Research: Biophysics of protein folding, misfolding and toxic aggregation

Protein folding is a fundamental process in biology which may be affected by sporadic cellular conditions and genetic defects. Many human pathologies result from defective protein folding, from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease to metabolic disorders and prion disorders.

Our research focus on the understanding of the molecular determinants of protein structure and conformational stability. We study human proteins involved in metabolic and neurodegenerative conformational diseases, which become misfolded or aggregated as a result of missense mutations or adverse stress conditions. Experimentally, we use a complementary set of tools, ranging from biochemical and molecular biology to biophysical, spectroscopic and proteomics techniques.

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Tema Mestrado 2010/2011