Pablo
Ortega Martinez
Contact
Areas of expertise
Biography
- Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, University of Seville (2019–2025).
- M.Sc. in Biotechnology, Autonomous University of Madrid (2018–2019).
- B.Sc. in Biochemistry, University of Seville (2014–2018).
Awards:
- Best Paper of the Month, University of Seville (July 2024) - “Glycogen synthesis prevents metabolic imbalance and disruption of photosynthetic electron transport…”
- Best Paper of the Month, Cartuja Scientific Research Center & Ebro Foods (May 2022) - “Stress response requires an efficient connection between glycogen and central carbon metabolism…”
- Extraordinary Master’s Degree Award, Autonomous University of Madrid (2020) - Top academic performance in the 2018–2019 Biotechnology MSc program
- Master’s Research Fellowship, Autonomous University of Madrid (2018)
- Erasmus+ International Mobility Grant (2018) - Summer intership in Müsnter (Germany) at the Max Plank Institute for Molecular Biomedicine.
- Undergraduate Collaboration Fellowship, Spanish Ministry of Education (2017) - Conducting experimental research during the final year of BSc studies
Research
I am a molecular biologist with a strong interest in cyanobacterial metabolism and physiology and how these photosynthetic organisms adapt to changing environmental conditions.
During the M.Sc. in Biotechnology I gained experience in enzymatic heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris for industrial biocatalysis applications and through the Erasmus+ practices programme I studied stress adaptation mechanisms in S.Cerevisiae.
During my Ph.D. at the University of Seville, I focused on understanding the role of glycogen metabolism in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, particularly under stress conditions such as nitrogen deprivation, high light, and photomixotrophy. During this period I have contributed to several Spain nationally funded research projects focused on carbon and nitrogen metabolism, redox signaling, and the regulation of glycogen accumulation in cyanobacteria.
Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Bioelectricity Group (Wey Group), where I work in cyanobacterial extracellular electron transfer (exoelectrogenesis) and redox regulation with potential applications in biophotovoltaics and photo-bio-batteries sustainable biotechnologies.
From September 2026, I will lead the project Boosting EXOpolysaccharides production by EXOgenous sugars in photosynthetic bacteria (EXOcyano), funded by a Novo Nordisk Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology. EXOcyano explores how photosynthetic bacteria can be modulated to produce more, and tailored, exopolysaccharides (EPS) by supplying external carbon sources. Cyanobacteria naturally secrete EPS, complex polysaccharides with valuable industrial and biomedical properties, but their production is currently limited by how efficiently cells generate the (NDP)-sugar precursors needed for polymer synthesis. The project investigates how photomixotrophic growth with sugars such as glucose, mannose and fructose reshapes photosynthetic metabolism, boosts precursor availability, and alters EPS composition. By combining multi-omics approaches with biophysical analyses of photosynthesis, EXOcyano aims to uncover how photosynthesis and sugar metabolism jointly control carbon fluxes, metabolic stress, and EPS yield and properties.
Research funding and grants
- 2025, November: Industrial Biotechnology and Environmental Biotechnology - Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 (Novo Nordisk Foundation), DKK 3.240.908 (≈€ 433900) Project: “Boosting EXOpolysaccharides production by EXOgenous sugars in photosynthetic bacteria (EXOcyano)” from 01/09/2026 to 31/08/2029
- 2022, September: EMBO Scientific Exchange Grant. Research stay at the University of Turku.
- 2019, September: Grant FPU18/06580 “Formación de Profesorado Universitario” (University Ministry of Spain). A competitive predoctoral research and lecturer staff PhD grant.
- 2018, September: Master’s Research Fellowship (Autonomous University of Madrid). “Ayuda para el Fomento de la Investigación en Estudios de Máster-UAM”. A competitive grant to develop a research project during the master’s degree.
- 2018, May: Erasmus+ practices International Mobility Grant (Erasmus programme). - Summer intership in at the Max Plank Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Müsnter (Germany)
- 2017, September: Undergraduate Collaboration Fellowship (Spanish Ministry of Education). BSc grant to conduct a experimental research project “Beca de Colaboración del Ministerio de Educación”.