Biologist who changed the field for the lab. Passionate about the microbial world, that great unknown, with a weak point for the -anthropocentrically- called extreme environments. I started my career studying bacteria in the acidic waters of the Tinto River, in order to answer the question of whether there was life on Mars. Later I changed hemisphere, not planet, to study the microbiology of the South African subsoil, several km deeper and much warmer. Three years later, I found the north again and arrived in Norway, where I have lived for over a decade as a researcher. A few years ago, I switched from the microbial ecology to the fascinating world of enzymes, synthetic biology, and biotechnology. I am firmly convinced that biology and scientific knowledge in general hold the key to a sustainable and fair world. Work in progress!