PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS:

• Daniel V. Guebel, PhD (“Agustín de Betancourt” Researcher, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cellular Biology and Genetics, ULL)
• Carmen Laura Sayas Casanova “Agustín de Betancourt” Researcher, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cellular Biology and Genetics, ULL)

RESEARCH LINES:

We use a combination of mathematical modelling, computational biology and machine learning techniques to tackle biomedical and biotechnological problems. So far, we have concentrated our efforts on identifying molecular targets for the treatment of infectious diseases (malaria, leishmania, AIDS), bioprocess optimisation and improvement (carnitine, terpenes), and more recently, in analysing the molecular basis in Alzheimer’s disease. In this latter field, we are currently developing a technological transfer project to set up a reliable non-invasive method for early Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

FUNDED PROJECTS:

• Identification of therapeutic targets and generation of neuroprotective peptides in Alzheimer’s disease and related taupathies. Agustín de Betancourt Project (“Identificación de nuevas dianas terapéuticas y generación de nuevos péptidos neuroprotectores en la enfermedad de Alzheimer y tauopatías relacionadas”). PI: Laura Sayas Casanova; Supervisor: Néstor Torres. Regional Government of Tenerife (2017-2021, 160,000 €.)
• Proof of concept for a non-invasive technology for early diagnosis of Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease based on circulating exosomes in peripheral blood. Agustín de Betancourt Project («Prueba de concepto para una tecnología no-invasiva de diagnóstico temprano de Enfermedad de Alzheimer Esporádica basada en exosomas circulantes en sangre periférica») PI: Daniel V. Guebel; IP-ULL: Néstor Torres. Regional Government of Tenerife (granted in 2018, implementation 2019-2023, 160,000 €)

PUBLICATIONS 2019:

• Dorta-Guerra R, Marrero I, Abdul-Jalbar B, Trujillo-González R, Torres NV. A new academic performance indicator for the first term of first-year science degrees students at La Laguna University: a predictive model. FEBS Open Bio. 2019 Sep;9(9):1493-1502. doi: 1002/2211-5463.12707
• Sayas CL, Medina M, Cuadros R, Ollá I, García E, Pérez M, Ferrer I, Hernández F, Avila J. Role of tau N-terminal motif in the secretion of human tau by End Binding proteins. PLoS One. 2019 Jan 22;14(1): e0210864. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210864
• Sayas CL, Basu S, van der Reijden M, Bustos-Morán E, Liz M, Sousa M, van IJcken WFJ, Avila J, Galjart N. Distinct Functions for Mammalian CLASP1 and -2 During Neurite and Axon Elongation. Front Cell Neurosci. 2019 Jan 29;13:5. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00005
• Gozes I, Ivashko-Pachima Y, Kapitansky O, Sayas CL, Iram T. Single-cell analysis of cytoskeleton dynamics: From isoelectric focusing to live cell imaging and RNA-seq. J Neurosci Methods. 2019 Jul 15;323: 119-124. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.05.014
• Ivashko-Pachima Y, Hadar A, Grigg I, Korenková V, Kapitansky O, Karmon G, Gershovits M, Sayas CL, Kooy RF, Attems J, Gurwitz D, Gozes I. Discovery of autism/intellectual disability somatic mutations in Alzheimer’s brains: mutated ADNP cytoskeletal impairments and repair as a case study. Mol Psychiatry. 2019 Oct 30. doi: 10.1038/s41380-019-0563-5. [Epub ahead of print]

OTHER SELECTED PUBLICATIONS FROM THE LAST 10 YEARS:

• Guebel DV, Torres NV. Sexual dimorphism and aging in the human hippocampus: Identification, validation and impact of differentially expressed genes by factorial microarray and network analysis. Front Aging Neurosci. 2016 Oct 5;8:229. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00229
• Santos G, Díaz M, Torres NV. Lipid Raft Size and Lipid Mobility in Non-raft Domains Increase during Aging and Are Exacerbated in APP/PS1 Mice Model of. Predictions from an Agent-Based Mathematical Model. Front 2016 Mar 15;7:90. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00090
• Guebel DV, Perera-Aberto M, Torres NV. Q-GDEMAR: a general method for the identification of differentially expressed genes in microarrays with unbalanced groups. Mol Biosyst. 2016 Jan;12(1):120-32. doi: 10.1039/c5mb00541h
• Santos G, Torres NV. New Targets for Drug Discovery against Malaria. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(3):e59968. doi: 10371/journal.pone.00599968
• Santos G, Hormiga JA, Arense P, Canovas M, Torres NV. Modelling and analysis of central metabolism operating regulatory interactions in salt stress conditions in a L-carnitine overproducing E. coli strain. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(4):e34533. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034533