Alvaro Sanchez
@asanchezlab.bsky.social
CSIC Professor and Principal Investigator of the Quantitative Biology group at IBFG in Salamanca. Previously at Yale EEB, CNB-CSIC. Our group works on building predictive models of biological teams. More information at www.sanchezlaboratory.weebly.com
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
Happy to share the latest perspective piece from our lab! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Structuring complexity by mapping the possible in microbial ecosystems
Microbial ecosystems consist of many interacting components that integrate through stochastic and highly dynamic processes across multiple scales. Yet…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 5, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Happy to share the latest perspective piece from our lab! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
New year, new conferences! Consider submitting to the symposium on Fitness landscapes and Genotype-phenotype maps, linking computational and experimental approaches (organising with @n-martin.bsky.social; @dbajic.bsky.social invited spreaker) at SMBE (28/6-2/7)! Abstract deadline February 3rd!
SMBE2026 Symposium 20 | Mapping fitness landscapes with mechanistic models, machine learning and experiments
📨 Abstract submission
smbe2026.org/abstracts
📋 Programme details
smbe2026.org/programme
#SMBE2026
📨 Abstract submission
smbe2026.org/abstracts
📋 Programme details
smbe2026.org/programme
#SMBE2026
January 9, 2026 at 10:37 AM
New year, new conferences! Consider submitting to the symposium on Fitness landscapes and Genotype-phenotype maps, linking computational and experimental approaches (organising with @n-martin.bsky.social; @dbajic.bsky.social invited spreaker) at SMBE (28/6-2/7)! Abstract deadline February 3rd!
Warning though: The job post is in "Spanish" only (in truth, a dialect used exclusively at the BOE), and the instructions for applying could be MUCH more clearly explained on the web, they are difficult to navigate for non-spaniards (even for most of us spaniards too!).
January 2, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Warning though: The job post is in "Spanish" only (in truth, a dialect used exclusively at the BOE), and the instructions for applying could be MUCH more clearly explained on the web, they are difficult to navigate for non-spaniards (even for most of us spaniards too!).
Importantly, there used to exist additional hurdles for scientists with PhDs from non-spanish institutions, but I believe these no longer exist for scientists with PhDs from the European Higher Education Area (hurdles still in place for PhDs from USA, China, Australia, Canada, etc)
January 2, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Importantly, there used to exist additional hurdles for scientists with PhDs from non-spanish institutions, but I believe these no longer exist for scientists with PhDs from the European Higher Education Area (hurdles still in place for PhDs from USA, China, Australia, Canada, etc)
Opportunity for scientists considering moving to Spain as tenured scientists! Happy to see openings in microbiology across the country (including at CNB which has incorporated fantastic micro eco/evo researchers lately) and functional & systems biology at IBFG
www.ciencia.gob.es/en/Convocato...
www.ciencia.gob.es/en/Convocato...
Escala de Científicos Titulares de Organismos Públicos de Investigación
Escala de Científicos Titulares de Organismos Públicos de Investigación
www.ciencia.gob.es
January 2, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Opportunity for scientists considering moving to Spain as tenured scientists! Happy to see openings in microbiology across the country (including at CNB which has incorporated fantastic micro eco/evo researchers lately) and functional & systems biology at IBFG
www.ciencia.gob.es/en/Convocato...
www.ciencia.gob.es/en/Convocato...
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
🆕🎙️ El último podcast de 'Ciencia de Cerca' de 2025 llega con un invitado muy especial 🧑💻🦠 Álvaro Sánchez (@asanchezlab.bsky.social) investigador #ERC (@erc.europa.eu) del @ibfg.bsky.social y su novedoso trabajo de "ingeniería" de comunidades microbianas.
Escúchalo en Ivoox👉 go.ivoox.com/rf/164823351
Escúchalo en Ivoox👉 go.ivoox.com/rf/164823351
December 22, 2025 at 1:42 PM
🆕🎙️ El último podcast de 'Ciencia de Cerca' de 2025 llega con un invitado muy especial 🧑💻🦠 Álvaro Sánchez (@asanchezlab.bsky.social) investigador #ERC (@erc.europa.eu) del @ibfg.bsky.social y su novedoso trabajo de "ingeniería" de comunidades microbianas.
Escúchalo en Ivoox👉 go.ivoox.com/rf/164823351
Escúchalo en Ivoox👉 go.ivoox.com/rf/164823351
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
A pleasure and an honour to have received this prestigious grant with my admired colleagues and friends @sanmillan.bsky.social and @asanchezlab.bsky.social . More about AMR under plasmid lens!. My sincere gratitude to @caixaresearch.bsky.social
@microryc.bsky.social @esgem-sg.bsky.social
@microryc.bsky.social @esgem-sg.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 5:19 AM
A pleasure and an honour to have received this prestigious grant with my admired colleagues and friends @sanmillan.bsky.social and @asanchezlab.bsky.social . More about AMR under plasmid lens!. My sincere gratitude to @caixaresearch.bsky.social
@microryc.bsky.social @esgem-sg.bsky.social
@microryc.bsky.social @esgem-sg.bsky.social
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
2/ 🤝 This project is carried out at @cnb-csic.bsky.social is conducted in consortium with @tmcoque.bsky.social (Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria).
November 20, 2025 at 11:03 AM
2/ 🤝 This project is carried out at @cnb-csic.bsky.social is conducted in consortium with @tmcoque.bsky.social (Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria).
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
1/ Antibiotic resistance causes ➕ than 1 M deaths each year and understanding why this happens is key to stopping it.
With #HealthResearch support, @sanmillan.bsky.social is investigating how different plasmids (DNA fragments) coexist in bacteria and confer resistance.
https://tinyurl.com/3bysv6cr
With #HealthResearch support, @sanmillan.bsky.social is investigating how different plasmids (DNA fragments) coexist in bacteria and confer resistance.
https://tinyurl.com/3bysv6cr
November 20, 2025 at 11:03 AM
1/ Antibiotic resistance causes ➕ than 1 M deaths each year and understanding why this happens is key to stopping it.
With #HealthResearch support, @sanmillan.bsky.social is investigating how different plasmids (DNA fragments) coexist in bacteria and confer resistance.
https://tinyurl.com/3bysv6cr
With #HealthResearch support, @sanmillan.bsky.social is investigating how different plasmids (DNA fragments) coexist in bacteria and confer resistance.
https://tinyurl.com/3bysv6cr
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
Open Call for Expressions of Interest: become a Max Planck Director & redefine what’s possible in science! We offer scientific independence, long-term stable funding & exceptional infrastructure. Lead your own department & open new frontiers of research. Apply by 31 Oct 2025 → www.mpg.de/directors
Directors
The Max Planck Society offers Directors a unique platform for groundbreaking research and leadership in diverse scientific fields.
www.mpg.de
September 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Open Call for Expressions of Interest: become a Max Planck Director & redefine what’s possible in science! We offer scientific independence, long-term stable funding & exceptional infrastructure. Lead your own department & open new frontiers of research. Apply by 31 Oct 2025 → www.mpg.de/directors
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
Early-career researchers: want to run your own lab? 🌟Max Planck Research Groups offer 6+ years, up to €2.7M in funding, open-topic freedom, team support & tenure-track opportunities. Intrigued? 😃Apply by Oct 14, 2025! www.mpg.de/max-planck-r...
September 15, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Early-career researchers: want to run your own lab? 🌟Max Planck Research Groups offer 6+ years, up to €2.7M in funding, open-topic freedom, team support & tenure-track opportunities. Intrigued? 😃Apply by Oct 14, 2025! www.mpg.de/max-planck-r...
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) could cause 10 million deaths by 2050. At PLAS-FIGHTER, we are working to change this!
🔎 We study how plasmids spread resistance to open up new avenues for future containment and diagnostic strategies.
Find out more 👇
plasmidlab.es/project/
#AntibioticResistance
🔎 We study how plasmids spread resistance to open up new avenues for future containment and diagnostic strategies.
Find out more 👇
plasmidlab.es/project/
#AntibioticResistance
Project - Plasmidlab
PLAS-FIGHTER Exploiting plasmid-bacteria interactions to fight
plasmidlab.es
September 8, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) could cause 10 million deaths by 2050. At PLAS-FIGHTER, we are working to change this!
🔎 We study how plasmids spread resistance to open up new avenues for future containment and diagnostic strategies.
Find out more 👇
plasmidlab.es/project/
#AntibioticResistance
🔎 We study how plasmids spread resistance to open up new avenues for future containment and diagnostic strategies.
Find out more 👇
plasmidlab.es/project/
#AntibioticResistance
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
New paper alert! 🚨
Plasmids promote bacterial evolution through a copy number-driven increase in mutation rate.
We combine theory, simulations, experimental evolution, and bioinformatics to demonstrate that mutation rates scale with plasmid copy number.
Let's dive in! 🧵👇
Plasmids promote bacterial evolution through a copy number-driven increase in mutation rate.
We combine theory, simulations, experimental evolution, and bioinformatics to demonstrate that mutation rates scale with plasmid copy number.
Let's dive in! 🧵👇
Plasmids promote bacterial evolution through a copy number-driven increase in mutation rate
Plasmids are autonomously replicating DNA molecules that stably coexist with chromosomes in bacterial cells. These genetic elements drive horizontal gene transfer and play a fundamental role in bacter...
www.biorxiv.org
July 22, 2025 at 9:38 AM
New paper alert! 🚨
Plasmids promote bacterial evolution through a copy number-driven increase in mutation rate.
We combine theory, simulations, experimental evolution, and bioinformatics to demonstrate that mutation rates scale with plasmid copy number.
Let's dive in! 🧵👇
Plasmids promote bacterial evolution through a copy number-driven increase in mutation rate.
We combine theory, simulations, experimental evolution, and bioinformatics to demonstrate that mutation rates scale with plasmid copy number.
Let's dive in! 🧵👇
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
Do plasmids evolve faster 🐇, slower 🐢, or just like chromosomes 🧬?
In our new paper, we tackled this question using theory, simulations, bioinformatics, and experiments!
👇 Check out all the details in Paula’s thread!
Hint: 🐇 (most of the time)
In our new paper, we tackled this question using theory, simulations, bioinformatics, and experiments!
👇 Check out all the details in Paula’s thread!
Hint: 🐇 (most of the time)
July 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Do plasmids evolve faster 🐇, slower 🐢, or just like chromosomes 🧬?
In our new paper, we tackled this question using theory, simulations, bioinformatics, and experiments!
👇 Check out all the details in Paula’s thread!
Hint: 🐇 (most of the time)
In our new paper, we tackled this question using theory, simulations, bioinformatics, and experiments!
👇 Check out all the details in Paula’s thread!
Hint: 🐇 (most of the time)
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
Check out my first PhD paper on between-species genetic interactions (intergenomic epistasis) with @cbank.bsky.social 🌿↔️🦠✨ We define intergenomic epistasis mathematically and highlight its potential in understanding co-evolution :)
Studying the genetic basis of ecological interactions with intergenomic epistasis
https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.10835
#GxGInteractions #SpeciesInteractions #CoEvolution #HostPathogenInteractions #Epistasis #EcoEvolutionaryDynamics
https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.10835
#GxGInteractions #SpeciesInteractions #CoEvolution #HostPathogenInteractions #Epistasis #EcoEvolutionaryDynamics
April 3, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Check out my first PhD paper on between-species genetic interactions (intergenomic epistasis) with @cbank.bsky.social 🌿↔️🦠✨ We define intergenomic epistasis mathematically and highlight its potential in understanding co-evolution :)
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
Seeing this published is even better than eating sweets! I am so happy and proud of whole @lisamaierlab.bsky.social, especially Lisa and @jdlcz.bsky.social who walked the funny/exciting/rocky road with me until the very end. Check it out!
#science #microbiome #health
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#science #microbiome #health
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Non-antibiotics disrupt colonization resistance against enteropathogens - Nature
Non-antibiotic drugs from a wide range of therapeutic classes can alter the ability of gut commensals to resist invasion by enteropathogens, a previously underappreciated side effect of such drugs.
www.nature.com
July 17, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Seeing this published is even better than eating sweets! I am so happy and proud of whole @lisamaierlab.bsky.social, especially Lisa and @jdlcz.bsky.social who walked the funny/exciting/rocky road with me until the very end. Check it out!
#science #microbiome #health
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#science #microbiome #health
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
New paper in @nature.com! With @kiseokmicro.bsky.social , Siqi Liu, Kyle Crocker, Jojo Wang, Mikhail Tikhonov & Madhav Mani — a massive dataset and simple model reveal a few conserved regimes that capture how soil microbiome metabolism responds to perturbations. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
July 17, 2025 at 6:36 AM
New paper in @nature.com! With @kiseokmicro.bsky.social , Siqi Liu, Kyle Crocker, Jojo Wang, Mikhail Tikhonov & Madhav Mani — a massive dataset and simple model reveal a few conserved regimes that capture how soil microbiome metabolism responds to perturbations. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
This paper by Belda et al makes the case for wine fermentation as a model system in microbial ecology and evolution, one which hits a sweet spot between experimental tractability and rich ecological and evolutionary dynamics.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This paper by Belda et al makes the case for wine fermentation as a model system in microbial ecology and evolution, one which hits a sweet spot between experimental tractability and rich ecological and evolutionary dynamics.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
This paper by Shraddha Karve discusses how evolutionary novelties emerge in microorganisms, focusing on the different types of novel traits and the role played by the environment.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This paper by Shraddha Karve discusses how evolutionary novelties emerge in microorganisms, focusing on the different types of novel traits and the role played by the environment.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
This piece by Orr, Armitage & Letten provides a nice & clear introduction to modern coexistence theory for microbiologists, discussing how it can be applied to microbial communities & highlighting its promise, limitations & opportunities.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Coexistence Theory for Microbial Ecology, and Vice Versa
Classical models from theoretical ecology are seeing increasing uptake in microbial ecology, but there remains rich potential for closer cross-pollination. Here we explore opportunities for stronger ...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This piece by Orr, Armitage & Letten provides a nice & clear introduction to modern coexistence theory for microbiologists, discussing how it can be applied to microbial communities & highlighting its promise, limitations & opportunities.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Alvaro Sanchez
This excellent article by @clsong.bsky.social synthesizes research on the Assembly Graph, a useful conceptual & methodological tool to understand the dynamic assembly of microbial communities and multispecies coexistence.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Assembly Graph as the Rosetta Stone of Ecological Assembly
This paper introduces the assembly graph as an integrative lens to unify ecological assembly theories across dynamical, informational, and probabilistic approaches. In addition to theory, it also pre....
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This excellent article by @clsong.bsky.social synthesizes research on the Assembly Graph, a useful conceptual & methodological tool to understand the dynamic assembly of microbial communities and multispecies coexistence.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
This paper by Belda et al makes the case for wine fermentation as a model system in microbial ecology and evolution, one which hits a sweet spot between experimental tractability and rich ecological and evolutionary dynamics.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This paper by Belda et al makes the case for wine fermentation as a model system in microbial ecology and evolution, one which hits a sweet spot between experimental tractability and rich ecological and evolutionary dynamics.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
This paper by Shraddha Karve discusses how evolutionary novelties emerge in microorganisms, focusing on the different types of novel traits and the role played by the environment.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This paper by Shraddha Karve discusses how evolutionary novelties emerge in microorganisms, focusing on the different types of novel traits and the role played by the environment.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
This piece by Orr, Armitage & Letten provides a nice & clear introduction to modern coexistence theory for microbiologists, discussing how it can be applied to microbial communities & highlighting its promise, limitations & opportunities.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Coexistence Theory for Microbial Ecology, and Vice Versa
Classical models from theoretical ecology are seeing increasing uptake in microbial ecology, but there remains rich potential for closer cross-pollination. Here we explore opportunities for stronger ...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This piece by Orr, Armitage & Letten provides a nice & clear introduction to modern coexistence theory for microbiologists, discussing how it can be applied to microbial communities & highlighting its promise, limitations & opportunities.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
This excellent article by @clsong.bsky.social synthesizes research on the Assembly Graph, a useful conceptual & methodological tool to understand the dynamic assembly of microbial communities and multispecies coexistence.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Assembly Graph as the Rosetta Stone of Ecological Assembly
This paper introduces the assembly graph as an integrative lens to unify ecological assembly theories across dynamical, informational, and probabilistic approaches. In addition to theory, it also pre....
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This excellent article by @clsong.bsky.social synthesizes research on the Assembly Graph, a useful conceptual & methodological tool to understand the dynamic assembly of microbial communities and multispecies coexistence.
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...