The Department of Membrane Biochemistry consists of five laboratories: Laboratory of Mitochondrial Lipids, Laboratory of Lipid Transfer Proteins, Laboratory of Sterol Metabolism, Laboratory of Value-added Lipid Production and Laboratory of Cell Cycle.
The primary focus of the laboratories are the processes by which eukaryotic cells regulate the lipid composition of their membranes. We aim to understand the mechanisms of action of anti-sterol antimycotics, particularly focusing on the mechanisms of resistance towards these drugs. Using the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe as model eukaryotic organisms, we investigate how defects in lipid metabolism lead to disturbances in cellular functions, which are implicated in the development of serious human diseases. An important aspect of our research is oriented towards the production of valuable lipid compounds in yeast.
The Laboratory of Cell Cycle focuses on the study of chromosomal segregation during meiosis using the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model eukaryotic organism. We are particularly interested in proteins involved in homologous recombination and karyogamy. By studying these proteins we seek to discover how their dysfunction can lead to various diseases such as Down Syndrome or cancer in humans.