MARCELA HERNÁNDEZ

I am an environmental microbiologist studying the diversity and function of soil microbiomes. My research interests fall into two main areas: the mechanisms and pre-existence of antimicrobial resistance genes in soil ecosystems, and the study of microbes involved in the oxidation of carbon monoxide and methane. The specific aims of my research are to identify and characterise the major players in biogeochemical cycling of the components of trace gases (for example carbon monoxide and methane). I am currently studying the metabolic processes and substrate preferences of microorganisms in volcanic deposits, which are one of the most fertile soils in the world. I analyse the metabolic pathways for key microorganisms by using metagenomic approaches to determine which natural gases they use as carbon sources. For this, I lead sampling campaigns in volcanoes in Chile and the US and incubate volcanic soils with labelled carbon and perform metagenomics to identify the active microbial communities and characterise their function in these soil deposits.

I am a member of The Earth and Life Systems Alliance (ELSA) and together with Colin Murrell and Laura Lehtovirta-Morley, we run the ELSA lab at UEA.