Síntesis de Vida

Dr Alfonso Jaramillo (I2SysBio)

Dr Alfonso Jaramillo (I2SysBio)

Description of Research Line

De novo protein and RNA design. Phage engineering. Biological artificial intelligence. We experimentally work with E. coli and we also develop algorithms and software.

Dr Alfonso Rodríguez Patón (UPM)

Dr Alfonso Rodríguez Patón (UPM)

Facultad De Informática

Description of Research Line
Dra Ana Muñoz van den Eynde (CIEMAT)

Dra Ana Muñoz van den Eynde (CIEMAT)

Unidad de Investigación CTS

Description of Research Line

Desde la perspectiva interdisciplinar, sobre la base de los estudios CTS (Ciencia, Tecnología y Sociedad) y con herramientas epistemológicas y éticas, la línea de investigación del grupo plantea el análisis de procesos evolutivos, asociados al concepto de entorno de sociabilidad NACE ─Naturaleza (ambiente y seres vivos), Cultura (diálogos entre ciencia y democracia, cultura científica), Éticas (aplicación de distintos planteamientos éticos, responsabilidad, autonomía, éticas sobre la investigación científica y técnica o éticas relacionadas con la ciencia y la tecnología, interéticas apoyadas en el consecuencialismo sustentado en valores)─. Tales aproximaciones se aplican a cuestiones transversales: complejidad social, catástrofes naturales (pandemia ambiental, cambio climático), salud, educación, aspectos de índole económica (turismo, crecimiento, PIB) y síntesis de la vida.

Dr Andrés Moya Simarro (I2SysBio)

Dr Andrés Moya Simarro (I2SysBio)

Description of Research Line

The Symbiosis (Evolutionary Genetics) group of the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2Sysbio) is devoted to the study of animal and human microbiome from an evolutionary and systems biology perspective. We are also interested in the study of endosymbiosis, natural minimal cells, and the evolution of genomes and organismic complexity.

Dr Asier Echarri Aguirre (CIB-CSIC)

Dr Asier Echarri Aguirre (CIB-CSIC)

Mechanobiology of organelles

Description of Research Line

Life is possible due to biochemical reactions that enable cells to organize and adapt to the environment. In addition to these reactions, physical and mechanical cues also play a role in cell organization and adaptation. For instance, gravity affects our physiology by impacting our cell functions, as seen in astronauts. Therefore, external physical parameters, in addition to biochemical reactions, have a significant impact on cell function. Our lab is interested in understanding how mechanical signals are sensed and transduced throughout cell organelles and other cellular functional units. Understanding mechanotransduction pathways will allow us to understand how the biochemistry of life has incorporated the capacity to adapt molecules to the physical world.

Dra Astrid Wagner (IFS-CSIC)

Dra Astrid Wagner (IFS-CSIC)

Departamento de Filosofía Teorética y Filosofía Práctica

Description of Research Line

Desde la perspectiva interdisciplinar, sobre la base de los estudios CTS (Ciencia, Tecnología y Sociedad) y con herramientas epistemológicas y éticas, la línea de investigación del grupo plantea el análisis de procesos evolutivos, asociados al concepto de entorno de sociabilidad NACE ─Naturaleza (ambiente y seres vivos), Cultura (diálogos entre ciencia y democracia, cultura científica), Éticas (aplicación de distintos planteamientos éticos, responsabilidad, autonomía, éticas sobre la investigación científica y técnica o éticas relacionadas con la ciencia y la tecnología, interéticas apoyadas en el consecuencialismo sustentado en valores)─. Tales aproximaciones se aplican a cuestiones transversales: complejidad social, catástrofes naturales (pandemia ambiental, cambio climático), salud, educación, aspectos de índole económica (turismo, crecimiento, PIB) y síntesis de la vida.

Dr Carlos González (IQFR)

Dr Carlos González (IQFR)

Description of Research Line

La investigación de nuestro grupo se centra en el estudio de la estructura de ácidos nucleicos, tanto naturales (DNA y RNA), como artificiales (ácidos nucleicos con modificaciones químicas). Estudiamos también fenómenos de reconocimiento molecular que involucran ácidos nucleicos, incluyendo interacciones con proteínas y pequeños ligandos. Para ello utilizamos, principalmente, técnicas de Resonancia Magnética Nuclear (RMN).

Dra Concha Roldán Panadero (IFS-CSIC)

Dra Concha Roldán Panadero (IFS-CSIC)

Departamento de Filosofía Teorética y Filosofía Práctica

Description of Research Line

Desde la perspectiva interdisciplinar, sobre la base de los estudios CTS (Ciencia, Tecnología y Sociedad) y con herramientas epistemológicas y éticas, la línea de investigación del grupo plantea el análisis de procesos evolutivos, asociados al concepto de entorno de sociabilidad NACE ─Naturaleza (ambiente y seres vivos), Cultura (diálogos entre ciencia y democracia, cultura científica), Éticas (aplicación de distintos planteamientos éticos, responsabilidad, autonomía, éticas sobre la investigación científica y técnica o éticas relacionadas con la ciencia y la tecnología, interéticas apoyadas en el consecuencialismo sustentado en valores)─. Tales aproximaciones se aplican a cuestiones transversales: complejidad social, catástrofes naturales (pandemia ambiental, cambio climático), salud, educación, aspectos de índole económica (turismo, crecimiento, PIB) y síntesis de la vida.

Dra Dolores Pérez-Sala (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dra Dolores Pérez-Sala (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Description of Research Line

Proteins are effectors of most physiological functions in cells and they play a key role in the extracellular medium. Protein function is finely tuned at multiple levels including synthesis and degradation, intracellular localization and posttranslational modifications. The posttranslational modification of proteins is a key mechanism for the regulation of their biological activity. Various biological mediators, including lipids and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, as well as some drugs and toxins, can modify proteins posttranslationally. We are interested in the study of the importance of these processes in molecular pathophysiology and in the mechanisms of drug action. Our work includes several aspects: the structural and functional characterization of novel types of posttranslational modifications, the identification of novel protein targets for modification and the study of the pathophysiological consequences of these phenomena.

Dr Emilio Muñoz Ruiz (IFS-CSIC)

Dr Emilio Muñoz Ruiz (IFS-CSIC)

Department of Science, Technology and Society (STS)

Description of Research Line

Research Group: Science, Life and Society
The research line of the group proposes the analysis of evolutionary processes, associated with the concept of Sociability Environment NACE ─Nature (environment and living beings), Culture (dialogues between science and democracy, scientific culture), Ethics (application of different ethical approaches, responsibility, autonomy, ethics on scientific and technical research or ethics related to science and technology, interethics supported by consequentialism sustained by values)─. We use an interdisciplinary perspective, on the basis of STS studies (Science, Technology and Society) and with epistemological and ethical tools. Such approaches are applied to cross-cutting issues: social complexity, natural catastrophes (environmental pandemics, climate change), health, education, economic aspects (tourism, growth, GDP) and synthesis of life.

Dr Félix Campelo (ICFO)

Dr Félix Campelo (ICFO)

Description of Research Line
Dr Fernando de la Cruz (IBBTEC)

Dr Fernando de la Cruz (IBBTEC)

Description of Research Line
Dr Francisco Javier Ruíz Dueñas (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dr Francisco Javier Ruíz Dueñas (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Biotecnology for Lignocellulosic Biomass.

Description of Research Line

Líneas de investigación: 1) Multiomic analysis of basidiomycete fungi to unveil the composition and understand the functioning of the enzymatic machineries responsible for lignocellulose degradation. 2) Evolutionary studies, computational reconstruction, resurrection and characterization of ancestral enzymes. 3) Structure-function studies of oxidoreductases involved in the transformation of the lignin polymer and other aromatic compounds. 4) Design of tailor-made biocatalysts through enzyme directed evolution and computer-aided rational design. 5) Use of microorganisms and their enzymes in the industrial conversion of renewable plant resources into biobased chemicals and materials.

Dr Francisco José Plou Gasca (ICP-CSIC)

Dr Francisco José Plou Gasca (ICP-CSIC)

Grupo de Biocatálisis Aplicada

Description of Research Line

Enzimas que actúan sobre carbohidratos. Su aplicación para la obtención de compuestos bioactivos (prebióticos y polifenoles). Inmovilización de dichas enzimas para su reutilización.

Dr Germán Rivas (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dr Germán Rivas (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Systems Biochemistry of Bacterial Division

Description of Research Line

Our research program integrates biochemistry, biophysics, and bottom-up synthetic biology to reconstruct minimal bacterial division machineries from its molecular building blocks in controlled cell-like environments. This effort, which is framed on the quest of building synthetic cells from scratch, will contribute to our understanding of how cells divide and will provide new horizons for biotechnological and biomedical applications 

Dra Irene Otero Muras (I2SysBio)

Dra Irene Otero Muras (I2SysBio)

Computational Synthetic Biology

Description of Research Line

We work on the design, analysis and control of biomolecular networks: nonlinear, complex systems – sometimes subject to significant molecular noise- with relevance in cell regulation, signaling and metabolic processes. Our research aims to advance fundamental understanding and address innovative applications for systems and synthetic biology.

Dr Iván López-Montero (UCM)

Dr Iván López-Montero (UCM)

Mitochondrial Membranes Laboratory (MML)

Description of Research Line

The MML is an interdisciplinary laboratory aimed to study the membrane phenomena occurring at mitochondria. Using biophysical and biochemical tools, the MML projects are essentially devoted to the reconstitution of fundamental proteins in model membranes to observe, understand and even control their dynamics and self assembly under active conditions. The MML brings numerous imaging and mechanical advanced techniques (time resolved fluorescence microscopy, AFM, QMB or micromanipulation) to unveil at the molecular level the specific functions associated with bioenergetics or mitochondrial dynamics. A long-term objective of MML is the fabrication of biomimetic systems for in-cell ATP synthesis and delivery. 

Dr Javier Montenegro (CIQUS-USC)

Dr Javier Montenegro (CIQUS-USC)

Description of Research Line

We are engaged in a research program aimed to better understand the importance of fully synthetic fibrillar cytoskeletal networks for the development of synthetic cells that combine the complexity and evolved sophistication of biological processes with the control and robustness of modern synthetic and materials chemistry.

Dr Juan Rey Rocha (IFS-CSIC)

Dr Juan Rey Rocha (IFS-CSIC)

Department of Science, Technology and Society (STS)

Description of Research Line

Research Group: Science, Life and Society
Research lines:

  • Challenges, impacts and social and philosophical implications of life research
  • Relationship of human beings with other life forms
  • Scientific, social and philosophical aspects of environmental and health pandemics.
  • Environmental and ecological crisis
  • Science and democracy
  • Perception of science
  • Science communication
  • Knowledge transfer
  • Social impact of science
Dr Jorge Barriuso Maicas (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dr Jorge Barriuso Maicas (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Description of Research Line
Dr José Manuel Andreu (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dr José Manuel Andreu (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Tubulinas y FtsZ: modulación del ensamblaje de proteinas

Description of Research Line

Cytomotive proteins from the tubulin superfamily self-assemble forming dynamic filaments that are essential for DNA segregation, cell division, cytoplasmic organization and motility. These filaments can translocate (treadmill) fueled by nucleotide hydrolysis to perform their functions, even without motor proteins, growing from one end while shortening from the other. Tubulin is the target of antitumor drugs that impair microtubule dynamics. FtsZ assembly guides bacterial cell division, which is a target for the discovery of new antibiotics needed to fight resistant pathogens. My research focuses on understanding how these protein assembly machines work, their self-organizing properties, how they evolved, and also on targeting them with small molecule inhibitors. Currently, I pursue collaborative research interests at CIB as an emeritus scientist, including the mechanism of FtsZ filament dynamics at atomic resolution.

Dr Juan Nogales (CNB-CSIC)

Dr Juan Nogales (CNB-CSIC)

Systems Biotechnology Group

Description of Research Line

Since its foundation in mid-2017, Systems Biotechnology Group (SBG) aims full understanding of microbial living systems, from molecular characterisation of their fundamental components (e.g., genes) and their interrelationships, to systems properties (e.g., metabolic robustness/versatility). As applied goal, the group uses the new biological knowledge as a launch pad for designing novel and non-intuitive biotechnological process towards complex outputs. In order to address such ambitious objective, SBG has implemented a multidisciplinary approach including Systems and Synthetic Biology using iterative-learning cycles such as design–build–test–learn (DBTL) cycles.
SBG is specially committed in increasing the completeness and scope of metabolic reconstructions as preliminary step toward their use as system-level microbial analysis and designing platforms. For this, we are interested in the inclusion of new metabolic modules and the development of software for the automatic reconstruction and analysis of microbial networks.
The engineering of complex phenotypes requires of cutting-edge synthetic biology tools allowing large number of genetic perturbation in a predictable way. For this, the group is developing new standardized and fully portable SynbioTools in the context of combinatorial DNA assembly, genome editing, self-regulated gene expression and spatio-temporal designing of synthetic metabolic pathways.
Guided by the thought that complex biotechnological outputs require of division of labour in order to optimized the whole process while reducing metabolic burdens, the group is moving forward from cells to microbial communities as cell factories. In this context the group is developing new computational and synthetic biology tools for analysing, designing and engineering microbial ecosystems.

Dr Juli Peretó (I2SysBio)

Dr Juli Peretó (I2SysBio)

Description of Research Line
Dr Luis Ángel Fernández (CNB-CSIC)

Dr Luis Ángel Fernández (CNB-CSIC)

Description of Research Line

Our research is aimed to engineer bacteria for biomedical applications, including the selection and production of therapeutic molecules such as antibodies and the design of bacteria for diagnostic and therapeutic use in vivo, against infection and cancer. We use synthetic biology approaches and genome engineering to combine the expression modular genetic parts in the designed bacteria.

Dr Manuel Porcar Miralles (I2SysBio)

Dr Manuel Porcar Miralles (I2SysBio)

Description of Research Line
Dr Marek Grzelczak (CSIC-UPV/EHU)

Dr Marek Grzelczak (CSIC-UPV/EHU)

Colloidal Systems Chemistry

Description of Research Line

Nanoparticles Synthesis.  We look towards sustainable approaches and automatised processes to control the particles shape, size with progressively improving nanocrystals quality. Self-assembly. We focus on the system design to control inter-particle forces, the length-scale of the assemblies, and overall optical properties to build sustainable architectures operating at non-equilibrium conditions. Photocatalysis. By mimicking chemical processes typical in natural photosynthesis, we focus on using self-assembled nanoparticles of well-defined optical properties for light-driven regeneration of biological molecules – cofactors.

Dra María Gasset (IQFR-CSIC)

Dra María Gasset (IQFR-CSIC)

Description of Research Line
Dra María Isabel Geli Fernández-Peñaflor (IBMB-CSIC)

Dra María Isabel Geli Fernández-Peñaflor (IBMB-CSIC)

Membrane deformation by transient macromolecular complexes

Description of Research Line
Dra Maria Mercedes Jiménez Sarmiento (CIB-CSIC)

Dra Maria Mercedes Jiménez Sarmiento (CIB-CSIC)

Systems Biochemistry of Bacterial Division

Description of Research Line

Our research program integrates biochemistry, biophysics, and bottom-up synthetic biology to reconstruct minimal bacterial division machineries from its molecular building blocks in controlled cell-like environments. This effort, which is framed on the quest of building synthetic cells from scratch, will contribute to our understanding of how cells divide and will provide new horizons for biotechnological and biomedical applications. In addition, I am currently leading several science communication projects financed by competitive public calls with the aim of bringing science closer to society.

Dr Mario Mencía (UAM)

Dr Mario Mencía (UAM)

(CBM Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM) Biotecnología y genética de bacterias termófilas extremas

Description of Research Line

Las líneas de investigación en las que trabajo actualmente son: 1.Claves de la transferencia horizontal de genes a alta temperatura (con el Dr. José Berenguer). 2.Nuevas ADN polimerasas termoestables. 3.Degradación de plásticos mediante la bacteria Thermus thermophilus. Próximamente me gustaría comenzar la línea: Evolución experimental dirigida a entender el origen de los organismos eucarióticos.

Dra Marisela Vélez (ICP-CSIC)

Dra Marisela Vélez (ICP-CSIC)

Biofuncionalizacion de Superficies

Description of Research Line

The group is currently working on two different research projects: 1) dynamic self-assembly of bacterial FtsZ protein on reconstituted membranes. We are interested in understanding how the GTP consumption, the protein orientation and the underlining lipid viscous properties affect the shape and dynamic behavior of the polymers formed. We also address the question of how the dynamic behavior of the protein and the energy dissipated during the assembly process affects the properties (viscosity, packing, phase segregation) of the underlying lipids and how both issues are related to the membrane lipid composition. We approach these studies using Atomic Force Microscopy, to characterize at the single filament level, the structure and dynamics of the surface associated protein aggregates, Quartz Crystal Microbalance, to quantify in real time the association of the protein to the lipid membrane under different conditions and to analyze the protein conformation near the surface (how much it protrudes away from the membrane). We work in close collaboration with theoretical physicists ( Profs. Pedro Tarazona and Rafael Delgado, from the IFIMAC, UAM) to develop models that associate the experimental observations with the conformation of the protein on the surface and their interactions on the surfaces. 2) Electrochemical characterization of respiratory chain redox mitochondrial proteins. We aim to develop and optimize electrochemical based methods to detect mitochondrial respiratory chain diseases. We use mitochondrial membranes and reconstituted proteins on electrodes and characterize their electrochemical responses and their structure using electrochemical AFM. We work in close collaboration with Antonio Lopez de Lacey ( ICP-CSIC) and clinical groups providing us mitochondrial samples from mutant cell lines and diseased patients.

Dr Miguel Alcalde (ICP-CSIC)

Dr Miguel Alcalde (ICP-CSIC)

Description of Research Line
Dr Miguel A. Peñalva (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dr Miguel A. Peñalva (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Description of Research Line
Dr Rafael Giraldo (CNB-CSIC)

Dr Rafael Giraldo (CNB-CSIC)

Synthetic Bacterial Amyloids

Description of Research Line

The RG group (at the CNB-CSIC since 2019), explores the engineering of amyloid proteins, having generated, on the basis of the conformational plasticity exhibited by the bacterial protein RepA-WH1 upon binding to DNA, a minimal model of synthetic prion proteinopathy in E. coli that has revealed generic pathways of cytotoxicity present in neurodegenerative diseases. It is also working on the development of biosafe macromolecular devices that, implemented in bacteria, allow intervention on protein amyloidogenesis to modulate it for biotechnological, environmental and biomedical purposes.

Dr Roberto Munilla Moran (ICP-CSIC)

Dr Roberto Munilla Moran (ICP-CSIC)

Description of Research Line
Dr Rodrigo Bermejo (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dr Rodrigo Bermejo (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Description of Research Line

El interés de nuestro laboratorio se centra en comprender los mecanismos moleculares que permiten a las células replicar sus genomas y asegurar el mantenimiento de la información genética. Un objetivo principal del laboratorio es comprender cómo máquinas moleculares especializadas como polimerasas, topoisomerasas y helicasas del ADN, actúan para mantener la fidelidad de la síntesis, así como la procesividad y estabilidad de las estructuras replicativas (horquillas de replicación). También centramos nuestra atención en comprender como se coordina la replicación con otros procesos clave de la celular como transcripción, organización de la cromatina y división celular. Utilizamos una aproximación multidisciplinar que combina técnicas genéticas, que permiten diseccionar la función de los factores implicados en estos procesos, combinadas con metodologías genómicas y de biología molecular adaptadas al estudio detallado de la dinámica de replicación del ADN celular.

Dra Ruth Pérez Fernández (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dra Ruth Pérez Fernández (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Description of Research Line

Our research explores the interface between chemical biology, medicinal chemistry and supramolecular chemistry. We use modern analytical techniques to study dynamic combinatorial libraries: dynamic networks of interchanging chemical species. We apply these dynamic networks as a hit-identification tool in drug discovery to gain insight into diseases’ etiology and study the properties derived from the molecular networks in the emerging field of systems chemistry to mimic functions encountered in Nature.

Dra Sonsoles Martín-Santamaría (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dra Sonsoles Martín-Santamaría (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Description of Research Line
Dr Subramanian Padmanabhan (IQFR-CSIC)

Dr Subramanian Padmanabhan (IQFR-CSIC)

Protein NMR group

Description of Research Line

Photosensory gene regulation and signal transduction

Dra Susana Camarero (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Dra Susana Camarero (CIB-Margarita Salas)

Description of Research Line

Líneas de investigación: 1) Multiomic analysis of basidiomycete fungi to unveil the composition and understand the functioning of the enzymatic machineries responsible for lignocellulose degradation. 2) Evolutionary studies, computational reconstruction, resurrection and characterization of ancestral enzymes. 3) Structure-function studies of oxidoreductases involved in the transformation of the lignin polymer and other aromatic compounds. 4) Design of tailor-made biocatalysts through enzyme directed evolution and computer-aided rational design. 5) Use of microorganisms and their enzymes in the industrial conversion of renewable plant resources into biobased chemicals and materials.

Dra Valeria Risso (UGR)

Dra Valeria Risso (UGR)

Departamento de Química Física-Grupo Biomoléculas

Description of Research Line

Our research interests are: Protein engineering, Molecular Evolution, Ancestral Protein Resurrection, Artificial enzymes, Molecular basis of antibiotic resistance, Relation structure-energetics in proteins, Protein folding, Solvent effects on protein stability, Electrostatic contributions to protein stability, Design of thermostable proteins through optimization of the surface charge-charge interactions, Biomolecular interactions, Protein evolution, Protein folding barriers and Downhill folding.

Dra Vanessa Castro-Rodríguez (UMA)

Dra Vanessa Castro-Rodríguez (UMA)

BMBP Bio-114 Biologia Molecular y Biotecnologia

Description of Research Line

I am a molecular biologist with extensive experience in investigating nitrogen (N) signaling and metabolism in important plant species. My research interests revolve around understanding the transport, signaling, and communication processes in plants. Currently, I am focused on developing innovative tools and techniques to monitor N transport and signaling processes within plant cells using forest trees as a model organism. I believe this research has the potential to significantly impact sustainable agriculture and contribute to the development of more efficient and effective methods for plant production and biotechnology outcomes. My ultimate goal is to make meaningful contributions to the field of molecular biology and help address pressing challenges, exploring different approaches including synthetic biology.