Structural , functional and expression proteomics

Research activity in STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL PROTEOMICS is aimed at study of the structure/dynamics and function of proteins, a fundamental step in understanding cellular mechanisms and processes. In this regard, research themes are focused on aspects that range from enzymology to proteomics to structural biology, from protein biochemistry to biotechnology. The proteins of interest are obtained in a recombinant form using techniques that utilise molecular biology and biochemistry. The characterisation of proteins and their role in the formation of protein-protein and protein-ligand complexes is carried out with kinetic and spectroscopic methods combined with protein engineering and complete structural determination (X-ray and NMR). EXPRESSION PROTEOMICS studies the level of expression of proteins and their interactions with the aim of identification and characterization of biomarkers and the ranged molecular mechanisms of human pathologies and identify proteins and peptides from organisms of agrifood interest and/or those of plant or microbial origin. The overall aim is to develop analytical methods for advanced proteomic analyses. The study of level of expression of proteins is performed by mass spectrometry, electrophoretic and chromatographic techniques, and bioinformatics. Taken together, these research activities can be applied in a variety of biomedical and biotechnological applications with potential industrial, environmental and biomedical uses.