Independent Fellow, double affiliation CRG (Barcelona) and Andorra Recerca + Innovació (Andorra)
Postdoctoral Researcher, CRG (Barcelona)
PhD in Biomedicine, CRG (Barcelona)
Research Technician, Institut Curie (Paris) and CRG (Barcelona)
Master’s in Biotechnology, Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse) and Novartis Biomedical Research (Basel)
BSc in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse)

Summary

Our group combines environmental DNA, metagenomics and computational biology to study biodiversity especially microbial diversity in extreme environments. We explore mountain environments as natural laboratories, to investigate how environmental pressures shape microbial communities and their genomic composition, with a focus on high-mountain lakes, thermal springs and airborne eDNA. We also coordinate PyriSentinel, a cross-border initiative between Spain, France and Andorra to monitor microbial diversity in more than 300 high-mountain lakes. Together with the Stammnitz group and AR+I, we form the founding team of the joint biodiversity initiative between CRG and Andorra.

News

Hannah Benisty and Maximilian Stammnitz join AR+I–CRG Mountain Genomics Talent Programme (15/09/2026)
The fellows will help build research capacity in Andorra through a three-year fellowship

Funding Acknowledgements

The project PyriSentinel (Exploration of invisible biodiversity in Pyrinean lakes, sentinels of climate change, through high-resolution portable genomics), coordinated by the CRG, is co-financed at 65% by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Spain-France-Andorra Program (POCTEFA 2021-2027) with the objective of strengthening the economic and social integration of the Spain-France-Andorra border area.