We are a diverse team of scientists trained in ecology, bioinformatics and biotechnology based at the Department of Ecology and Complexity of the Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC). Our mission is to improve what we know about the traits of the majority of microbes that remain uncharacterized, and to use that information to understand how they interact and function in complex communities. We investigate microbes in their natural ecosystems using metagenomics and combine predictive methods with lab experiments to guide the design of stable microbial consortia of societal interest.