Molecular mechanisms of the functional and structural maintenance of the synapse. The synapses are the points of contact where neuronal communication takes place that underlies the correct operation of the brain. The nerve endings house synaptic vesicles loaded with neurotransmitters that are released after the arrival of a nerve impulse. This phenomenon can occur thousands of times a day in terminals that are very remote from the neuronal body, as in the case of motor neurones.

Our aim is the R&D of new drugs for the treatment of neurological and infectious diseases. We are a multidisciplinary research group (chemistry, pharmacy and biology) with experience on molecular modelling and chemoinformatics, organic synthesis, biological screening, ADMETox properties optimization and business management. Our projects increase the knowledge on innovative targets with clear therapeutic potential for rare diseases such as ALS and higly pathogenic viral infections (Ebola, SARS-CoV-2) that allow the discovery of new drug candidates for their treatment.

The researchers included in the Habitability group are related with the field of Astrobiology and Habitability. Several principal investigators of the group belong to science team in several space missions as the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL / curiosity) studying the physico-chemical parameter of the Mars surface. They are interested on the habitability potential of the red planet. One of the main objectives of the MSL mission is the look for signatures of life.

Molecular mechanisms of gene expression regulation in response to chemical stress and of mitochondrial homeostasis.

We are focused on the study of molecular motors involved in DNA and protein transport across biological membranes. These nanomotors are able to couple the free energy generated by ATP hydrolysis to mechanical work. Our aim is to elucidate their mechanism and apply this knowledge to develop new applications in the area of Biomedicine and Nanobiotechnology

The NANOMIDAS research group (Nanofabrication and advanced microscopies) is a group recognized by the Dirección General de Aragon (DGA) dedicated to cutting-edge research into different types of nanomaterials from an advanced microscopy point of view (Focused Ion Beam FIB, (Scanning) Transmission Electron Microscopy STEM and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy STM).

We are major contributors to the growing realization that hundreds of thousands of small ORFs (smORFs) of 10 to 100 amino-acids (aa) exist in every metazoan genome; that thousands of smORFs are translated; and that smORF peptides can have important functions and be widely conserved across metazoans. We are one of the few groups worldwide that can apply functional genomics to the study of smORFs, due to our expertise in functional genetic analysis, bioinformatics, and ribosomal profiling.

The SANUDE Group comprises 5 staff scientists and 3-4 postdocs and PhD students. Our research focus is the understanding of the signaling pathways and molecular responses to environmental stresses, both biotic and abiotic, with basic and applied interest. In particular we are interested in (1) the response to salinity stress, the homeostatic regulation of sodium contents in Arabidopsis and rice, (2) mineral nutrition of plants, specially potassium and nitrate, and (3) early signaling events in the response to bacterial pathogens and plant immunity establishment in Solanaceae.

We focus on the study of the dynamics of biological systems combing experimental, theoretical and computational tools. Our main interests are: Nonlinear regulation in pathways and its impact on disease treatment Regulation of stem cell differentiation during developmental processes Stochasticity and effect of perturbations in gene expression