Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches

Research in the laboratory focuses on developing nanoscale tools to study biological systems. These tools include instrumentation based on proximity probes, such as electrochemical tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy and single molecule force spectroscopy, that we apply to investigate electron transfer in individual redox proteins, and other biophysical and biochemical interactions.

These studies are relevant to understand lipid membrane dynamics, to the development of biosensors and molecular electronics devices, and have led to the discovery of long-distance electrochemically gated electron transport between partner proteins of the respiratory and photosynthetic chains.

Another set of nanotools that we are developing is based on engineered molecular actuators that can be switched with light, such as azobenzene, which can be chemically attached to biomolecules in order to remotely control their activity (photopharmacology). They include peptide inhibitors of protein-protein interactions, small molecule enzymatic inhibitors, and photoswitchable ligands of a diversity of other proteins.

Among several applications, these compounds have enabled photoactivated chemotherapy, photocontrol of cellular signaling mediated by ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors, photocontrol of cardiac activity and locomotion, sensory restoration, and photocontrol of brain waves.

Based on these tools, we have also developed two-photon pharmacology to manipulate and study the activity of neurons and glia in intact brain tissue with pharmacological selectivity and sub-cellular three-dimensional resolution.

• iMic molecular imaging system
• Electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) for molecular imaging
• Asylum Research Molecular Force Probe
• Multimode SPM Nanoscope III (SCT-UB)
• Autolab potentiostat
• Patch clamp setup with Heka EPC10 amplifier
• Molecular Imaging Electrochemical STM

• Prof. Amadeu Llebaria
  Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC)
• Prof. Ernest Giralt
  Dept. de Química Orgànica, Universitat de Barcelona
• Prof. Miquel Àngel Pericàs
  Institut Català d’Investigació Química (ICIQ), Tarragona
• Dr. Piotr Bregestovski
  Institut de Neurobiologie de la Mediterraneé (INMED), Marseille
• Dr. Mireia Oliva
  Dept. de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica, Universitat de Barcelona
• Dr. Artur Llobet
  Dept. Patología y Terapéutica Experimental, Universitat de Barcelona
• Dr. Joan Torrent
  Escola Universitària d’Òptica i Optometria de Terrassa, Spain
• Prof. Dirk Trauner
  Chemistry Dept., UC Berkeley, USA
• Prof. Carles Solsona
  Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics Dept, UB
• Prof. Francisco Ciruela
  ICREA / Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
• Prof. Jesús Giraldo & Dr. Jordi Hernando
  Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
• Niek van Hulst, Michael Krieg, Pablo Loza
  Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO)
• Carme Rovira
  ICREA, Universitat de Barcelona
• Pedro de la Villa
  Universidad de Alcalá de Henares
• Eduardo Fernández
  Universitat Miguel Hernández
• Burkhard König
  Regensburg University
• Michael Decker
  Regensburg University
• Elisabet Romero
  Institut Català d’Investigació Química (ICIQ), Tarragona
• Ismael Díez-Pérez
  King’s College London
• Andrea Barberis
  Italian Institute of Technology
• Roberta Croce
  Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Gertrudis Perea
  Instituto Cajal
• Irene Díaz-Moreno, Miguel Ángel de la Rosa, Antonio Díaz-Quintana
  Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas, Universidad de Sevilla
• Joan Torrent
  Escola Universitària d’Òptica i Optometria de Terrassa, Spain
• Jordi Hernando, Ramon Alibés, Félix Busque, Josep Maria Lluch
  Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

We are happy to receive CVs and enquiries from talented individuals. Prospective students and staff are encouraged to contact us to discuss possibilities. Please feel free to suggest new projects, areas of research or new ideas. You can visit the jobs page to find currents job openings in all IBEC groups or administration positions.