Team – Biocomputation Lab

Ángel Goñi-Moreno

Principal Investigator

Angel Goñi-Moreno

I am a Computer Scientist by training, and I am still doing computer science, but using living biological systems as hardware / software. I got to know about DNA Computing in my undergrad and started researching on Synthetic Biology for my PhD. After postdoc-ing with Martyn Amos (MMU, UK) and Víctor de Lorenzo (CNB, Spain), I established my first group at Newcastle University (UK). Back to Madrid in 2020 to launch the Biocomputation Lab. I received an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2022 and was honored with both a Margarita Salas Research Award in 2022 and the Medal of the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering in 2023

Coral García

I am the project manager and general problem solver of the team. I am also a vet by training so I am always ready to provide random data about animals.

Lorea Alejaldre

I am a biochemist with a PhD in protein evolution and engineering from Université de Montréal. My research trajectory is driven by a deep interest in uncovering evolutionary mechanisms to advance bio-engineering strategies. Right now, my research centers on how genomic context affects synthetic circuit performance, alongside developing new tools to enhance microbial engineering. I enjoy working in interdisciplinary teams where computational and experimental scientists collaborate closely to make discoveries faster and more precise. Ultimately, my goal is to use science to make a positive impact on the environment.

Jesús Miró

I am a physicist by training, working in synthetic/systems biology, digital twins, and biological computing. I hold a BSc in Physics and an MSc in Biophysics from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and I obtained my PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, where I focused on biological oscillators. My work involves mathematical modeling, simulations and data analysis of cellular experiments, including flow cytometry, plate readers, and bioreactors. I am the co-founder of BIOLAB TWINS, a pioneering venture in advanced software for cellular research, which was awarded First Prize in the UPM2T competition (2023-24), a program focused on identifying early-stage technologies with high business potential and impact.

Ángeles Hueso-Gil

I am a wetlab postdoc in Ángel’s lab. In the past, I have worked with optogenetic tools and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas putida. Currently, I am working on the development of growth control tools and in the characterization of gene expression noise and its role in evolution. I am interested in learning about microbial molecular processes in order to apply this knowledge for the optimization of bacterial functions, both natural or implemented, with different purposes (bioproduction, bioremediation,…)

Maria Elena Rodríguez

I have a degree in Biology specializing in Genetics from the Complutense University of Madrid and I obtained a PhD in the field of biomedical research at the same University, a field in which I worked for several years. I joined this group attracted to programming bacteria for use as bioremediation agents.

Lewis Grozinger

I studied Computer Science at the University of Manchester and have a PhD in Synthetic Biology from Newcastle University. I use mathematical modeling and numerical analysis, as well as fundamental ideas from Computer Science, to design all kinds of synthetic biological systems and predict how they will behave.

Matthew Crowther

Computer scientist working jointly between UPM, Spain and Newcastle University, United Kingdom. My PhD project looks at the practical adoption of standards within synthetic biology using knowledge graphs (domain-specific graphs combining commonly generated but often disparate data types). The overall goals are to foster the adoption of standards by automating the data aspects of everyday tasks within synthetic biology workflows.

Ana Anhel Valdés

I obtained my Biotechnology degree and a MSc in Computational Biology at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM). Besides that, I have done internships in both Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB) and Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP). Nowadays, I enjoy a technician position at Angel Goñi’s lab being one of the responsables of the Opentrons Liquid Handling robot. My main interest is to use my biological and computational background in the Pharmacology and Omics fields combining experimental and computational approaches.

Juan Méndez-Líter

I have a PhD in in Microbiology, at the Complutense University of Madrid. My main research interest are focused on the use of different parts of living systems for biodegradation processes. First, during my PhD and first postdoc, I studied fungal enzymes that can be used for the degradation of lignocellulose to fulfill industrial needs. Later, I changed my lab, and worked with caterpillars of the wax moth Galleria mellonella, trying to discover its mechanisms for the enzymatic degradation of polyethylene.

Now, I am starting a postdoc in Angel’s lab, with the goal of applying synthetic biology and metabolic engineering tools to enhance the biodegradation of environmentally harmful compounds, using in vivo bacterial systems

Juan Rico Molíns

I am a biologist with experience in applying molecular biology and genetic engineering techniques to implement novel or modified metabolic pathways in model microbes, including yeast, algae, and bacteria. Currently, I am conducting research in soil bacteria with a special focus on unlocking the potential of synthetic biology in non-model microorganisms with beneficial traits. Since I joined the Biocomputation lab as a postdoc, I have been investigating context dependencies of genetic circuits in a plant growth-promoting bacterium. I am also actively involved on dynamic signal processing and biosensing, evolution of genetic circuits, and building non-canonical genetic circuits. I am also interested in bacterial communities and cell-free systems for synthetic gene circuits.

Paula Mugica

I hold a Bsc. in Biological Sciences with Honours in Biotechnology from the University of Edinburgh and a Msc. in Applied Microbiology from Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. I am most interested in the potential of biotechnology to contribute significantly to a sustainable development, and thus after my studies and a few years working in Switzerland and Portugal exploring the area I decided to do a PhD in Synthetic Biology in Angel’s lab.

Pablo Japón

I am a physicist with a BSc in Physics from Universidad de Sevilla and a MSc in Biophysics from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Starting a PhD in Synthetic Biology in the lab with main interests on Systems Biology through the modeling of these systems for a better understanding of the mechanisms and laws that govern biology.

Crislaine Kelly da Silva Rocha

I hold a Bsc. in biological sciences and an MSc. in biotechnology from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. I have experience in genetic engineering and recombinant protein expression in yeast. I am passionate about how we can genetically modify cells to do whatever we want, which motivated me to choose synthetic biology as the main field for my PhD. At the Biocomputation Lab, I work on a project that uses SynBio as a toolkit to engineering a new multi-functional bacteria for plant-related applications.

Bruno Cuevas

I am a computational scientist. I obtained a Margarita Salas post-doctoral fellowship in 2022, which allowed me to work previously at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA). Before that, I received my Ph.D. in the CBGP, my master’s in the UAB, and my undergrad in the UPM. I am primarily interested in two topics: the emergence of self-organization in chemical systems and the evolution of proteins. I apply molecular simulation, network analysis, structure prediction, and machine learning techniques to different problems. I am currently in the Biocomputation lab, learning about biological computation and its possible relationship with the most daunting question: the Origin of Life.