Alejandro A. Murillo

My interests in environmental microbiology are currently focused on microbial oceanography and the reconstruction of biogeochemical cycles in oceanic environments. Part of my professional experience was developed using model organisms, both human and animal pathogens, and environmental organisms. In the latter case, during my doctorate, we used the cyanobacterium R. brokii strain D9 to determine the genetic components and the different variants of toxins produced by this strain, which led us not only to sequence the complete genome of this organism and to reclassify it taxonomically but also to propose the synthesis route for different variants of saxitoxin (STX), one of the main toxins in Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) events produced by species of Dinoflagellates of the genus Alexandrium in the ocean. These events have a high social and economic impact and a risk to public health in the Los Lagos, Aysén, and Magallanes regions, making it a priority study topic for the Southern and Austral Macrozones of the country. After my doctoral studies, I deepened my knowledge in microbial oceanography at the University of Concepción, where I participated in different projects, both national and international, to understand the dynamics of plankton in the ocean. I dedicated six years of my scientific career to studying microorganisms in the coastal upwelling zone off the coast of Concepción, studying the effect of oxygen minimum zones (MOZ) on microbial communities. From 2017 to December 2020, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Peer Bork at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), in Heidelberg-Germany, within the framework of a collaboration project with the French government (FFEM) and the TARA-Oceans Foundation. From January 2021 to March 2023, I worked as communication and extension coordinator of the project "Monitoring of Algas in Chile" (MACH), associated with the Center for the Study of Harmful Algae (CREAN) of the Fisheries Development Institute (IFOP), in the city from Puerto Mont. The objective of the MACH project was to monitor and study the processes of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) on the coasts of Chile to achieve a forecast model for specific blooms. Since March 2023, I have joined the University of Atacama as an associated researcher affiliated with the Vice-Rectory for Research and Postgraduate.