Mitochondrial Membranes Laboratory

Description

The Mitochondrial Membranes Laboratory arose from the launch of project “Artificial Mitochondria for Health” financed by the European Research Council (ERC).

The long-term goal of this project is to manufacture artificial bioinspired systems based on lipid membranes capable of interacting with cellular models with a view to improving the currently available treatments for several mitochondrial diseases.

The group combines a broad range of experience in the biophysics and biochemistry of model membranes that enables the construction of biomimetic systems for their fundamental study. In addition, the group boasts extensive knowledge about the biological function of biomembranes in important cellular functions.

The general objective of the Mitochondrial Membranes Laboratory is the modelling of biological interphases and cellular penetration mechanisms with a view to design and manufacture new biomimetic drug transport and release systems in mitochondrial diseases.

The research lines of this research group are the following:

1. The manufacturing of artificial biomimetic systems, such as artificial mitochondria, capable of generating ATP in situ and releasing it within the cells in the context of OXPHOS pathologies.
2. The study of molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial fusion aimed at identifying new therapeutic targets for diseases associated with mutations in the mitochondrial fusion machinery: type-2 Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy (CMT) and autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA).
3. The design and synthesis of chemical and biological ATP sensors to obtain real-time visualization of ATP in cellular models.