Biointeractomics

The research work is mainly aimed at understanding the structure-activity relations of biological macromolecules, as well as at studying the transient protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions – which are crucial in many cell processes. We also try to get a deeper insight into the post-translational modifications of proteins and, in particular, of mitochondrial cytochrome c (Cc) – a protein playing a double role in redox metabolism and programmed cell death (PCD) – upon chemical modification by nitration and phosphorylation. Likewise, we attempt to provide a further understanding of the evolution of cell death by proteomic analyses identifying novel targets of Cc in humans, plants and green algae. Our research possesses a clear-cut multi- and interdisciplinary nature. In collaboration with other laboratories worldwide, we apply a diversity of methodologies and techniques ranging from molecular and cell biology to biochemistry, biophysics and computation