The Research Group (RG) comprises previously fragmented research groups and seeks to bring on board the largest possible number of present and future members of the ILLA’s Department of Anthropology. It covers anthropological research of societies in a broad sense, and its members’ interests intersect at multiple levels, giving rise to interconnections that can then be consolidated by integrating them into wider Interdisciplinary Thematic Platforms (ITP).

Research group included in Stem Cell Department (CABIMER). The activities of the group fit with the strategic plans and field of interest of the National Health System. The main aim of the group is to contribute to the knowledgement of the pancreatic beta cell biology and pathophysiology from a basic point of view and to translate this knowledgement to diabetes cell therapy. To achieve this general aim the research work is focused in three principal research lines.

1. Role of SUMO and SUMO proteases in differentiation, cell viability and cancer 2. BET proteins in cancer, COVID-19 and other diseases

The long-term research goal of the PIDRU team is to translate our understanding of fundamental molecular mechanisms of pancreatic islet physiology to `drugable¿ targets for the development of innovative therapies for the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. More specifically putative targets implicated in ß-cell regeneration as well as survival are being investigated using a combination of molecular and cellular tools with subsequent validation in animal models of diabetes. A Medicinal chemistry program is also being developed on promising candidates. Several candidate targets are in the pipeline.

The key role of genome instability in tumorigenesis and a number of rare cancer-prone genetic diseases, as well as its potential risks in stem cell–based therapies, has made it a major subject in basic biological research, cancer biology and biomedicine. Our research goals are to identify and understand the causes and mechanisms of genome instability. They are based on the facts that eukaryotic DNA replication starts at multiple sites throughout the genome and is necessarily coordinated with transcription, sister chromatid cohesion, nucleosome assembly and cell cycle progression.

Research lines: -Chromatin Remodeling and Gene expression -Cancer epigenetics -Epigenetic changes during cell differentiation and development

The "Chromatin integrity and Function" group is a basic research team whose main scientific aim is understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying genome instability, paying a particular attention to the role of chromatin. Specifically, our research is focused in two major lines: role of chromatin assembly on genome regulation and stability, and study of the mechanisms of DNA damage tolerance. The group is formed by the principal investigator, a senior PhD, and a variable number of posdoc and PhD students.

The research group investigates 1) the molecular bases and treatment of rare diseases and 2) how oxidative Damage modulates DNA repair and replication. Our model organisms include yeast and human cell lines.

The research in our group aims to advance in our knowledge about the signaling pathways that orchestrate the progression through the cell cycle, as well as to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which the main cellular checkpoints ensure the fidelity of chromosome segregation and the maintenance of the correct ploidy during cell division. Additionally, we are particularly interested in understanding how the above-mentioned processes are coordinated with the establishment of polarity during asymmetric cell divisions.