The Centre’s research activities in the areas of Virology, Microbiology, Plant Biology, Immunology and Oncology are interconnected transversally by potent scientific infrastructures and interdisciplinary research in the areas of Structural and Functional Biology and, since 2009, Systems Biology. The Centre’s organisational structure currently comprises six major research areas.
DEPARTMENT OF MACROMOLECULAR STRUCTURES
Head: José María Valpuesta
The activity of the members of this Department is centred around different aspects of Structural Biology, covering from experimental to in silico approaches. Several groups of the Department are involved in services at the Centre, such as Proteomics, Electron Microscopy and X-ray Crystallography.
DEPARTMENT OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Head: Isabel Sola
The Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology consists of 14 independent research groups working in two areas: the structural and functional characterisation of virus and cellular elements involved in the progression of infection, and understanding the molecular basis of mammalian gene expression and control of cell processes in normal and pathological conditions.
DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
Head: Luis Ángel Fernández-Herrero
Research on microbial biotechnology is focused on microbes with environmental or clinical relevance, trying to link the generation of knowledge with the development of biotechnological applications. Work includes several approaches based on molecular genetics, systems and synthetic biology, genomics, proteomics and metagenomics.
DEPARTMENT OF PLANT MOLECULAR GENETICS
Head: Antonio Leyva
Research is conducted by the Plant Molecular Genetics Department to uncover the signalling pathways involved in the main growth and adaptive responses of plants to environmental changes and pathogenic diseases.
DEPARTMENT OF IMMUNOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY
Head: Domingo F Barber
Research carried out in the Department of Immunology and Oncology focuses on the molecular and cellular bases of immune system function and tumour development, to develop improved approaches for immune response modulation during infection and inflammatory reactions, to innovate in vaccination strategies, and to identify targets for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
DEPARTMENT OF SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
Head: Florencio Pazos
Systems Biology is a conceptual framework for studying living systems that departs from the reductionism of molecular biology; it pursues the quantitative understanding of complete biological entities rather than the mere comprehension of their parts. One of the key goals of Systems Biology is to reveal the properties embodied in the inner organisation of complete biological objects.
