Molecular biosciences

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From the green factories of nature to the invisible world of microorganisms, we delve into the intricacies of life. Our research spans plant biology, microbiology, bioinformatics, and telomere research, revealing the mysteries of life from genomes to telomeres.

Plant Biology: Understanding Nature’s Green Factories

Our exploration of plant biology focuses on evolutionary processes, distribution of plant populations, and interactions between plants and their environment. We study the plants’ systems for controlling growth, development, transport, and metabolism, and their responses to environmental stresses. We also delve into the molecular processes in plants related to the design of plant architecture, time to flowering, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and wax biosynthesis.

Microbiology: Unveiling the Invisible World

Gram-positive bacteria are of significant medical, environmental, and industrial importance. We investigate these bacteria's fundamental cellular and molecular aspects, including enzymes with heme groups, endospore biogenesis, the bacterial cytoskeleton, growth, and cell differentiation in Streptomyces, and bacterial stress responses.

Threads with yellow dots on a grey background. Microscope photo.

Bioinformatics and AI: Decoding Life’s Blueprint

In bioinformatics, we harness the power of computational tools to explore large-scale interdisciplinary questions. We study systems that include ancient and modern humans, plants, and the microbiome. Our research revolves around identity, relationships between genotypes and phenotypes, and evolution. We are at the forefront of developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to date ancient genomes and predict their historical migration routes, solely from DNA.

Telomere Research: The Key to Longevity and Health

We also study telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, and telomerase, the enzyme responsible for maintaining their lengths. Telomerase activity is found in most tumour cells, suggesting that active telomerase is a prerequisite for tumour growth. We aim to clarify the structure and function of telomeres, contributing to our understanding of telomerase activity in tumorigenesis and the role of telomere shortening in ageing. Our research also focuses on developing potential combinatorial treatments for cancer therapy by uncovering the fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying alternative telomere lengthening mechanisms.