MA Esteban

About

Dr. María Ángeles Esteban is Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Murcia and leads the Immunobiology for Aquaculture group. Her research focuses on fish mucosal immunity (skin, gill, gut), stress physiology, and host–microbiota–diet interactions, with an emphasis on preventive health strategies for Mediterranean aquaculture. Her team integrates genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to develop minimally invasive biomarkers and evidence-based interventions such as functional feeds, probiotics, and antimicrobial peptides. They translate discovery to practice through collaborations with industry and hatcheries, particularly in gilthead seabream and European seabass. Dr. Esteban serves as Editor-in-Chief of Fishes and contributes to editorial boards and evaluation panels. She is committed to open, reproducible science, training early-career researchers, and delivering tools that enhance fish welfare, reduce antimicrobial use, and improve farm resilience.
Key words: fish immunology; mucosal immunity; skin mucus; gill immunity; gut barrier; aquaculture health; Mediterranean aquaculture; Sparus aurata; Dicentrarchus labrax; probiotics; functional feeds; antimicrobial peptides; omics; transcriptomics; proteomics; metabolomics; microbiota; stress physiology; biomarkers; minimally invasive methods; welfare; biosecurity; vaccination; preventive aquaculture.

Employment

• University of Murcia Full Time Pofessor
  2002 - Present

Education

• University of Murcia Dr.
  1992 - Present

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (415)

• Analysis of immune-related parameters in gill mucus of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata): Comparing two collection approaches
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2025.110591
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• Metabolomic profiling of the serological response to a hepcidin 1 injection in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata)
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2025.110574
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• Piscidin 1 and 2 of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata): new insights into their role as host defense peptides
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2025.110501
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• Sodium butyrate promoted the skin wound healing in turbot, Scophthalmus maximus L.
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2025.110500
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• Novel hepcidin genes in gilthead seabream: Implications for immune response and iron metabolism
  Microbial Pathogenesis 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2025.107695
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• Human Health Risk and Bioaccessibility of Arsenic in Wadis and Marine Sediments in a Coastal Lagoon (Mar Menor, Spain)
  Toxics 2025 DOI: 10.3390/toxics13080647
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• Alkyne Allied Schiff‐Base Synthesis for the Tin(II) Detection via UV–Visible and Fluorescence Sensor Along With Their Cytotoxicity Assessment and Antibreast Cancer Activity Against 17Beta‐HSD1 Using Molecular Docking
  Gurjaspreet Singh, Bhavana Rani, Harshbir Kaur +5 more
  Applied Organometallic Chemistry 2025 DOI: 10.1002/aoc.70197
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• Bioinformatic and gene expression analysis of the somatostatin/cortistatin gene family in the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata)
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2025.110201
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• Effect of fish meal substitution with trout viscera protein hydrolysate on the innate immune response of red tilapia (Oreochromis spp)
  Fish Physiology and Biochemistry 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-024-01444-0
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• Erythrocytes from gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) did not engage in phagocytosis
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2025.110166
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• Evaluating serum proteinogram methodologies for the diagnosis of inflammation in fish: Acute and chronic patterns in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) injected with λ-carrageenan
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.110084
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• Effect of silk fibroin microparticles on cellular immunity and liver of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) with and without experimental skin injuries
  Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 2024 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13950
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• Biology and functions of fish thrombocytes: A review
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109509
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• In vitro immune-depression and anti-inflammatory activities of cantharidin on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) leucocytes activated by λ-carrageenan
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109470
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• A review of soluble factors and receptors involved in fish skin immunity: The tip of the iceberg
  Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2023.109311
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• Synthesis of Schiff base functionalized organosilatranes for the detection of Zirconium (IV) ion: Their cytotoxicity evaluation and anti‐inflammatory activity against cyclooxygenase‐2 via computational approach
  Gurjaspreet Singh, Yamini Thakur, Mithun Mithun +6 more
  Applied Organometallic Chemistry 2024 DOI: 10.1002/aoc.7297
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• Evaluation of the Differential Postbiotic Potential of Shewanella putrefaciens Pdp11 Cultured in Several Growing Conditions
  Marine Biotechnology 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-023-10271-y
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• In vitro effects of a natural marine algae polysaccharide (λ-carrageenan) on seabream erythrocytes, tumour cell lines and marine bacterial pathogens
  Journal of Applied Phycology 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s10811-023-03133-6
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• Participation of Hepcidins in the Inflammatory Response Triggered by λ-Carrageenin in Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)
  Marine Biotechnology 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-024-10293-0
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• Time of day-dependent effects of heat treatment on thermal tolerance and sex differentiation in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
  Aquaculture 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2023.740447
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