Òscar Puiggené GonzálezPh.D. Student 
Environmental biotechnologist developing new ways to mitigate human-based effects on our planet and on the quest for a sustainable, bio-based circular economy.
Research
Climate change is an undeniable threat to human, as well as many other species’ existence. It is clear that, in order to tackle its devastating consequences, not only carbon emissions will need to be reduced, but carbon needs to be actively removed from the atmosphere. Moreover, in the future, humanity needs to potentiate a sustainable, bio-based circular economy, in which waste is drastically reduced. In this context, in my research I am trying to harness the potential of Pseudomonas putida for the biotechnological sector and engineer its core metabolism to enable growth on C1 compounds (mainly methanol, formaldehyde and formate), as sole carbon sources. Such molecules can be obtained in a convenient, sustainable manner, from CO2 and energy. Eventually, the newly engineered P. putida could be employed to produce further added-value products (e.g. bioplastics or even new-to-nature compounds) in an environment-friendly manner.