Meet the academic: Professor Claudio Avignone Rossa
From the metabolic flexibility of microorganisms to busking and Tai Chi: meet Professor Claudio Avignone Rossa, expert in systems microbiology and programme lead of our new Biotechnology MSc.
"I joined the Microbial Products Group at Surrey in 1999, attracted by the excellent research in biotechnology."
Tell us a bit about what you do.
I’m a Professor in Systems Microbiology in the School of Biosciences. My teaching and research focus on the investigation of basic aspects of microbiology and microbial physiology for the development of bioprocesses of relevance to human, animal and environmental health.
What brought you to Surrey?
I obtained my PhD from the University of La Plata in Argentina, and after a brief academic career there as Associate Professor of Biotechnology, I moved to the Netherlands, where I was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Amsterdam. I joined the Microbial Products Group at Surrey in 1999, attracted by the excellent research in biotechnology and the possibility of working in one of the leading research groups applying advanced approaches in the development of microbial processes.
What is your area of expertise and why are you passionate about it?
My research focuses on the use of metabolic models for the rational design of bioprocesses to produce compounds of interest for the biotech, pharma, and chemical industries (antibiotics, enzymes, solvents, etc), and for the application of microbial consortia in natural or artificial biological processes, including bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and for CO2 capture and conversion.
Even after studying microbes all those years, I’m still amazed by the extraordinary metabolic flexibility of microorganisms, and their ability to work in communities where different species coordinate their tasks to ensure the optimal functioning and survival of the community. This is also what we, as academics, try to do in our research: work in coordination with colleagues from various branches of science to solve problems and answer questions that require a multidisciplinary approach.
"I'm looking forward to training the next generation of biotechnologists; the bright UK and international graduates who will develop the science and technology of the future."
What are you most looking forward to about leading our new Biotechnology MSc?
The possibility of training the next generation of biotechnologists, transmitting our collective experience to the bright UK and international graduates who will develop the science and technology of the future.
What aspect of your own studies had the biggest impact on you?
The concept of systems biology – applying computational, mathematical and modelling tools that allow us to understand complex interactions within biological systems. This approach to understanding living systems combines quantitative molecular analysis with mathematical models, and requires the concerted efforts of biochemists, biologists, mathematicians, physicists, and engineers.
What do you get up to outside of academia?
I play bass guitar in a blues band: we have played in pubs, gigs, and festivals, and regularly do street performances (busking) in support of charity organisations. I like travelling to new places and very much enjoy reading. I don’t do as much exercise as I should… but I practise Tai Chi, ride my bike (weather permitting), and go the gym once a week.
