National keynote speaker: Prof Beatriz Díez

 We are excited to introduce Dr. Beatriz Díez as one of our keynote speakers at the “Microbial Frontiers: Ecology in Extreme Environments” Symposium!

Dr. Díez is a spanish biologist and associate professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.Her research focuses on the study of microorganisms that inhabit extremophile environments, ranging from polar systems to cold and warm alpine thermal environments, such as those found in the Atacama Desert, active volcanoes in Chile, and ancient glaciers of Antarctica and sub-Antarctic regions. Dr. Díez and her team have contributed valuable insights into microorganisms in these ecosystems, exploring their biogeography and their role in biogeochemical cycles, as well as their biotechnological potential. Additionally, they use extremophilic organisms, particularly cyanobacteria, as models to study their evolution, ecological roles, and responses to environmental changes, as well as the metabolic, genetic, and genomic adaptations that enable their survival in extreme conditions.