Molecular and Cellular Biology

DEPARTMENT

The Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology hosts 14 independent research groups working in two broad, closely interwoven research areas, with the goal of identifying specific therapeutic targets for use in disease prevention and control.

The first area focuses on Virology, dissecting viral replication mechanisms and on structural studies of key viral proteins, as well as virus-host interactions for important human and veterinary pathogens. The identification of virus and cell elements with key roles in virus replication is essential for the rational design and implementation of new strategies for disease control. Understanding the mechanisms that allow a virus to evade or counteract innate and adaptive host immune responses will allow generation of innovative vaccination strategies and virus-based vaccine vectors. The second area regards different aspects of Biomedicine, from gene expression, to cellular biology of tumors and the development of novel antitumor therapies to understand the molecular networks allowing the generation of neurons and circuits of the mammalian cerebral cortex. The main aim of this research program, is to improve current diagnostics and therapies for different human diseases.

Our department developed the virus biotechnology platform (VBP), created with the aim of providing integral biotechnological solutions to health challenges caused by viruses. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic several groups have devoted their efforts to fight against SARS-CoV-2 by: i) developing vaccines based on non-replicative SARS-CoV-2 replicons and on poxvirus recombinants; ii) developing a high throughput screening platform to test compound libraries for their antiviral potential against SARS-CoV-2; iii) developing ultra-deep sequencing techniques to study intra-host variability of SARS-CoV-2; iv) producing recombinant SARS-CoV-2 proteins as antigens for the development of serological test and potential vaccines; v) producing monoclonal antibodies for anti-viral therapy; vi) controlling viral infection through the modulation of cellular energy metabolism; and vii) using the CRISPR/cas13d technology as a therapeutic tool to target coronavirus RNA genome.

Head Esteban Veiga