My PhD project will deal with the study of the the diversity, activity, physiology and interactions of methanotrophs with phototrophs in freshwater ecosystems. Methane oxiding bacteria are a keystone in reducing methane emmisions either from natural or modified ecosystems. Methane, a greenhouse gas, is involved the global warming and it is predicted to increase its atmospheric concentration in years to come.
Nowadays, freshwater systems are considered a relevant source of this gas. Current research is focused in understanding methane dynamics and the role of methanotrophs in these systems. The aim of my project is to understand these topics in the water column and sediments from drainage ditches, an artificial-warmed lake and rice paddies. My approach will include a suite of molecular techniques, exometabolomics and experiments on site or in vitro.
Education
2018 –
PhD candidate at Productive Ecology and Resource Conservation (WUR) - Department of Microbial Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). Sandwich PhD (Microbiology Laboratory. Agronomy Faculty (Montevideo, Uruguay).
"Abiotic and biotic factors that shape the community structure, physiology and activity of methanotrophs in freshwaters systems"
2012
Master in Microbiology. PEDECIBA- University of the Republic (Montevideo, Uruguay). Deparment of Microbiology. Biological Research Institute "Clemente Estable" - Limnology Section. Science Faculty.
"Role of the bacterioplankton in the ammonium uptake in a coastal lagoon: Laguna de Rocha"
2004
Bachelor in Biochemistry. Science Faculty. University of the Republic (Montevideo, Uruguay). Biochemistry Laboratory. Agronomy Faculty. University of the Republic (Montevideo, Uruguay)
"Effect of herbicides on cyanobacteria isolates from Uruguayan rice paddies"
Position
2010 – present
Assistant in Microbiology Laboratory. Agronomy Faculty. University of the Republic.
Internships
2013
Department of Microbial Ecology. NIOO-KNAW. Wageningen, The Netherlands
2010
Molecular Ecology Department. Max Plank Institute for Marine Microbiology. Bremen, Germany
2008 and 2009
Oceanographic Process Laboratory. Concepción University. Concepción, Chile.
Grants
2017
PhD Sandwich Programme fellowship at WUR. National Agency for Research and Innovation (Uruguay).
2013
Project "Effect of cyanobacterial inoculation "Effect of cyanobacterial inoculation in methane emissions from rice paddies". PI. CSIC-University of the Republic.
2012
Attendance "Latin American ISME Meeting" (Foz, Brazil). PEDECIBA
2010
Internship at Max Plank Institute. National Agency for Research and Innovation-PEDECIBA
2009
Internship at Concepción University. National Agency for Research and Innovation
2009
Master fellowship.National Agency for Research and Innovation
2008
Internship at Concepción University. Institut Pasteur, Montevideo. Uruguay
Grants from different institutions from Uruguay, Chile and USA for attending international courses
Teaching experience
2009 - Assistant in the Microbiology course (Degree in Agronomy). Faculty of Agronomy. University of the Republic (Montevideo, Uruguay)
Nitrogen and phosphorus control of methane cycling in wetland sediments
2019
Bodelier, P. L. E., Pérez, G., Veraart, A. J., & Krause, S. (Accepted/In press). Methanotroph Ecology, Environmental distribution and functioning. In E. Y. Lee (Ed.), Microbiology Fundamentals and Biotechnological Applications Heidelberg: Springer
2016
Pérez, G., Doldán, S., Scavone, P., Borsani, O., Irisarri, P. Osmotic stress alters UV-based oxidative damage tolerance in a heterocyst forming cyanobacterium. Plant Biol. Biochem. 108: 231-240.
Batani, G; Pérez, G., Martínez de la Escalera, G., Piccini, C., Fazia, S. Competition and protist predation are important regulators of riverine bacterial community composition and size distribution. J. Freshwater Ecol.31: 609-623.
2014
Pérez, G., Farías, L., Fernandez, C., Conde, D., Piccini, C. Incidence of phytoplankton and environmental conditions on the bacterial ammonium uptake in a subtropical coastal lagoon. J. Limnol. 73: 122-130.
2012
Pérez, G., Doldán, S., Borsani, O., Irisarri, P. Differential response to moderate UV-B irradiation of two heterocystous cyanobacteria isolated from a temperate ricefield. Adv. Microbiol. 2: 37- 47
2010
Fabre, A., Carballo, C., Hernández, E., Píriz, P., Bergamino, L., González, S., Pérez, G., León, J.L., Aubriot, L., Bonilla, S., Kruk, C. El nitrógeno y la relación zona eufótica/zona de mezcla explican la presencia de cianobacterias en pequeños lagos subtropicales, artificiales de Uruguay. Pan-American J. Aquatic Sci.5: 112 – 125.