Joaquín Martínez Martínez, PhD

Education

PhD Molecular ecology of marine algal viruses, University of Plymouth, UK, 2006

MSc Molecular diversity of Nitrogen-fixing microbes in the marine environment, University of Stirling, UK, 2002

BSc Environmental Science, University of Almería, Spain, 1999

BSc Marine Science, University of Cádiz, Spain, 1997

Research Interests

I am an ocean virus ecologist. My research is broadly focused on exploring microbial host-virus systems diversity and inter-relationships in diverse marine environments, from the Gulf of Maine to deep-sea marine sediments. My overall goal is to understand the genetic basis of viral infections and how they affect community succession and ecosystem functions through application of a broad range of molecular and microbiological tools. All forms of life in the ocean, from microbes (e.g. bacteria) to whales, are potentially susceptible to viral infection. Viruses are the most abundant biological agents in the ocean water column and sediments and one of the largest reservoirs of unexplored genetic diversity, making them an important source for discoveries in molecular and cell biology with potential application for biotechnology companies seeking novel enzymes and compounds in the ocean. Through their role as microbial predators, viruses perform crucial ecological, biogeochemical, and evolutionary functions in the environment. As such, I advocate including the study of viruses in multidisciplinary projects in order to fully understand microbial mechanisms and processes in the marine environment.