NMR spectroscopy is a versatile experimental tool used by several groups at ITQB. Proteins and other biomolecular materials are provided by collaboratoes although we have a strong interest in protein expression, purification and analysis for our own interests. We use various biochemical and spectroscopic methods, especially NMR, to investigate molecular size and shape, as well as answer which small molecules bind to biomolecules, and how.

Our primary focus at this time is on using our skills and tools to study bacterial diseases, including two “neglected diseases”, cholera and tuberculosis. We have a long-term interest in calcium-binding proteins, particularly of the EF-hand family. G-quadruplexes are pieces of DNA that are rich in guanosine residues that form a four-stranded structure, rather than the classical Watson-Crick duplex structure. We also improve and develop new methods to produce protein samples and conduct NMR experiments

In addition to our lab projects, we collaborate with other researchers in ITQB, Spain, Poland, France, Italy, UK, Hungary and Canada. If you're interested in our work, please contact Patrick (pgroves@itqb.unl.pt) for further information and research opportunities in the lab.