Extensive experience in designing photopharmacological small molecules and supramolecular drugs, in silico and in vitro compound screening, and target validation projects related to cancer, infectious diseases, CNS related diseases and photopharmacology. Several disease models are available for testing new treatments and new disease modelling is possible.
- Custom photopharmacological concept drug design, synthesis and full light-response study.
- In silico compounds screening against a protein target and binding parameters calculation.
- PoC demonstration on wound models of infection and standard animal models (Galleria mellonella, Drosophila, etc).
- Multidisciplinary platform for drug screening and toxicological studies.
EXPERTISE IN SPECIFIC AREAS
- Central nervous system:
- Deep mutational screening of proteins/peptides: a high-throughput method for studying mechanisms of pathogenesis of all amyloid associated disease.
- Screening for modifiers of protein aggregation, that can be small molecules, peptides or compounds, potentially applicable for CNS related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Type-II Diabetes or Fronto-temporal Dementia. Available for small scale (10 sequences) or big scale (100,000 sequences) libraries.
- In vivo correlation of protein mutation with aggregate nucleation and in vivo assessment of toxicity and stability of expressed proteins and peptides.
- Efficacy assays in small and large animals for vision or navigational sense testing.
- Infectious diseases:
- Drug screening for antimicrobial resistance bacteria using a microfluidic platform for patience-based biofilm growth and monitorization, mimicking real/life clinical environment.
- Determination of the antimicrobial and antibiofilm formation activity on relevant supports (tubes, catheters, etc), under static or flow conditions, isolated or forming biofilms that can be mono or polymicrobial. Experience with Bacteria and Yeast: S. aureus, S. aureus methicillin-resistant, S. epidermis, Strep. mutans, E. faecalis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, Mycobacterium, Klepsiella, Acinetobacter, Candida, etc.
- Experience with anti-Biofilm phage therapy.
- Target validation projects of antimalaria/leishmania compounds and treatments, assessing also the prophylactic activity, the anticoagulant or hemolytic activity and the efficacy in small animal models of infection.