Our laboratory is focused on the study of pathogenic human viral infections. Our studies are centered at understanding the molecular basis of viral pathogenesis as well as on identifying novel molecular targets for antiviral therapy. The final aim of our studies is to propose new therapeutic approaches for antiviral treatment as well as for reversion of virus-induced pathogenesis. We believe that determining the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the virus replicates will provide new opportunities in the fight for clinically relevant human pathogens.

Conventional CD4+ T cells contribute to early immune responses by capturing bacteria by transphagocytosis. Surprisingly, transphagocytic CD4+ T cells destroy internalized bacteria. Exposure to bacteria “trains” CD4+ T cells that overexpress MHC-I and coestimulatory molecules and become hyperinflammatory secreting locally inflammatory cytokines that could block the immunosuppressive environment generated by solid tumor.

Our group is interested in the molecular basis of replication, transcription, and virus-host interactions of human respiratory coronaviruses (CoVs) using the severe and acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) as models. The impact of the infection by these viruses on the host, and the identification of signaling pathways modified by their viruses, are being studied in order to control disease.

We are interested in understanding the function of regulatory elements necessary to identify gene expression domains in mammalian genomes and that help to specify gene expression patterns in space and time.

The main objectives of our laboratory are geared to understand the molecular basis in the pathogenesis of infectious agents and their interaction with the host, as well as to use this knowledge in the development of vaccines that might be effective against viral and parasitic diseases like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, malaria, leishmaniasis and cancer. As a model system of infectious agent and as a delivery vector for expression of genes of interest, we used vaccinia virus (VV) a member of the poxvirus family.

Our group was established with the aim of studying different aspects of the Biology of toroviruses. These are emergent viruses that cause diarrhea in different animal species and in humans, and nonetheless, remain practically ignored. Specifically, epidemiological studies on the presence of torovirus in Spain had not been performed up to the start of our study. One of the topics that we are especially interested in is the interaction of the virus with the host, which has led us to participate in several collaborations to study this aspect in other viral systems.

The aim of our research is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that direct embryonic development in vertebrates. We use mouse and chicken embryos as models for the study of the role of new genes on organogenesis and their possible function on tissue homeostasis, pathology and regeneration in the adult. Our focus is on limb development, analysing digit morphogenesis and heart development, studying the role of Arid3b in cellular motility and cardiogenesis.

Our group is involved in the identification of relevant genes in root architecture and in arsenic tolerance to develop biotechnological tools for arsenic phytoremediation and nutrient uptake.