The research activity is developed on different fields related to waterborne diseases. The wide diversity of expertise by the scientific members of the research group among the different fields of Microbiology, provide MARS of an interdisciplinary character, embracing from field studies of environmental samples, wastewaters, rivers, wastewater treatment plant sludge, drinking water distribution networks, refrigeration towers, food and other matrices. The research group has a consolidated expertise on the utilization of traditional methods in Bacteriology, Virologý and Parasitology; including cell line-culture. The group has strong expertise in molecular techniques applied to studies on Virology, Bacteriology and Parasitology; these tecniques include the study of DNA and proteins, electronic microscopy, fluorescence microscopy or flux cytometry.
The research activity includes the study of different pathogenic microorganisms and indicators (bacteria, viruses and parasites) in environmental samples, methodologies to satisfy drinking water quality, avaluation of environmental sample treatment processes as well as risk analyses QMRA. The group has projects to study the mobilisation of genes encoding virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in the environment, development of biosensor for pathogen detection, to study the interactions between microorganisms (bacteria-protozoa and bacteria-virus) as well as with higher organisms, and genetic regulation mechanisms of virulence factors, among others.