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Microbiology of Agroforestry Ecosystems at the Zaidín Experimental Station (CSIC).

Manuel Fernández López

Principal Investigator

Estación Experimental del Zaidín

Other members

Jesús Mercado Blanco

Scientific Researcher

Antonio José Fernández González

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ana Vicente Lasa

Postdoctoral Researcher

Pablo José Villadas Latorre

Specialized Higher Degree

Research areas

  • Microbiomes of woody plants: resilience to climate change and abiotic stresses.

Representative publications

  • Fernández-González A.J., A. Serrano, F. Luque, M. Fernández-López and J. Mercado-Blanco (2025). Unveiling essential host genes and keystone microorganisms of the olive tree holobiont linked to Verticillium wilt tolerance. Microbiome 13: 239. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02216-5 
  • Lasa, A.V., M. López-Hinojosa, P.J. Villadas, A.J. Fernández-González, M.T. Cervera and M. Fernández-López (2025). Unraveling the shifts in the belowground microbiota and metabolome of Pinus pinaster trees affected by forest decline. Science of the Total Environment 963: 178486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178486 
  • Ben Guerrero, E., A.V. Lasa, P. Aguilera, A.J. Fernández-González, M.C. Martinez, J. Mercado-Blanco, M. Fernández-López and N. Paniego (2025). Unveiling changes in the rhizosphere bacteriome of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) inbred lines linked to their resistance to the soil borne pathogen Verticillium dahliae Kleb. Applied Soil Ecology 206: 105915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105915 
  • Wentzien, N.M., A.J. Fernández-González, A. Valverde-Corredor, A.V. Lasa, P.J. Villadas, W.A. Wicaksono, T. Cernava, G. Berg, M. Fernández-López and J. Mercado-Blanco (2024). Pitting the olive seed microbiome. Environmental Microbiome 19: 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00560-x 
  • Lasa, A.V., A.J. Fernández-González, P.J. Villadas, J. Mercado-Blanco, A.J. Pérez-Luque and M. Fernández-López (2024). Mediterranean pine forest decline: a matter of root-associated microbiota and climate change. Science of the Total Environment 926: 171858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171858 
  • Fernández-González, A.J., P.J. Villadas, F. Díaz-Peña, J. Notario-del-Pino, Á. Lizano-Bastardín, M. Fernández-López and M. León-Barrios (2024). Key microorganisms defining the microbial communities of an alpine legume-shrubland ecosystem on a volcanic island in natural and fire-affected soils. Plant and Soil 498: 651-670. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06465-x 
  • Cardoni, M., A.J. Fernández-González, A. Valverde-Corredor, M. Fernández-López and J. Mercado-Blanco (2023). Co-occurrence network analysis unveils the actual differential impact on the olive root microbiota by two Verticillium wilt biocontrol rhizobacteria. Environmental Microbiome 18: 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-023-00480-2 
  • Wentzien, N.M., A.J. Fernández-González, P.J. Villadas, A. Valverde-Corredor, J. Mercado-Blanco and M. Fernández-López (2023). Thriving beneath olive trees: the influence of organic farming on microbial communities. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 21: 3575-3589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2023.07.015 
  • Lasa, A.V., A.J. Fernández-González, P.J. Villadas, J.F. Cobo-Díaz and M. Fernández-López (2023). Bacterial inoculation of Quercus pyrenaica trees alters co-occurrence patterns but not the composition of the rhizosphere bacteriome in wild conditions. Environmental Microbiology 25: 1747-1761. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16388 
  • Fernández-González, A.J., J.A. Ramírez-Tejero, M.P. Nevado-Berzosa, F. Luque, M. Fernández-López and J. Mercado-Blanco (2021). Coupling the endophytic microbiome with the host transcriptome in olive roots. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 19: 4777-4789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.035

Projects

  • IP: Manuel Fernández López. Desde enero 2023 hasta diciembre 2027. Soil O-live: The soil biodiversity and functionality of Mediterranean olive groves: A holistic analysis of the influence of land management on olive oil quality and safety. Patrocinador: European Union, HE/MISS-SOIL/0199, Project 101091255.
  • IP: Jesús Mercado Blanco. 01/01/2024- 31/12/2026. Comportamiento en condiciones de campo de Pseudomonas simiae PICF7: biocontrol de la verticilosis de olivo y efecto sobre la microbiota del suelo y la raíz. Patrocinador: Proyectos Intramurales CSIC; Ref. 202440E003.

Patents

  • Patente P-201331633 ‘Método para el diagnóstico de la Verticilosis en el olivo’; Validity: 15/12/2014-08/11/2033; Authors: Luque Vázquez, Barroso Albarracín, Leyva Pérez, Mercado Blanco; Submission date: 12/05/2015; Publication date: 26/02/2016; Priority: Spain; Entities: Nutesca, S.L.,UJA and CSIC; Exploited by Nutesca S.L.
  • CINCO patentes. Authors: Barroso Albarracín, Carreras Egaña, Valderrama Rodríguez, Chaki, Bergara Morales, Mercado Blanco, Pérez Artés, Rincón Romero, et al. (n=16); Submission numbers P201130605 and P201130606; “Cepa de Trichoderma útil para el tratamiento y/o prevención de infecciones provocadas por microorganismos fitopatógenos”, and submission numbers P201130607 P201130608 and P201130609; “Cepa de Trichoderma para el tratamiento y/o prevención de infecciones provocadas por hongos pertenecientes al género Verticillium”. Validity: 05/10/2013-15/04/2031; Submission date: 9/11/2012; Publication date: 11/04/2014; Priority: Spain; UJA, Nutesca SL, Fundación Citoliva, CSIC and US. International extension: International publication number WO 2012/140304 A2; Date 18/10/2012; Exploited by Nutesca S.L.

Featured methods

  • Análisis bioinformático de datos de secuenciación masiva
  • Microbiomas de plantas leñosas
  • Ecología microbiana 
  • Genética y genómica microbiana

Collaborations with other national and international groups

  • María Teresa Cervera Goy, Genómica Forestal, ICIFOR-INIA, España.
  • Francisco Luque, Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Jaén, España.
  • Antonio Manzaneda Ávila, Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, España.
  • Gabriele Berg, Graz University of Technology, Austria.
  • Jordi Sabaté Rabella, Producción vegetal sostenible, IRTA, España.

Links to the group's websites and social media pages

Página web del grupo de investigación:    https://grupos.eez.csic.es/mae/