Laura Catón

Dr. Laura Catón is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, working under Prof. Silvia Vignolini. Her research focuses on engineering microbes for sustainable biotechnological applications through genetic structural color development.

Education:

• BSc and MSc in Environmental Science from Granada University
• Research experience at Water Institute of University of Granada (bacterial bioremediation)
• Research at Utrecht University (bacterial protein secretion systems)
• Industrial CASE PhD at University of Cambridge with Hoekmine biotech company

Research Interests: Catón pioneers the field of genetic structural color in bacteria, focusing on engineering Flavobacterium IR1 as a model organism. Her work integrates synthetic biology to control bacterial photonic structures, uncover genetic pathways for light-manipulating materials, and investigate ecological functions of structural color in microbial communities. This research bridges fundamental microbiology with sustainable material science to develop eco-friendly biotechnological solutions for industrial applications.

Scientific Awards:

• ASM-FEMS Mäkelä-Cassell Travel Award for Early-Career Scientists (2024)

Advising and Grants: No information available regarding student supervision or research grants in the provided materials. Current work continues under Prof. Vignolini's leadership at the Max Planck Institute.

Labs and Teams: Member of Prof. Silvia Vignolini's research group within the Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials department, utilizing advanced facilities at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam for microbial engineering and photonic materials development.