News
31/10/2024 New study in Nature Biotechnology on ReChb: a versatile synthetic CRISPR-Cas protein
The research groups of Iban Ubarretxena at the Biofisika Institute and Raúl Jiménez at CIC bioGUNE have published a breakthrough study in Nature Biotechnology on a synthetic CRISPR-associated enzyme developed with cryo-EM data obtained through BREM. This novel nuclease, named ReChb, was created using ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) and shows remarkable versatility, allowing precise, PAM-independent targeting of both double- and single-stranded DNA and RNA. Structural insights from cryo-EM reveal ReChb’s expanded capabilities, positioning it as a powerful new tool for genome editing and molecular diagnostics.
25/10/2024 New article in Science Advances on antiviral defense regulation
Researchers from Prof. Iban Ubarretxena's and Dr. Igor Tascón's labs at the Biofisika Institute, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Murcia and IQF-CSIC, have published an article in Science Advances. The study provides the first high-resolution structure of a transmembrane anti-σ factor, DdvA, in complex with its ECF σ partner, DdvS. This complex controls the expression of a defense island containing both CBASS and CRISPR-Cas antiviral systems. This work sheds light on how bacterial antiviral defenses are regulated in response to invading signals, revealing a novel mechanism where the periplasmic domain of DdvA adopts a unique arrow-shaped architecture poised for signal-induced proteolysis, crucial for phage defense.
26/06/2024 New publication in Nature on the molecular basis for transposase activation
A team led by Ernesto Arias at Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC), in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, has published a study in Nature detailing the activation mechanisms of the IS21 transposase system. The research highlights the role of the AAA+ ATPase protein IstB, which forms a complex that binds and configures target DNA, enabling precise transposase activation. Advanced cryo-EM and biochemical assays revealed how IstB's nucleotide-controlled assembly and DNA deformation facilitate site selectivity and transposase recruitment. These findings offer a deeper understanding of DNA transposition and its regulation, with potential applications in biotechnology and biomedicine.
26/06/2024 New article in Nat. Commun.
The group of Anna Shnyrova at Instituto Biofisika, in collaboration with researchers from the Georg-August University in Göttingen, BREM and CIC bioGUNE, has published an article in Nature Communications exploring the stress-induced instabilities caused by membrane wrapping in a double-membrane tubular system. Combining fluorescence and cryo-EM with self-consistent field theory, they discovered that the outer membrane aid inner-tube fission through transient hemi-fusion contacts. Their findings reveal the topological complexity of fission pathways, offering new insights into membrane dynamics.
24/05/2024 Apoferritin test at 1.56 Å
Following a brief break for preventive maintenance, the Krios G4 is back in operation. We conducted an apoferritin test and achieved a resolution of 1.56 Å. The test was performed with UltraAu grid 1.2/1.3 at a magnification of 130,000X, with a pixel size of 0.6462 Å. For each hole, we captured four images, resulting in a total of 1,500 movies, with an overall dose of 42 e/Ų. The total number of particles were 410,000 in 2h data acquisition. In addition to that, we processed 10,000 random particles and the final resolution was 1.82 Å.
18/05/2024 New publication in Cell Rep. Phys. Sci.
The group of Oscar Llorca at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) has recently published a paper in Cell Reports Physical Science. Their research focuses on the RuvB-like protein 1/2 complex (RUVBL1/2), a crucial hetero-hexameric ATPase involved in chromatin remodeling and the assembly of mTORC1 and mTORC2. Using cryo-EM, the team determined the ∼2.4 Å resolution structure of the RUVBL1/2 complex bound to ATP and the aminopyrazolone CB-6644, a small molecule inhibitor with known antitumor activity. This study elucidates the regulatory mechanism of ATP on RUVBL1/2 and the impact of CB-6644 binding. BREM supported this research by assisting with the cryo-EM data collection.
05/02/2024 BREM provides high-resolution imaging for new milestone in biomedical research
Researchers from the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), and Spanish National Research Council (IBMB-CSIC) have made a significant advance in understanding cell division by creating the first atomic-scale ‘movie’ of microtubule construction. This achievement, published in Science, was made possible through the participation of the Basque Resource for Electron Microscopy (BREM), which provided essential high-resolution imaging for the study. This discovery paves the way for more targeted treatments in diseases such as cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders, marking a milestone in biomedical research.
28/11/2023 New article in Nat. Commun. with the structure of a bacterial Rhs pore-forming toxin
Research teams led by Dr. Albesa and Dr. Ubarretxena at the Instituto Biofisika have published groundbreaking research in Nature Communications. Their study sheds light on the intricate dynamics of bacterial competition, focusing on the structural elucidation of Tse5. Through cryo-EM data obtained at BREM and at eBIC, and extensive biophysical investigations they uncovered Tse5 role in delivering toxin fragments to bacterial membranes, leading to cell depolarization and death.
25/10/2022 The Basque Biomodels Platform for Human Research is launched
The research centers Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience (ACHUCARRO) and the Institute of Biofisika (BIOFISIKA, CSIC-UPV/EHU), in collaboration with the Biofisica Bizkaia Foundation, have created a research platform called the "Basque Biomodels Platform for Human Research (BBioH)". This platform aims to develop "human cellular biomodels," that is, a kind of "avatars" for the study of human biology, both in health and in diseases.
