CRISTINA SOLANO GOÑI
Catedrático Universidad

• Department: CIENCIAS DE LA SALUD
• Area: Microbiología
• e-mail: cristina.solanounavarra.es
• Phone number: (+34) 848 425734 (ext. 8024)
•   NAVARRABIOMED

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Bachelor in Pharmacy from the University of Navarra in 1994. Doctor in Pharmacy from the same university in 1998, where I studied the ability of Salmonella to form a biofilm and its contribution to virulence. During this stage, I enjoyed a predoctoral stay at the Central Veterinary Laboratory (Surrey, UK).

After working as a graduate at the microbiology laboratory of the Institute of Public Health of Navarra, directing the implementation of an accreditation system, I joined the Public University of Navarra (UPNA) and enjoyed a postdoctoral stay of two and a half years at the Institute of Agrobiotechnology (IDAB), a mixed center between UPNA/CSIC/Government of Navarra, under the direction of Dr. Iñigo Lasa. In the year 2001, I obtained, through a public competitive examination, a position of Advanced Specialized Graduate (CSIC) linked to IDAB that I held until June 2011. In 2004, I became Associate Lecturer in the area of microbiology at UPNA and in the year 2011, I joined this same area as Associate Professor, through a public competitive examination.

My research activity has focused on the characterization, at the molecular level, of the process of microbial biofilm formation in Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus. In particular, our studies have identified certain exopolysaccharides and proteins as universal elements of biofilms produced by a variety of bacterial species (e.g. cellulose; the Bap family of proteins). We also aim at analyzing the function of biofilm matrix components during infection, using a variety of animal models. On the other hand, we are interested in understanding how signal transduction systems control the transition between planktonic and sessile lifestyles. In this regard, we constructed a Salmonella multiple mutant devoid of c-di-GMP that has allowed us to analyze the relevance of c-di-GMP signaling in the production of Salmonella biofilms and bacterial motility and to develop an efficient vaccine strain for protection against salmonellosis in pigs. We have also deconstructed the two-component signal transduction system of Staphylococcus aureus by generating fifteen S. aureus strains, each containing just a single TCS, as well as a mutant lacking all 15 non-essential TCS. This powerful and unique genetic resource has allowed us to decipher the regulon of each individual TCS. Importantly, since 2016, I am responsible for the UPNA Research Group “Microbial Biofilms “.

I have been Principal Investigator of 6 research projects (3 regional and 3 national) and collaborator in 19 national and 3 European projects. I was a founding partner of the RECOMBINA spin-off company.

My teaching activity has focused on subjects of General Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Quality Control and Genetic Engineering in different degrees and in a Master in Agrobiotechnology. I have supervised 11 Master´s theses and 5 PhD theses, while two others are currently underway. I am an evaluator of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) (2011-2022) and the Israel Science Foundation (2020-2022).

I have also been responsible for the Quality Assurance Committee of the Master in Agrobiotechnology (2011-2015), deputy director of the Agricultural Production Department-UPNA (2012-2016), deputy director of the Health Science Department-UPNA (2016-2022) and deputy director of IDAB (2013-2016). I have been recognized with five research six-year terms and five five-year teaching periods. My teaching activity during the 2015-2019 period was evaluated by UPNA as excellent.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6207-1766

ResearcherID: F-9607-2011

Scopus Author ID: 7005089610