Theoretical and computational approaches to the origin and early evolution of life, at CAB (CSIC-INTA) Madrid

I'm a theoretical physicist and astrobiologist at the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, CSIC-INTA) in Madrid. I bring theoretical and computational methods to questions about the origin and early evolution of life in the universe, and I'm looking to connect with researchers and teams who want that capability in their projects.

Areas of expertise

• Prebiotic chemistry and the emergence of complex biological systems

• Molecular evolution and the genetic code

• Origins of molecular chirality (mirror symmetry breaking)

• Fitness landscapes and sequence-function maps

• Machine learning applied to biological sequences

• Mathematical and computational modeling of biological dynamics

How I can contribute

• As a project partner bringing modeling and theory to experimental or observational work

• As an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship supervisor at CAB (2026 call open; deadline 9 September 2026)

• As a collaborator on interdisciplinary proposals at the boundary of physics, chemistry, and biology

Why CAB

CAB was the world's first center dedicated to astrobiology and the first non-US member of NASA's Astrobiology Institute. It brings physicists, chemists, biologists, and astrophysicists together under one roof, which makes it a strong host for cross-disciplinary work.

Next step

If your project could use theory or computation in this space, contact me at celia.blanco(at)cab.inta-csic(dot)es with a short note on what you're working on. I'm glad to explore where our interests overlap.