Andorra Selects Two Scientists for Mountain Genomics Program

Andorra Recerca + Innovació (AR+I) and the Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG) have named Hannah Benisty and Maximilian Stammnitz as the inaugural fellows in the Mountain Genomics Talent Programme.

The Andorran researcher Benisty and German scientist Stammnitz will spend three years in Andorra developing biotechnological tools to detect contaminants and chemicals in the environment. Their projects emphasize genomics to uncover invisible microbes and substances in high-mountain ponds, thermal waters and even air samples.

Benisty, a biodiversity genomics specialist previously at CRG, will analyze environmental DNA from water droplets to catalog unknown microorganisms that resist lab cultivation. She plans a pilot to sample atmospheric DNA for advanced monitoring of biodiversity shifts and environmental changes. Her efforts build on PyriSentinel, her €3 million EU-funded project since 2024 examining over 300 Pyrenean ponds.

Stammnitz, a Cambridge-trained quantitative geneticist and bioengineer, will engineer protein-based biosensors inspired by natural detectors in plants, animals and humans. His high-throughput platform, paired with AI, will screen thousands of protein-chemical interactions to create portable devices for real-time alerts on airborne or waterborne hazards—much like smartwatches for vital signs.

AR+I President Conxita Marsol described the initiative as central to the National Plan for Innovation and Economic Diversification. "Economic diversification must rest on two pillars: talent and research," she said. "We aim to attract global expertise, bring back Andorran talent and turn knowledge into innovation, skilled jobs and new opportunities." Marsol stressed its role in building a competitive, resilient economy centered on high-value activities.

Stammnitz noted the focus on health threats: "We want to know if something around us could affect our health or the environment's, and understand how to detect this invisible chemical world." Benisty added her work targets "environmental DNA from high-mountain ponds and thermal waters, plus a pilot on air DNA and microorganisms—the invisible life yet to discover."

AR+I manager Marta Domènech called it a milestone, enabling top global researchers to build careers in Andorra while linking to a leading European center like CRG. The program stems from a March collaboration agreement following an international call. CRG Director Mónica Bettencourt views Andorra's ecosystems as prime for studying climate impacts, biodiversity and health at scale.