Tell us a bit about the work you are/will be doing at CCMAR
I will be assessing the degradation of conventional and bio-based microplastics in the aquatic environment with my supervisor Isabel Marín. In this project, the aim is to find out if marine microorganisms, such as bacteria, are able to biodegrade microplastics. At the moment we will only be studying two types of polymers, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which is the main constituent of most plastic materials and it has been commonly recognized as non-biodegradable, and a biodegradable polyethylene terephthalate (BPET), often considered as an alternative to conventional plastics. In the case a specific bacterial community shows potential to biodegrade the plastic particles, their DNA will be extracted and published in a database (GenBank), so further studies could be carried out with our results. 

What were you doing before you joined us?
I studied my bachelor degree in Biology, with a mention in Environmental Biology, in Madrid, Spain. Since most of the content of my bachelor was related to terrestrial biology and I always had a great interest in the marine environment, I decided to do my master in this field, thus joining the International Master in Marine Biological Resources, specialising in marine conservation. This master's programme has also given me the experience of travelling and living in different countries while studying. For instance, these past two years I have studied in the University of Oviedo (Spain), Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona (Italy) and in the Université Côte d'Azur in Nice (France). Now, during the following 7 months at CCMAR, I will be doing my master thesis dissertation project.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love spending time travelling around, meeting new places and new people, and if that place is close to the ocean, even better! I also love spending time with family, friends, doing sports and in nature since I have always lived close to nature and I really like the feeling of peace and fresh air it gives me.