My group focuses on understanding the role that bacterial amyloids produced by the gut microbiome play in promoting neurodegeneration to help develop new therapies targeting the microbiota to prevent and or reverse amyloid deposition.

The research group led by Associate Professor Dr. Ana V. Villar studies the molecular mechanisms related to the role of the chaperone Hsp90 and the cytokine TGFβ in their connection to cardiac fibrosis phenomena.

Our goal is to establish a profound conceptual and experimental framework allowing us to understand the molecular pathways underlying formation of SGs in plants, which will be used as a basis to finally demonstrate how the formation of these condensates promotes stress resistance and cell survival in plants. In our lab, we are mainly working in three different aspect of SG biology.

The focus of our research in the last years has been on the molecular motors involved in pilus biogenesis and substrate transport in bacterial Type IV Secretion Systems. These motors use the energy from ATP hydrolysis to perform their functions. The final goal of our studies is to characterize the molecular mechanisms involved in this process

Our research group takes advantage of the use of molecular and cellular technologies as well as next-generation and single-cell sequencing technologies, to identify the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor development in cellular and animal models as well as human samples. Particularly, we are specially interested on the role of gene expression regulation through SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes, in the metastatic potential and in treatment resistance.

The sustainable molecular systems groups focuses its research in materials capable of capturing sunlight and converting it into useful energy. It does so by preparing new molecules that absorb light in the visible region. These materials undergo either undergo charge separation or isomerise. In the former case, the materials are incorporated as thin films into devices such as organic solar cells. In the latter case, the light is stored in metastable states or is transferred into molecular motion.

Investigating the molecular role of the TORC1 complex in the regulatory mechanisms coordinating cellular growth and proliferation in eukaryotes

The research group Defensive Responses and Trophic Interactions in Crops operates in one of the most critical areas for contemporary agriculture. In a global context marked by climate change, increasing international trade, and the urgent need to reduce the use of chemical pesticides, farmers face unprecedented challenges in maintaining crop productivity and ensuring global food security. Climate change is intensifying the pressure from pests and diseases, while restrictions on the use of conventional pesticides require more sustainable and eco-friendly solutions.

Our research group focuses on understanding the interplay between genome organization and gene function. We employ cutting-edge techniques such as super-resolution microscopy and we develop tools to investigate chromatin topology and its impact on cellular processes like transcription, as well as on differentiation and disease.