Biological Chemistry

The Biological Chemistry division has a strong focus on functional and structural characterisation of proteins, in particular metalloproteins, membrane proteins and proteins related to human health, and also an important program on cellular stress responses. The biological problems addressed range from biological energy conservation in aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms to mechanisms of oxidative and nitrosative stress responses used by pathogens to evade host immune defenses, and also responses to metal and metalloid stress. Other studies include protein folding and stability, protein modelling and development of theoretical/computational methods for the simulation of biomolecular systems. More applied studies target the structural characterisation of proteins with pharmacological or health importance, and of enzymes with biotechnological applications.

Head of Division: Inês A. Cardoso Pereira