Cristina Bez

Cristina Bez is a molecular microbiologist and microbial genomics researcher focused on chemical cell–cell communication in plant-associated bacteria. She holds a BSc in Biology and Biotechnology, an MSc in Functional Genomics, and a PhD in Molecular Biology, and she’s currently a second-year MSCA Global Postdoctoral Fellow at ICGEB Trieste. Her work investigates how bacteria coordinate behavior in natural settings, especially within complex microbiome communities, with a particular interest in LuxR solo receptors and their roles in bacteria–plant interactions. She combines molecular biology and microbial genetics with genome mining and microbiome data analysis to link regulatory systems to ecological function. Recently, she expanded into metabolomics to identify shared metabolites and candidate signaling molecules, and she views metabolomics as a key tool for uncovering how microbes communicate and cooperate in situ. She’s also interested in translating these insights into rational design of beneficial microbial consortia and probiotics that support sustainable agriculture.

Tentative Title:

Beyond canonical quorum sensing: the hidden chemistry of LuxR solos in plant microbiomes

Pillars and Topic/Subtopic:

PILLAR 3: INNOVATIVE BIOTECH & INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

3.2: Synthetic Biology, Molecular Microbiology & Bioinformatics

Sub-topic 3.2b: Gene Expression, Regulation & Cell-Cell Signaling