Our group works in the areas of metal-free and transition metal catalyzed processes, electrochemistry and supramolecular organic chemistry. We are interested in developing new sustainable synthetic methodologies to access functional and complex structures in a controlled and selective fashion. These synthetic methods have been applied in the selective functionalization of drugs and bioactive molecules, as well as in the synthesis of natural products.

The Group studies the role of new plant species, insects and algae as alternative sources of proteins and bioactive peptides. For this, the Group addresses the characterization of proteins and peptides, as well as the evaluation of their bioactivity, digestibility, bioavailability, and mechanisms of action, serving these studies as a basis for the development of functional ingredients aimed at promoting health and preventing oxidative stress, inflammation and/or metabolic disorders-associated chronic diseases.

The group includes scientists covering fundamental and applied research areas, related to the quality and bioactivity of new foods of plant origin, fresh and processed. The main activity is the development of new foods enriched in bioactive phytochemicals (C. Garcia- Viguera), under controlled cultured conditions, novel existing ingredients (fruits or vegetables Biofactories)- D. Moreno or obtaining them from agri-food by-products (R. Dominguez- Perles and C. Garcia- Viguera).

In plants, small RNA (sRNA)-directed gene silencing pathways control key biological processes such as development, chromatin remodelling, stress responses and antiviral defense. ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins interact with other proteins, load sRNAs, and target and silence specific RNAs through sequence-specific interactions conferred by their guide sRNA.

Plants are sessile organisms with an extraordinary phenotypic plasticity. Responses of plants to stimuli take place in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. Plants thrive in these constantly changing conditions due to their ability to integrate all these external cues with their internal growth-and-development programs. Therefore, understanding how this integration process works is critical for coping with the consequences of global environmental changes facing our planet, as well as with the growing agricultural demand for food, raw materials, and energy.

Our laboratory is interested in studying how different epigenetic features affect gene expression. We are especially interested in the mechanisms that regulate the accessibility to chromatin, as well as the methylation of DNA. To address these questions, we combine molecular biology, biochemistry and genomics.

In the lab we are interested in understanding how the plant circadian clock incorporates environmental information and how it intersects with different signaling pathways to orchestrate plant physiology and development. The ultimate goal will be to leverage this information towards the improvement of crop yield and performance in the field.

From the different light-regulated plant development responses, rhe group aims to understand how plants respond to vegetation proximity, a type of plant-plant communication. In Arabidopsis thaliana, a sun-loving plant that avoids vegetation proximity and shade, perception of neighboring vegetation results in the activation of a set of responses known as the shade avoidance syndrome (SAS). The most obvious SAS response is the promotion of seedling elongation.