Jose completed his PhD in the Miguel Hernandez University, Spain, where he worked on leaf development and on salt-resistance using the model plant Arabidopsis. He came to Australia in 2006 to join the CSIRO where he focussed on seed biology topics, such as the molecular and environmental mechanisms controlling seed dormancy and germination in a variety of crop species including wheat, barley and canola. Currently Jose is leading the Legume Engineering Team, within the Pests and Diseases Group, where he is developing GM cowpeas with in-built protection against insects and with enhanced photosynthetic capacity. His team was awarded with the 2023 CSIRO Chair’s Medal for Science and Engineering Excellence, for developing the Pod-Borer Resistant cowpea, an insect resistant variety now available to farmers in Nigeria and Ghana, bringing food security for smallholder farmers.