The University of Burgos is a public university in northern Spain known for its strong focus on research, innovation and international collaboration. With almost 11,000 students, it offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs and promotes sustainable development, social engagement and academic excellence across its modern campuses. There are several strategic areas at UBU such as new materials and technologies, chemistry, social and legal sciences and human evolution.
UBU will act as the project coordinator of POMATO. In addition, UBU will participate in WP3 designing innovative polymeric sensors for the early detection of the selected plant pests, as well as in WP5 providing assessment on the developed bio-control solutions regarding their safety, environmental and economic performance and developing an Integrated Pest Management Plan to integrate the results of the validated project strategies.
“At the University of Burgos, our mission is to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world impact—transforming knowledge into solutions that address society’s most pressing challenges. “
UBU Team
Saul Vallejos Calzada
POMATO Project Scientific Coordinator
Lab head of the Polymers Research Group
“Coordinating the POMATO project and this amazing consortium of 16 partners is both a challenge and an honor—uniting diverse expertise across Europe and Latin America to tackle two major crop pests with innovative, sustainable solutions that can truly make a difference for agriculture, food security, and society at large.”
Raquel Hernández Ruiz
POMATO Co-Principal Investigator
Postdoctoral Researcher
“As the project co-principal investigator and communication bridge between partners, I’m incredibly proud of the strong and committed consortium we’ve built—fully engaged and aligned from day one.”
Rocío Barros García
POMATO Co-Principal Investigator
Scientific Director of ICCRAM
“As head of the ICCRAM-EST group and with extensive experience leading and participating in European projects, I’m excited to contribute to POMATO—bringing a strong environmental and toxicological perspective to ensure the project’s impact is both effective and sustainable.”
Ana Arnaiz Alonso
Senior Researcher of the Polymers
Research Group
“Having focused my PhD on plant defense mechanisms, I’m excited to contribute to POMATO through the development of early pest detection strategies — a project closely aligned with my research interests and background.“
Cintia Virumbrales Ortiz
Recognised Researcher of the Polymers
Research Group
“As a member of the research team, I’m thrilled to contribute my expertise in organic synthesis to POMATO — supporting the development of innovative solutions that aim to detect and control high-impact crop pests through sustainable strategies.“
Miriam Trigo López
Senior Researcher of the Polymers
Research Group
“As a long-time member of the research group and an expert in polymers, I’m excited to bring my knowledge to a project like POMATO—where science meets real-world challenges to protect crops that feed millions.”
Juan Carlos Rad Moradillo
Senior Researcher of the UBUCOMP
Research Group
“With years of experience in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, I’m proud to bring my knowledge to the POMATO project—supporting the development of sustainable, science-based strategies to protect key crops and promote healthier agricultural systems.”
Sonia Martel Martín
Senior Researcher at ICCRAM
“As part of POMATO, I will lead the evaluation of the real and potential socio-economic impacts of the project’s implementation strategies on key actors in the potato and tomato value chains—ensuring that sustainability is embedded not only environmentally and economically, but also socially from the earliest stages of development.”
Carlos Rumbo Lorenzo
Senior Researcher at ICCRAM
“In POMATO, I’ll be leading toxicological studies to ensure that the natural and biocontrol solutions developed are safe for both human and soil health and the environment. By applying a combination of in vitro, in vivo and environmental assays—aligned with EU regulatory standards—we aim to anticipate risks early on and support the implementation of truly safe and sustainable pest control strategies.”
Laura Gómez Cuadrado
Senior Researcher at ICCRAM
“In POMATO, I’ll be working on the safety hazard assessment of all materials and compounds involved—applying a Safe-by-Design approach to ensure that the development of natural and biocontrol solutions is not only effective, but also safe.”
Jesús Ibáñez Porras
Pre-doctoral researcher at ICCRAM
“As a researcher working on the socio-economic assessment of POMATO’s outcomes, I’m excited to contribute to evaluating how the project’s strategies can generate real value for farmers, stakeholders, and society—ensuring that innovation goes hand in hand with impact. “
María Emilia Iñigo Martínez
Researcher at ICCRAM
“As a researcher working on the environmental assessment of POMATO’s outcomes, I’m contributing with advanced LCA approaches, as well as multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and integrated assessment approaches to ensure that sustainability is embedded across the project’s innovations and methodologies are aligned for real-world impact. “
Led by the University of Burgos, POMATO brings together 16 partners from top universities, research organizations, SMEs, agrochemical companies, and farmers. Our international partners from regions severely affected by Cs/Rs, like Colombia and Ecuador, ensure that we exchange best practices and adapt solutions to different farming environments.
You are in the right place!
Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed!