 584 215

Accepting PhD Students

20092022

Research activity per year

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Personal profile

Biography

I have always been fascinated about Biology, since an early age when I learned that Biology means the study of life and I felt that life was definitely worth studying! Later on, I became interested in genetics as a way of understanding molecular mechanisms and as an undergraduate student in Swansea University I finally developed my interest for the wonderful Streptomyces bacterial genus, it’s complex biology and intricate regulatory pathways which lead to the production of many useful compounds such as antibiotics.

After being an undergraduate in Swansea University I decided to continue my research in Prof. Paul Dyson’s laboratory, working on the regulation of stress responses in the bacterial genus Streptomyces, and obtaining my PhD in 2008.

I then moved onto a post-doctoral position in INBIOTEC, a biotechnology institute in León, Spain, working on signal transduction, genome sequencing and proteome analysis in Actinobacteria.

In 2011 I joined Prof. Mervyn Bibb’s research group as a post-doctoral scientist at the John Innes Centre working on the regulation of several antibiotics including chloramphenicol, cinnamycin and the medically relevant gene cluster leading to the production of the novel lantibiotic microbisporicin. I also developed genetic tools to work with actinomycetes and worked with Prof. Barrie Wilkinson studying virulence factors in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa in order to use these as potential drug targets.

In 2015 I joined the fantastic Biology Department at EHU as a Senior Lecturer in Microbial Genetics.  I am also final year tutor for all of the programmes in the Biology Department.

Research interests

My research interests are focused on understanding the complex regulatory pathways that lead to antibiotic production in Actinobacteria with a particular interest in lantibiotics as well as the study of the regulation of resistance mechanisms in antibiotic producing bacteria (the likely source of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance) and to characterise new gene clusters encoding novel compounds with antibiotic activity. To know more about my research group and current projects please visit the Actinomycetes Biology and Antibiotic discovery research page.

Teaching

  • Programme Leader for BSc (Hons) Genetics
  • Final year tutor for all Biology Department Degrees
  • Modules taught include:
  •     Cellular Form and Function (Module Leader)
  •     Molecular Genetics (Module Leader)
  •     Laboratory Masterclass (Tutor)
  •     Research Methods in Biology (Tutor)
  •     Final Year Dissertation (Module Leader)
  •     Applications of Genetics (Tutor)
  •     Current Issues in Biology (Tutor)

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 15 - Life on Land

Education/Academic qualification

PhD, Investigations into the osmotic stress response mediated by OsaB in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), Swansea University

… → 2008

Biological Sciences, BSc, University of Valencia

… → 2004

Genetics and Biochemistry, BSc, Swansea University

… → 2003

Teaching in Higher Education, PGCert, Edge Hill University

Other positions

Post-doctoral Scientist, John Innes Centre

20112015

Post-doctoral, Inbiotec: Instituto de Biotecnologia de Leon

Keywords

  • QH301 Biology
  • microbiology
  • actinomycetes
  • antibiotic discovery
  • QH426 Genetics
  • microbial genetics
  • gene regulation

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