In the last two decades there has been remarkable achievements in biology specially due to the application of chemical approaches based in the synthesis of molecules that are able to tune enzymatic activity or disrupt protein-protein interactions, design of new fluorescent probes, novel proteomic methods that allow the identification of new cellular targets and the development of techniques for the synthesis and modification of proteins.
Our main goal is the use of chemical tools to study and characterize diseases, and improve our knowledge of important biological phenomena, principally autophagy, lipid-protein interactions, signaling pathways, such as Sonic Hedgehog and Ras, and the regulation of the transcription by the design of artificial transcription factors. As a result, our scientific interests span organic chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics and medicinal chemistry.
Probes & Tools
Design and synthesis of molecules (small molecules, peptides, peptidomimetics, lipids, etc.) to study and modulate biological processes.
Lipids & Proteins
The main goal is to elucidate the role of lipids in modulating the function of proteins, by the identification of novel lipid-protein interactions and
through the characterization of lipid residus present in lipid-modified proteins.
Protein Chemistry
New strategies for the synthesis and site-specific modification of proteins
Protein-DNA/RNA interactions
Design of small proteins that specifically bind and modulate DNA and RNA function.