APC People Profile - Maria Ruiz-Rico

Intro - María Ruiz-Rico is a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Paul O’Toole’s group at APC Microbiome Ireland. Her research focuses on evaluating the ability of key food components to modulate the human gut microbiome for the development of nutraceuticals.

Current research – Maria is particularly interested in studying the influence of different formulations of certain key food components (free, encapsulated and/or immobilised) on the composition and function of the human gut microbiome in two relevant population groups: the elderly and people with irritable bowel syndrome.

Background - María completed her PhD in Food Science, Technology and Management at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain). Her thesis focused on the encapsulation and immobilisation of bioactive molecules of interest to the food industry. She started working in the area of microbiomics through a research stay at the University of Guelph (Canada) under the supervision of Prof. Emma Allen-Vercoe. There she evaluated the impact of immobilised antimicrobials developed as food preservatives on an in vitro model of the human gut microbiota. This research allowed her to explore the relationship between diet and the human gut microbiome, which led her to propose the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship project that has brought her to APC Microbiome Ireland.

Hobbies - In her free time, María enjoys reading, cooking and practising Pilates. She also likes going to music festivals and travelling to new places.