2014 –present        : Postdoctoral Researcher. Microbial Ecology. Netherlands Institute of Ecology.

2012-2014              : Postdoctoral Researcher. Phytopathology Department, Wageningen University

2008-2012              : PhD entitled: Mangotoxin biosynthesis and regulation in Pseudomonas syringae. Microbiology Department. University of Malaga (Spain).

2007-2009             : MSc Molecular Biology. University of Malaga (Spain).

2002-2007              : BSc Biology. University of Malaga (Spain).

Genomic and functional characterization of beneficial Burkholderia species from natural disease suppressive soils

Disease-suppressive soils are ecosystems in which crop plants suffer less from specific diseases than expected owing to the activities of antagonistic soil microorganisms. For most disease-suppressive soils the beneficial microbes and mechanisms involved in pathogen control are unknown. Members of the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria were found to be consistently associated with disease suppression. Here we focus on the β-Proteobacteria, specifically on the Burkholderia genus. They exhibit specific activities for plant growth promotion and biological control. Using GC-MS, LC-MS and comparative genomics, several compounds and clusters have been detected. Mutagenesis, cloning, heterologous expression and chemical analyses are ongoing to resolve the functions of these compounds and novel gene clusters identified in the Burkholderia genomes.

Metagenomic mining of the endophytic plant microbiome

The plant microbiome represents an enormous untapped resource for discovering novel microorganisms, traits, genes and bioactive compounds. Endophytic bacteria can promote plant growth, act as biocontrol agents and can be beneficial to their host by producing a range of natural products. Here we focus on the diversity and metabolic potential of the endophytic community of plants grown in soils that are naturally suppressive to specific plant diseases. The endophytic communities of sugar beet plants grown in nonsuppressive soil, suppressive soil, and suppressive soil inoculated with the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani were investigated by 16S amplicon sequencing. The results showed that the endophytic community is very similar between the different soil treatments. However, variations in the abundance of certain groups were observed, with Azospira, Chitinophagaceae, Devosia and Flavobacterium being more abundant in the roots of sugar beet plants grown in disease suppressive soil. Currently we are performing metagenome sequencing of the endophytic community to understand the functional potential of the microorganisms that live inside the plant root tissue.

Pedro Manuel Martínez-García · Pablo Rodríguez-Palenzuela · Eva Arrebola · Víctor J Carrión · José Antonio Gutiérrez-Barranquero · Alejandro Pérez-García · Cayo Ramos · Francisco M Cazorla · Antonio de de Vicente (2015). Bioinformatics Analysis of the Complete Genome Sequence of the Mango Tree Pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae UMAF0158 Reveals Traits Relevant to Virulence and Epiphytic Lifestyle. PLoS ONE.

Eva Arrebola · Victor J Carrión · José Antonio Gutiérrez-Barranquero · Alejandro Pérez-Garcia · Pablo Rodriguez-Palenzuela · Francisco M Cazorla · Antonio de Vicente (2015). Cellulose production in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae: a compromise between epiphytic and pathogenic lifestyles. FEMS Microbiology Ecology.

Claudia E Calderón · Victor J Carrión · Antonio de Vicente · Francisco M Cazorla (2014). darR and darS are regulatory genes that modulate 2-hexyl, 5-propyl resorcinol transcription in Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1606. Microbiology.

Víctor J Carrión · Menno van der Voort · Eva Arrebola · José A Gutiérrez-Barranquero · Antonio de Vicente · Jos M Raaijmakers · Francisco M Cazorla (2014). Mangotoxin production of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae is regulated by MgoA. BMC Microbiology.

José A Gutiérrez-Barranquero · Víctor J Carrión · Jesús Murillo · Eva Arrebola · Dawn L Arnold · Francisco M Cazorla · Antonio de Vicente (2013). A Pseudomonas syringae Diversity Survey Reveals a Differentiated Phylotype of the Pathovar syringae Associated with the Mango Host and Mangotoxin Production. Phytopathology.

José A Gutiérrez-Barranquero · A de Vicente · Víctor J Carrión · George W Sundin · Francisco M Cazorla (2012).Recruitment and rearrangement of three different genetic determinants into a conjugative plasmid increase copper resistance in Pseudomonas syringae. Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Víctor J Carrión · José A Gutiérrez-Barranquero · Eva Arrebola · Leire Bardaji · Juan C Codina · Antonio de Vicente · Francisco M Cazorla · Jesús Murillo (2012).The mangotoxin biosynthetic operon (mbo) is specifically distributed within Pseudomonas syringae genomospecies 1 and was acquired only once during evolution. Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Víctor J Carrión · Eva Arrebola · Francisco M Cazorla · Jesús Murillo · Antonio de Vicente (2012). The mbo Operon Is Specific and Essential for Biosynthesis of Mangotoxin in Pseudomonas syringae. PLoS ONE.

Eva Arrebola · Víctor J Carrión · Francisco M Cazorla · Alejandro Pérez-García · Jesús Murillo · Antonio de Vicente (2012). Characterisation of the mgo operon in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae UMAF0158 that is required for mangotoxin production. BMC Microbiology.