Ascaso, Carmen
Firma en Digital.CSIC (*)
Ascaso, Carmen
Centro o Instituto
CSIC - Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN)
Departamento
Biogeoquímica y Ecología Microbiana
Categoría Profesional
Profesor de investigacion del CSIC
Especialización
Carmen Ascaso is currently Professor of Research at the National Museum of Natural History (MNCN), from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). She previously belonged to Natural Resources Institute (IRN-CSIC) where she was Vice director till 2010 and she has been the head of the Electron Microscopy Service since 1990 (CCMA and ICA). Since 1980, she has been Head Researcher in projects financed by the Assessment Commission of Scientific and Technological Research, the General Administration of Science and Technology, and the Programme of Promotion of General Knowledge. Furthermore, she received special support from the Sectorial Programme for the Promotion of Knowledge for the study of the ALH84001 meteorite. She has published 150 in SCI journals and several chapters in internationally authored books reaching a total of more than 200 publications. Since the beginning of her career, her research interests have been focused on lichen symbiosis, and have included ultrastructural, ecophysiological, enzymatic and, particu-larly, thallus-substrate studies. With respect to the latter, she has been involved in the development of new methodologies for the study of microorganism/lithic substrate in-terfaces and the understanding of the processes of biomobilisation and biomineralisation. Thanks to new research strategies of the research group that she founded - the EcoGeo group belonging to the Department of Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology (MNCN) - the possibility exist of observing microorganisms without separation from the lithic substrates. Dr. Ascaso received the first samples of Antarctic rocks colonized by microorganisms at the time of receiving the Martian meteorite. His team is currently working on the study of the complexity of Antarctic microhabitats, including regression of glaciers, an issue that is under the supervision of Dr. de los Ríos. Dr. Ascaso participates in Microbial Ecosystem lithic exposed areas after glacial retreat. Succession ecology phylodiversity and geomicrobiology. MINECO. Ref. CTM2012-38222-C02-02. 2013-2015. IP: Asunción de los Ríos. She is currently involved in the study of the processes of fossilization of microorganisms under extreme conditions of different regions of Antarctica and formation of biomarkers. With regard to the subject of biodeterioration, Dr. Ascaso has been working in several monuments: Silos Monastery (Spain), Jeronimos Monastery and Tower of Belem (Portugal), Jaca Cathedral, various churches of Segovia and monuments of Novelda (Alicante-Spain), Cathedral of Segovia and Machu Picchu (Peru). Since the late 1990's, she has also been working on the effect of biocides on biodeterioration in Jeronimos Monastery and Cathedral of Segovia and in quarries Redueña-Madrid, the bridge of Talamanca del Jarama and Machu Picchu. These studies have usually been conducted in collaboration with private partners. Dr. Ascaso is currently involved in a project named Geomateriales 2-CM Ref P2013 / MIT-2914, funded by the Community of Madrid to start in October 2014 with responsibility for investigating ECOGEO-MNCN group. Since 2006 she participates in projects funded by the Community of Madrid, being responsible of the research team in previous projects: Maternas and Geomateriales. She was working with the samples exposed to outer space conditions in Biopan V and VI in September 2007, a project granted by ESA. She is also working on Project LIFE "Lichens and Fungi Experiment". EXPOSE-E Program (ESA) International Space Station. She continues the study of the Martian meteorite ALH84001. In collaboration with Dr. Wierzchos, she discovered the existence of life on the rocks of the Atacama Desert in Chile. Dr. Ascaso has participated in the last three expeditions (2010, 2011 and 2013) and is currently working with samples collected in. She partici-pates in the project Adaptation processes and geomicrobiology of lithobiontic microbial communities in extreme environments of the Atacama Desert and their metabolites: sources in biotechnology. MINECO. REF. CGL2013-42509-P. PI: Jacek Wierzchos. Research is being carried out by a multidisciplinary, international group: MNCN-CSIC (Biology and Chemistry), University of Extremadura (Geology), Johns Hopkins (Microbiology and Molecular Biology) and the University of Prague (Geochemistry). Dr. Ascaso has been one of the nominees to the Jaime I Research Awards in 2001 and she has been invited to submit her CV to the 2014 edition of this award. She is member of numerous committees, including her appointment as an expert on the European Union's "Earth Sciences Panel". She also was an expert on the "Chemical Technology and the Environment" for the National Evaluation Agency and member of the CSIC's Natural Resources Commission. Member of the Executive Committee for Physics in Action 20012003, Physics + Mathematics in Action in 2004 and 2005, Science in Action in 2006. Following the research conducted by Dr. Ascaso and his colleague Dr. Jacek Wierzchos in the Martian meteorite ALH84001, the National Museum of Natural History held an exhibition in 2000 entitled La cara oculta de Marte, with the images obtained by both researchers. Also, the Museum of Natural Sciences in Álava (MCNA ) presented Meteorites in 20002001, with some of the above mentioned pictures and the room Matadero (Huesca), conducted a presentation on the same subject, sponsored by the Diputación de Huesca in 2001. Madrid Planetarium also exhibited part of that work. The National Museum of Natural History in collaboration with L' Oréal - UNESCO For Women in Science, made a presentation entitled The lineage of Isis on Women in the History of Science , where Dr. Ascaso's work was exposed. A similar exhibition was presented at the Science Museum of Valladolid. In addition, L' Oréal - UNESCO published a book entitled Nosotras las biocientíficas españolas in 2002, offering a sample of Spanish women scientists, which included the name and work of Dr. Ascaso.
Email
ascaso@mncn.csic.es
ORCID
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