Analysis, assessment and determination of sources and causes (environmental forensics) of soil and water quality degradation (pollution, eutrophication, fertility loss, etc.), and its environmental implications. Study of hydrological and chemical fluxes, which influence the development and conservation of the structures that constitute the landscape units.

The activity of our Research Group deals with the ecological and evolutionary selective processes faced by plants living in dry habitats. We apply this knowledge to the control of soil erosion and plant restoration, especially under dry and semiarid climatic conditions.

Since his isolation and characterization of the first human oncogene ( H-ras), Dr Santos¿ scientific career has evolved in close temporal sync with the development of Molecular Oncology. Research in his group has always focused on the study of the structure, function and regulation of Ras family members. Current research is centered on the mechanisms regulating activation of Ras proteins by their specific upstream GEF regulators in physiological and pathological processes such as cancer.

Our research is focused on the functional characterization of signal transduction molecules with oncogenic potential and, particularly, on the functional analysis of oncoproteins specialized in connecting the stimulation of membrane receptors with signaling routes that lead to both cytoskeletal change and mitogenic processes.

The main characteristic of Prof. Gonzalez Diaz¿s group is the translational research, resulting from the interaction between lab 12 in the Cancer Research Center and the Hematology department of the University Hospital of Salamanca.This interaction has been very fruitful, not only because of the scientific publications, but also, becaused of the diagnostic and therapeutic advances for patients.

The research activity of this area focuses on the relationship between the immune response and cancer, as well as on the study of malignancies derived from cells of the immune system, such as leukemias and lymphomas. Among other areas it relates with improved diagnosis and classification of leukemias and lymphomas as well evaluation of treatment e¿ectiveness during follow-up via detection of low numbers of therapy-resistant malignant cells, i.e. detection of "minimal residual disease" (MRD).

DNA Double Strand breaks are the most citotoxic DNA lesions. When left completely unrepaired they cause cellular and embryonic lethality. However, mutations that affect but not block their repair cause an increase in genomic instability, a driving force in cancer development and the molecular root of several rare genetic diseases. The phenotypes associated to defective DNA double starnd break repair vary enormously. DNA double strand breaks are repaired basically by two alternative pathways that compete for the same substrate.

Microtubule (MT) nucleation, the event that initiates de novo formation of MTs, is a highly regulated process that enables cells to acquire specific architectures and to promptly respond to any cellular change. The centrosome and the Golgi Apparatus (GA) are the two major MT-organising centres (MTOCs) in cells, and increasing evidence underpins the idea that there is a high degree of coordination and crosstalk between their activities along the cell cycle and during cell differentiation.