We are MOLECOLAB, a young and multidisciplinary research team at the Estación Experimental del Zaidín (EEZ-CSIC, Spain).

​We investigate how soil beneficial microbes prime plant immune responses and how this defense priming cascades to affect plant-interacting insects. Our aim is to uncover the molecular mechanisms driving this tripartite system. To achieve this, we apply approaches from molecular biology, chemical ecology, genomics, and bioinformatics to tomato and other crop species, insect pests, as well as individual microbial strains and complex soil microbiomes.

We believe that microorganisms hold great promise as drivers of sustainable and resilient food production systems. A better understanding of the influence of soil microbiomes on plant health and insect populations can inform the development of agricultural practices that rely less on chemical inputs while maintaining crop productivity.