Ignacio Belda

Complutense University of Madrid | UCM · Department of Microbiology III

Synthetic metagenomics could potentially unravel the complexities of microbial ecosystems by revealing the simplicity of microbial communities captured in a single cell. Conceptionally, a yeast cell carrying a representative synthetic metagenome could uncover the complexity of multi-species interactions, illu- strated here with wine ferments.

Agroecosystems are human-managed ecosystems subject to generalized ecological rules. Understanding the ecology behind the assembly and dynamics of soil fungal communities is a fruitful way to improve management practices and plant productivity. Thus, monitoring soil health would benefit from the use of metrics that arise from ecological explanation...

The adaptation to the different biotic and abiotic factors of wine fermentation has led to the accumulation of numerous genomic hallmarks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine strains. IRC7, a gene encoding a cysteine‐S‐β‐lyase enzyme related volatile thiols production in wines, has two alleles: a full‐length allele (IRC7F) and a mutated one (IRC7S), ha...

Network models and community phylogenetic analyses are applied to assess the composition, structure, and ecological assembly mechanisms of microbial communities. Here we combine both approaches to investigate the temporal dynamics of network properties in individual samples of two activated sludge systems at different adaptation stages. At initial...

Predictively linking taxonomic composition and quantitative ecosystem functions is a major aspiration in microbial ecology, which must be resolved if we wish to engineer microbial consortia. Here, we have addressed this open question for an ecological function of major biotechnological relevance: alcoholic fermentation in wine yeast communities. By...

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a highly fermentative species able to complete the wine fermentation. However, the interaction with other non-Saccharomyces yeasts can determine the fermentation performance of S. cerevisiae. We have characterised three rare non-Saccharomyces yeasts (Cyberlindnera fabianii, Kazachstania unispora and Naganishia globosa),...

Wine fermentations are dominated by Saccharomyces yeast. However, dozens of non-Saccharomyces yeast genera can be found in grape musts and in the early and intermediate stages of wine fermentation, where they co-exist with S. cerevisiae. The diversity of non-Saccharomyces species is determinant for the sensorial attributes of the resulting wines, b...

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a recurrent pathology of complex etiology that has been occasionally associated with oral lesions, but the overall composition of the oral microbiome in UC patients and its role in the pathogenesis of the disease are still poorly understood. In this study, the oral microbiome of UC patients and healthy individuals was com...

The microbial biodiversity found in different vitivinicultural regions is an important deter- minant of wine terroir. It should be studied and preserved, although it may, in the future, be subjected to manipulation by precision agriculture and oenology. Here, we conducted a global survey of vineyards’ soil microbial communities. We analysed soil sa...

Purpose: Grape pomace (GP) is a winery by-product rich in polyphenols and dietary fibre. Some recent results suggest that GP-derived extracts could be promising additives in food, specially recommended for low-salt diets. The hypothesis tested in this paper is that the regular consumption of GP-derived seasonings could help in the control of hypert...

The extensive use of nanoparticles (NPs) in industrial processes makes their potential release into the environment an issue of concern. Ag and ZnO NPs are among the most frequently used NPs, potentially reaching concentrations of 1–4 and 64 mg/kg, respectively, in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs), with unknown effects over microbial populations...

Our results reinforce the notion that each cultivar on each location recruits a unique microbial community and that these communities are modulated by the vegetative growth stage of the plant. Moreover, inoculation of a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

Biofilms represent an essential way of life and colonization of new environments for microorganisms. This feature is regulated by quorum sensing (QS), a microbial communication system based on autoinducer molecules, such as N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) in Gram negative bacteria. In artificial ecosystems, like Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs...

The human gut is a highly diverse microbial ecosystem. Although showing a well-defined core of dominant taxa, an interindividual variability exists in microbiome arrangement patterns, and the presence and proportion of specific species, determining individual metabolic features-metabotypes-which govern the health effects of dietary interventions (i...

Wine terroir, apart from a trending term with billionaire consequences, is an interesting research topic where agronomy, edaphology, ecology, biology and chemistry are required for its study. Thus, it is a unique research area for applying omics-based approaches. The key role that microorganisms play in vineyard health and yield, and in the perfor...

Brettanomyces bruxellensis is among the main spoilage yeasts in wine usually found in oak barrels. As routine, laboratories at wineries use selective-differential culture media to detect this yeast. Nevertheless, it is widely recognized that other microbial species can grow on these media, getting false positive signals. In this work, we have devel...

Nitrogen content of grape musts strongly impacts on fermentation performance and wine metabolite production. As nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in most grape musts, nitrogen supplementation is a common practice that en- sures yeast growth during fermentation. However, preferred nitrogen sources -as ammonium- repress the genes related to alternative...

Over the last decade, several non-Saccharomyces species have been used as an alternative yeast for producing wines with sensorial properties that are distinctive in comparison to those produced using only Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the classical inoculum. Among the non-Saccharomyces wine yeasts, Metschnikowia is one of the most investigated genera...

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are necessary to protect ecosystems quality and human health. Their function relies on the degradation of organic matter and nutrients from a water influent, prior to the effluent release into the environment. In this work we studied the bacterial community dynamics of a municipal WWTP with a membrane bioreactor...

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) is a food-grade budding yeast with ‘generally regarded as safe’ status. It has been used in the production of fermentative foods (bread), beverages (beer, wine, spirits), and biofuels. It is also used as a cell factory for the production of pharmaceutical and other important biochemical compounds. Harnessed...

Although there are many chemical compounds present in wines, only a few of these compounds contribute to the sensory perception of wine flavor. This review focuses on the knowledge regarding varietal aroma compounds, which are among the compounds that are the greatest contributors to the overall aroma. These aroma compounds are found in grapes in t...

In winemaking processes, there is a current tendency to develop spontaneous fermentations taking advantage of the metabolic diversity of derived from the great microbial diversity present in grape musts. This enological practice enhances wine complexity, but undesirable consequences or deviations could appear on wine quality. Soil is a reservoir of...

In the past, Saccharomyces spp. yeasts were almost the only option for use in modern winemaking due to their unparalleled ability to metabolize all grape juice sugar into ethanol. For that reason, until some years ago, all commercial dry yeasts were Saccharomyces spp. For several years, non-Saccharomyces were forgotten at industrial level, and even...

The microbial diversity of wine alcoholic fermentation is not restricted to the presence and activity of Saccharomyces yeast strains. Some non-Saccharomyces species have been described as part of the fermentative microbiota, specially found in the initial steps of wine fermentations. These species may play roles from wine spoilage to flavor quality...

The use of commercial yeast strains is a common practice in winemaking leading to a predictable quality in wine production, avoiding stuck or sluggish fermentations. However, the use of commercial yeasts leads to a consequent reduction of autochthonous microbial diversity. In this study, one thousand and forty‐seven isolates from three Spanish appe...

This document will present an overview about functional biodiversity in vineyards and try to illustrate major aspects of functional biodiversity in the viticultural sector: • Why enhancement of biodiversity and on what extent is beneficial for the vineyard? •Identify and illustrate different ecological infrastructures existing in the vineyards; •I...

Most wine aroma compounds, including the varietal fraction, are produced or released during wine production and derived from microbial activity. Varietal aromas, typically defined as terpenes and thiols, have been described as derived from their non-volatile precursors, released during wine fermentation by different yeast hydrolytic enzymes. The pe...

In last years, non-Saccharomyces yeasts have emerged as innovative tools to improve wine quality, being able to modify the concentration of sensory-impact compounds. Among them, varietal thiols released by yeasts, play a key role in the distinctive aroma of certain white wines. In this context, Torulaspora delbrueckii is in the spotlight because of...

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most important yeast species for the production of wine and other beverages. In addition, nowadays, researchers and winemakers are aware of the influence of non-Saccharomyces in wine aroma complexity. Due to the high microbial diversity associated to several agro-food processes, such as winemaking, developing fast an...

Wine originally emerged as a serendipitous mix of chemistry and biology, where microorganisms played a decisive role. From these ancient fermentations to the current monitored industrial processes, winegrowers and winemakers have been continuously changing their practices according to scientific knowledge and advances. A new enology direction is em...

The killer phenomenon is defined as the ability of some yeast to secrete toxins that are lethal to other sensitive yeasts and filamentous fungi. Since the discovery of strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae capable of secreting killer toxins, much information has been gained regarding killer toxins and this fact has substantially contributed knowledge...

Wine is a complex matrix that includes components with different chemical natures, the volatile compounds being responsible for wine aroma quality. The microbial ecosystem of grapes and wine, including Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts, as well as lactic acid bacteria, is considered by winemakers and oenologists as a decisive factor influe...

En las últimas décadas, la biología que subyace al proceso fermentativo y los determinantes microbiológicos que condicionan la calidad final del vino ha suscitado un interés creciente entre viticultores y enólogos. En este campo, los trabajos iniciados a principios del siglo XX por el químico y enólogo Müller-Thurgau permitieron el desarrollo de la...

During the last decade, the use of innovative yeast cultures of both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts as alternative tools to manage the winemaking process have turned the oenology industry. Although the contribution of different yeast species to wine quality during fermentation is increasingly understood, the information about...

The development of a selective medium for the rapid differentiation of yeast species with increased aromatic thiol release activity has been achieved. The selective medium was based on the addition of S-methyl-l-cysteine (SMC) as β-lyase substrate. In this study, a panel of 245 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains was tested for their abilit...

Non-Saccharomyces yeasts are a heterogeneous microbial group involved in the early stages of wine fermentation. The high enzymatic potential of these yeasts makes them a useful tool for increasing the final organoleptic characteristics of wines in spite of their low fermentative power. Their physiology and contribution to wine quality are still poo...

Analyzing the influence of different yeast species on several compounds with enological interest, it becomes possible to identify metabolic determinants of the incidence of yeasts on wine quality. Contrary to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, understand- ing genetic regulation, enzymatic properties and physiology of non-Saccharomyces species in enological...

This project is directed at the deaf community in order to meet the needs of deaf students and give them the opportunity of an integral training. It is necessary that teachers, at all educational levels, make an effort to ensure that deaf learners have the resources they need to successfully complete all academic subjects.

This work examines the physiology of a new commercial strain of Torulaspora delbrueckii in the production of red wine following different combined fermentation strategies. For a detailed comparison, several yeast metabolites and the strains implantation were measured over the entire fermentation period. In all fermentations in which T. delbrueckii...

The yeast community was studied in a municipal full-scale membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment plant (MBR-WWTP). The unexpectedly high diversity of yeasts indicated that the activated sludge formed a suitable environment for them to proliferate, with cellular concentrations of 2.2 ± 0.8 × 103 CFU ml−1. Sixteen species of seven genera were prese...

Following the deepest recession in generations, the European Union (EU) has proposed a plan to rebuild its economy that includes restructuring of its science and innovation system. In this context, the EU has rolled out a unitary patent system to improve technological development across European countries. This decision brings to light a new scient...

In an environment of crisis and cuts, innovative patent management strategies may offer a way for countries to improve return on R&D investment.

Resumen: la industria enológica persigue la búsqueda continua de cepas de levadura para el desarrollo óptimo de sus procesos de fermentación dirigidos. El aislamiento de cepas autóctonas de levadura Saccharomyces cerevisiae se impone como una opción muy favorable que nos permite complementar las ventajas del uso de levaduras seleccionadas como inóc...

NÚMERO 57 32 AÑO DE LA BIOTECNOLOGÍA caso, los gastroenterólogos comienzan a pensar cada día con más frecuencia en dos nuevas herramientas de trabajo: el diag-nóstico mediante el análisis del microbioma y la intervención nutricional con prebióticos o probióticos al objeto de recupe-rar las disbiosis del tracto digestivo.

La investigación aplicada a la industria avanza para dar respuesta a los retos que impone un mercado cada vez más exigente en términos de calidad y seguridad de productos. La industria agroalimentaria, pilar fundamental de la economía española, realiza grandes inversiones en Investigación y Desarrollo (I+D) que garanticen su pro-greso económico de...