Martinez Group - Bionanoscience for Membrane Proteins

The Martinez Group investigates GPCR signalling using quantitative fluorescence imaging, cell-based assays, image analysis and data science.

Research focus

GPCR signaling using quantitative fluorescence imaging

We aim to accelerate Drug Discovery for more efficient future medical treatments by investigating G Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs), which play a pivotal role in numerous diseases, (including cancer, cardiac and neurological conditions, and diabetes) and are the targets of about 36% of the drugs on the market.

Our work is based on the method recently developed for the high-throughput quantitative analysis of fluorescence cell images that provides multidimensional big datasets and gives thus access to new biological information.

Group leader

Research interests and collaborations

We explore the biology of several GPCRs, and the influence of extra and intracellular parameters on GPCR signaling to better understand tissue specificity of GPCR pharmacology and improve the selection of drug candidates.

We have a strong interest for the recently identified mechanosensitive properties of GPCRs, which suggest an increasing diversity of activation mechanisms. It opens up a plethora of new questions related to these new mechanisms of activation and the relative importance of mechanical versus chemical cues, which contribute to the tissue specificity of GPCR pharmacology.

Our research is driven by the use of innovative strategies to address this question. We investigate GPCR signaling pathways at the subcellular level in single, living cells with various state-of-the-art fluorescence microscopies and we use small devices and nanomaterials to generate quantitative mechanical cues.

Interests

  • Single cell biophysical studies
  • GPCR signaling at the micro and nanoscale level
  • Use of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures for biological applications
  • Surface sensitive techniques.

Collaborations

We work with several GPCR groups at the University of Copenhagen and abroad. We have also collaborative pro-jects with several Pharma and Biotech companies.

Publications

Recent publications

See a full list of our publications via Karen L. Martinez' UCPH research profile

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