Mario Antonio Bianchet, PhD

My structural biology research targets macromolecules of biomedical interest, and focuses on understanding the relation between their biological function/dysfunction and three-dimensional structure, with a disease-oriented emphasis in pharmacological therapies. This research utilizes biochemical, molecular biology, and in particular biophysical methods such as X-ray diffraction and small angle scattering, computer modeling and simulation. During my structural enzymologist career, I have substantially contributed to the understanding of the relationship between structure and function of a number of biomedical  relevant macromolecules in different fields: bioenergetics (rat liver F1-ATPase); cytoprotection and DNA repair, (NAD[P]H Quinone acceptor oxidoreductases 1 and 2, and uracil DNA glycosylase); glycobiology, carbohydrate recognition (galectin-1, F-lectins); axon-guidance in nerve development (MICAL-1);  as well as infectious diseases (Mycobacterium tuberculosis L,D-transpeptidases) resulting in 70 publications and 60 structures deposition in the protein databank.

My present interest includes MICAL-1, an monooxygenase that mediates the cytoskeleton reorganization required by axon guidance processes; L,D-transpeptidases; NAD(P)H: quinone acceptor oxidoreductase, and HIV-1 regulatory and accessory proteins. Currently I am developing a structural biology research program focus on neurodegenerative diseases associated with viral infections, seeking the determination and characterization in atomic detail of pharmacologically exploitable protein-protein interactions involving these diseases pathogenesis and progression.