Gallego-Bartolomé LabPlant epigenetics · IBMCP

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression in plants.

The Gallego-Bartolomé Lab studies how chromatin structure regulates transcription, plant development and responses to environmental conditions.

We are recruiting FPI PhD fellowship MSCA 2026 postdoctoral candidates
Research areas Publications
Research themes: the function and evolution of chromatin remodelers, cell differentiation and chromatin reprogramming, and epigenome editing
IBMCP · UPV–CSICValència, Spain

Research

Research areas.

We combine molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing to study chromatin-remodeler function and evolution, cell differentiation, chromatin reprogramming and targeted epigenome modification.

01

Function and Evolution of chromatin-remodeling complexes

We study the composition and function of plant chromatin remodelers, tracing conserved machinery across eukaryotes and identifying plant-specific components.

Chromatin-remodeling machinery and evolution of remodelers
02

Cell differentiation & chromatin reprogramming

We investigate how chromatin-remodeling complexes regulate cell-state transitions and chromatin reprogramming during plant development.

Cell differentiation and chromatin reprogramming
03

Epigenome editing

We develop locus-specific tools to manipulate epigenetic marks and modulate the expression of genes of interest.

Targeted epigenome editing

Research output

Publications.

PubMed record

People

Team.

The group combines expertise in molecular biology, plant science, biochemistry and computational analysis.

Javier Gallego Bartolomé

Group leader · CSIC tenured researcher

Javier Gallego Bartolomé

Javier trained in agronomical engineering at UPV and completed his PhD at IBMCP. Following postdoctoral work at the Salk Institute and UCLA, he returned to IBMCP in 2020 to establish the lab and has been a CSIC tenured researcher since 2024.

ORCID
Joan Candela Ferré

Graduate student · FPI fellow

Joan Candela Ferré

Joan studied Biotechnology at UPV and joined the lab in February 2021 as a Master's student. After a JAE Intro fellowship, he began his PhD characterizing the function of Snf2 chromatin remodelers in plants.

Jaime Pérez Alemany

Graduate student · ACIF fellow

Jaime Pérez Alemany

Jaime studied Biotechnology at UPV and joined in February 2021 for a Master's project in bioinformatics. After a JAE Intro fellowship, he began his PhD studying how diverse Snf2 remodelers affect transcription.

Carlos Gámez Álvarez

Graduate student · MSCA fellow

Carlos Gámez Álvarez

Carlos studied Biotechnology in Granada, worked at the University of East Anglia and Tropic Biosciences, and joined in 2023 through the MSCA EpiSeedLink network. He studies DELLA-dependent transcription in chromatin, co-directed by Dr Alabadí.

Alumni

Postdocs & PhD

  • Alexia TornesakiPostdoc, 2023–2025 · Now Research Integrity Auditor Specialist at Frontiers, UK
  • Borja Diego MartinPhD, 2020–2025 · Now postdoc in the Orzáez lab, IBMCP, València

Lab technicians

  • Antonio Corbalán-AcedoLab technician, 2022 · Now PhD student in the Belda lab, IBMCP, València
  • Maria Gonzalez BlancoLab technician, 2023 · Now PhD student in the Posé lab, IHSM, Málaga
  • Xulia Noya FalcoLab technician, 2025 · Now PhD student in the Blanco lab, IBMCP, València

Master's students

  • Juan PereyraIBMCP Biotechnology Master's student, 2020–2021
  • Adrian Romero CasianoUV Bioinformatics Master's student, 2023
  • Filippo BattagliaUniMI–UGA Master's student, 2024 · Now PhD student in the Genschik lab, IBMP, Strasbourg
  • Eduardo Parreño GarcíaIBMCP Master's student, 2024 · Now PhD student at the University of Albacete
  • Eva Montoliu SilvestreUOC Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Master's student, 2025 · Now laboratory technician at IBMCP

Undergraduate students

  • Paula García MorenoUPV Biotechnology, 2021
  • Vega Boix PascualVocational training, 2024
  • Aina Donderis LlompartUPV Biotechnology, 2024
  • Josue Puig ContretasUPV Biotechnology, 2024
  • Miguel Montoya ZaragozaUPV Biotechnology and degree thesis, 2024
  • Juan Aguado MillaUV Biochemistry, 2024
  • Rosana García LlamasUV Biochemistry, 2025
  • Lucía Gimenez CiveraUV Biochemistry, 2025
  • Aicha SmailiChemistry & Environmental Health, 2026

Lab news

News archive.

Announcements and milestones preserved from the original website.

Our new project on MAS function has been funded and includes an FPI fellowship. Recruitment will begin soon—stay tuned!

Lucia Jimenez, Aicha Smaili and Daniel Vila will join the lab for a few months this spring. Welcome!

Borja successfully defended his PhD. Congratulations, and all the best in your new position at the Orzaez lab!

Xulia left the lab to start a PhD in the Blanco lab at IBMCP.

Xulia started a position as a lab technician. Welcome to the lab!

Alexia left the lab. We will miss you!

Eva started her Master's thesis in the lab, analysing the transcriptome of MAS mutants. Welcome!

We welcomed two new Master's students, Filippo and Eduardo, to work on different aspects of chromatin dynamics and expression regulation.

We welcomed our new postdoc Alexia Tornesaki to the lab to work on cell differentiation and chromatin remodeling.

Borja Diego joined the Marquardt lab at the University of Copenhagen for a two-month internship.

Jaime presented his work on the MAS remodeler complex at the 1st Epigenetics Society International Meeting in Rome.

Adrian Romero successfully defended his Master's thesis on transcription start-site changes in minu mutants.

Our group was proposed for a PID2022 grant to study the link between chromatin remodeling and transcription start-site selection.

Maria left the lab. We will miss you!

Our group was proposed for a Consolidación Investigadora 2022 grant to study chromatin remodeling and cell differentiation.

Antonio left the lab. We will miss you!

Jaime received an ACIF fellowship from the regional government to complete his PhD.

Our study on the function of the MAS complex was accepted in Nucleic Acids Research.

New preprint on a SWI/SNF complex involved in +1 nucleosome positioning and alternative transcription start-site usage. Read the preprint ↗

First publication from the lab: a collaboration with the Miguel Blázquez lab exploring the conservation of SWI/SNF complexes across eukaryotes. Read the paper ↗

Joan received an FPI fellowship from the Spanish Government to join the lab as a graduate student, and Jaime received a JAE-Intro fellowship from CSIC to join the lab for one year.

Paula started her undergraduate internship in the lab.

Joan and Jaime joined as Master's students to study chromatin-factor recruitment and develop bioinformatics pipelines for NGS analysis.

Borja Diego received an FPU fellowship from the Spanish Government to begin his PhD.

Our lab received an FPI fellowship from the Spanish Government to support a graduate student for four years, starting in spring 2021.

Our first grant: the Spanish Government selected our project for three years of funding.

Juan Pereyra joined the lab to complete his Master's thesis.

Support

Research funding.

Our work is supported through competitive national and European research programmes.

2023—2026

CHROM START

Impact of chromatin remodeling on transcription start-site selection in plants.

PID2022-140355NB-I00 · MCIN / AEI / FEDER, EU
2023—2025

Plant cell reprogramming

Role of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers in cell reprogramming.

CNS2022-135929 · MCIN / AEI / NextGenerationEU
2022—2026

EpiSeedLink

Epigenetic mechanisms of priming to design strategies for crop improvement.

HORIZON MSCA-DN-2021 · 101073476
2020—2023

Plant PHD proteins

Function of PHD proteins in plant SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes.

PID2019-108577GA-I00 · Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades · PI: Javier Gallego-Bartolomé
2020—2025

Ramón y Cajal

Research fellowship supporting the establishment of the Gallego-Bartolomé Lab at IBMCP.

RYC2018-024108-I · Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
2019—2022

TRANSLIGHT

Light-dependent composition of transcriptional complexes in plants.

EU project 835599 · PI: David Alabadí · Participation: awardee

Resources

Tools & supplementary material.

The original Tools area is preserved as an editable WordPress page, including supplementary material for Borja Diego's PhD thesis.

Open Tools

Open positions

Join the lab.

We are actively seeking PhD and postdoctoral candidates. Current opportunities include an available FPI fellowship and support for applications to the MSCA 2026 and Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral calls.

The laboratory is based at IBMCP in València and works on chromatin remodeling and epigenetic regulation using molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing.

Contact the group
PhD positionPriority recruitment

FPI fellowship available

We are looking for a motivated candidate with a Master's degree in biochemistry, molecular biology, bioinformatics or a related discipline to join the lab as a PhD student.

Apply for the FPI position
Postdoctoral fellowshipPriority recruitment

MSCA 2026

We welcome expressions of interest from postdoctoral researchers who would like to develop a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship application with our group.

View the official MSCA fellowship page
Postdoctoral fellowshipCandidates wanted

Juan de la Cierva

We are seeking postdoctoral candidates interested in applying to the Juan de la Cierva call with the Gallego-Bartolomé Lab as host group.

How to apply

Application materials

Send a CV, a motivation letter and contact details for at least two referees. PhD applicants should also include their bachelor's and master's academic transcripts.

Contact

Contact.

jagalbar@ibmcp.upv.es

Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas
IBMCP (UPV–CSIC)
Carrer de l'Enginyer Fausto Elio, 24
46011 València, Spain

+34 963 87 78 56