The Molecular and Microbial Biotechnology Group (MMBG) of the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC) has a main interest on proteolytic enzymes and their role in regulating complex and highly dynamic protein networks, in addition to their degradative function and biotechnological potential. Furthermore, we have been interested on the structural/biophysical characterization of neuronal proteins involved in human brain diseases.
Our goal is to generate an integrated platform for the discovery, characterization (biochemical/structural/functional) and evaluation of “targetability” of proteases from different sources. We aim to explore the different nodes of the protease web – proteases, substrates, binding partners/inhibitors, function – and, thereby, contribute to assign proteases to biological pathways, provide fundamental insights on their in vivo biological roles and assess if/how these can be modulated. We aim to contribute for the development of a holistic system on prokaryotic and plant (aspartic) protease networks.
