SORRY, we are closing this website of our group of Wine Biotechnology.

Please follow us in our new website: https://www.biotenol.urv.cat/en/oenology-biotechnology-group/

See you there !!

New article of our group: The function of melatonin in glucose metabolism in yeasts

Morcillo-Parra, M.A., Martín-Esteban, S., Almellones, J., Mas, A., Beltran, G., Torija, M.J. Melatonin-protein interactions are dependent on yeast carbon metabolism. Scientific Reports 15, 8947 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93440-4

This study establishes for the first time a relationship between carbon metabolism and the interaction of melatonin with proteins in yeast cells, indicating that melatonin might play a regulatory role in glucose metabolism, as observed in human cells.

Group photo in olive courtyard, Campus Sescelades URV, January 2025

 

Katherine Bedoya has successfully presented her PhD thesis

Today 27th November 2024, our PhD student Katherine Bedoya Alvira has presented in the Faculty of Oenology her thesis "Microbiological and organoleptic influence of different stresses during the pied de cuve applied to white wine vinification". Directors: Carmen Portillo, Albert Mas and Nicolas Rozès. She has got the qualification of Excellent. Congratulations, new Doctor !!

Paloma Toraño has successfully presented her PhD thesis

Today 21st November 2024, our PhD student Paloma Toraño Jiménez has presented in the Faculty of Oenology her thesis "Efecto de las manoproteínas de levadura sobre Oenococcus oeni y la fermentación maloláctica del vino". Directors: Cristina Reguant and Nicolas Rozès. She has got the qualification of Excellent. Congratulations, new Doctor !!

Wine Biotechnology Group meeting, 4th October 2024

Last Friday 4th October we have celebrated the monthly online meeting of Wine Biotechnology Research Group.

The last results of different projects have been discussed and our colleague Jacqueline Rodríguez (predoctoral researcher, in the image) has presented the main results of her PhD work related to the effect of yeast lees on malolactic fermentation, and particularly her work in Università di Padova (Italy) from May to August 2024.

Introductory Course to Research in Microbiology

8th-11th July 2024: Introductory Course to Research in Microbiology Professor J.R. Vilanueva, in Valencia, organised by the Spanish Society of Microbiology (SEM). Deadline for registration 25th March 2024. Click here for information.

Next Congress of Food Microbiology in Cartagena

Next 9th-12th September 2024: XXIII Spanish Congress of Food Microbiology. 

The biannual meeting of Spanish food microbiologists, belonging to the Spanish Society of Microbiology (SEM), will be hold this time in the atractive historical city of Cartagena, in region of Murcia, southeast Spain. Click here for information: https://xxiiicma2024.es/

Wine Biotechnology Group meeting, 2nd February 2024

Last Friday 2nd February we have celebrated the monthly online meeting of Wine Biotechnology Research Group.

The last results of different projects have been discussed and our colleague Paloma Toraño (predoctoral researcher, in the image) has presented the main results of her PhD work on yeast mannoprotein and their effect on Oenococcus oeni and malolactic fermentation.

Candela Ruiz de Villa's study is URV outstanding news

The URV digital newspaper has published as an outstanding news the study by our colleague Dr Candela Ruiz de Villa on using an unconventional yeast to increase wine quality:

https://diaridigital.urv.cat/en/an-unconventional-yeast-increases-the-quality-of-carbonic-maceration-wine-rose-wine-and-orange-wine/

Part of the team that participated in the study (Fermentation 2023, 9, 12, 1021): Cristina Reguant, Candela Ruiz de Villa and Nicolas Rozès, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Oenology of Tarragona, University Rovira i Virgili

GRANT for PhD student

Interested in wine yeasts ?  

Our Wine Biotech Group offers a predoctoral URV grant (4 years) for working in the subject "Melatonin role in regulation of glucose metabolism in wine yeasts". 

Grant reference 2023PIPF-FPI-2.

Deadline 6th December 2023.

More information on grant:

https://www.sgr.urv.cat/cgi-bin/programes/application/detall.cgi?conv=2023PIPF-FPI-&ordre=2&idioma=ENG

Info for application:

https://www.urv.cat/media/upload/arxius/recerca_innovacio/programes/urv/FPI/2023FPI-PIPF_2a_edicio/Bases_2023PIPF-FPI_ENGLISH_RESULTES.pdf

Rafael Torres Guardado has successfully presented his PhD thesis

Last 13th November 2023, our PhD student Rafael Torres Guardado has presented in the Faculty of Oenology his thesis "Efecto del ácido succínico producido por levaduras vínicas sobre Oenococcus oeni y la fermentación maloláctica". Directors: Albert Bordons and Cristina Reguant. He has got the qualification of Excellent. Congratulations, new Doctor !!

Candela Ruiz de Villa Sardón has successfully presented her PhD thesis

Last 24th October 2023, our PhD student Candela Ruiz de Villa Sardón has presented in the Faculty of Oenology her thesis "New perspectives on malolactic fermentation and organoleptic improvement of wines: Influence of Torulaspora delbrueckii on different types of winemaking". Directors: Nicolas Rozès and Cristina Reguant. She has got the maximum qualification. Congratulations, new Doctor !!

GRANT for PhD student

Interested in wine yeasts ?  

Our Wine Biotech Group offers a predoctoral URV grant (4 years) for working in the subject "Melatonin role in regulation of glucose metabolism in wine yeasts". 

Grant reference 2023PIPF-FPI-2.

Deadline 13th October 2023.

More information on grant:

https://www.urv.cat/media/upload/arxius/recerca_innovacio/programes/urv/FPI/2023FPI-PIPF/Bases_2023PIPF_FPI_ENGLISH_RH.pdf

Info for application:

https://www.sgr.urv.cat/cgi-bin/programes/application/detall.cgi?conv=2023PIPF-FPI-&ordre=2&idioma=ENG

Public funding of wine research in Spain is no better than 20 years ago

Article published in ACENOLOGÍA, the professional and scientific magazine of Spanish oenologists, written by our colleague Albert Bordons. This article reflects the opinion of the researchers represented in the Association of Oenological Research Groups, GIENOL. 

Carmen Portillo has succesfully obtained the position of Associate Professor (Titular)

 Congratulations to Carmen !

On 24th May 2023 she defended very well her CV and her research project on microbiological techniques applied to winemaking. The jury considered that she has the merits to get this tenure position of Associate Professor (Profesora Titular de Universidad).

Great ! Our group has obtained support from Catalan Research Agency

 Congratulations !!

Our research group "Biotecnologia Enològica" (Wine Biotechnology) has obtained recognition and financial support (40,000 €) in last announcement SGR-Cat2021 from the Catalan Research Agency (AGAUR) of Generalitat de Catalunya.

Helena Roca Mesa has successfully presented her PhD thesis

Last 27th June 2022, our PhD student Helena Roca Mesa has presented in the Faculty of Oenology her thesis "Optimización del uso de levaduras no-Saccharomyces en fermentaciones mixtas: requerimientos nutricionales e interacciones microbianas". Directors: M. Jesús Torija and Gemma Beltran. She has got the maximum qualification. Congratulations, new Doctor !!

Our university is ranked 19th in research in Oenology worldwide

Research done by our groups of Oenology in Universitat Rovira i Virgili is ranked number 19 worldwide, according a bibliometric study of scientific literature on wine and grapes in the period 2016-2020, and we are number 12 in the period 1950-2020: 

Cimini A, Moresi M (2022) Research trends in the oenological and viticulture sectors. Aust J Grape Wine Res 26 feb, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajgw.12546 (open access)

Congratulations !!

New article -a mini-review- on strategies for microbiological control of alcoholic fermentation in wines

Strategies for microbiological control of the alcoholic fermentation in wines by exploiting the microbial terroir complexity: A mini-review 

Albert Mas, M. Carmen Portillo

International Journal of Food Microbiology 367 (2022) 109592

This review focuses on the alternatives to current commercial yeast starters, mainly based on the local multispecies starters or controlled spontaneous fermentations, considering the advantages and limitations of each strategy. Also, an ancestral technique based on the use of pre-fermented must (Pied-de-Cuve) is presented, because it provides certain microbial control to the alcoholic fermentation while allows the development of autochthonous microorganisms that might confer microbial typicity to the produced wines.