Main contact Dr. LUIS MENENDEZ-ARIAS Organisation name: Centro de Biologa Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM) http://www.cbm.uam.

es Department/Unit: Virology and Microbiology Address: c/ Nicols Cabrera, 1 28049 Madrid Spain Main organisation Centro de Biologa Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM) Address: c/ Nicols Cabrera, 1 28049 Madrid Spain

Expertise Favourite theme FP7-PEOPLE, FP7-HEALTH, FP7-INCO Expertise description Research in the laboratory of Dr. Menendez-Arias is mainly devoted to understanding structure-activity relationships in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT), elucidating mechanisms of HIV-1 resistance to antiretroviral drugs, and understanding HIV replication fitness. The group has experience in the characterization of viral enzymes and is potentially interested in the purification and characterization of viral polymerases. Molecular biology techniques (e.g. cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, RT-PCR amplifications, etc...) and protein expression and purification are commonly used in the lab of the group leader. In addition, the lab has a strong background in using more specialized methods in enzymology, such as pre-steady-state kinetics of nucleotide incorporation. We would be interested in collaborating in projects dealing with the characterization of viral polymerases and eventually identification of potential antiviral drugs. Expertise categories Medicine, Health, Biotechnology, Life sciences, Medical biotechnology, Coordination, Cooperation, Scientific research Skills and competences Dr. Luis Menndez-Arias is a Research Professor of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas (CSIC, Spanish National Research Council) and Group Leader at the CBMSO, where he has been working since 1994. His research is mainly devoted to understanding structure-activity relationships in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT),

elucidating mechanisms of HIV-1 resistance to antiretroviral drugs, and understanding HIV replication fitness. Dr. Menndez-Arias graduated from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain in Biology in 1984, and obtained his Ph.D. in 1989 at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Faculties of Biology and Chemistry of the same university. Between 1990 and 1994, he was trained as a postdoctoral fellow in the Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Frederick, Maryland, USA, where he conducted studies on the biochemical properties of retroviral proteases and their implications in virus maturation and antiviral therapy. He has published 86 papers listed in PubMed (his h index is 26). At present, he is Academic Editor of the journals Sequencing and PLoS ONE, and member of the Editorial Boards of Antiviral Research, Antiviral Therapy, Virus Research, Viruses and World Journal of Virology. He also served as guest editor for special issues of the journals Virus Research (Retroviral reverse transcription, co-edited with Dr. B. Berkhout and published in 2008) and Viruses (Retroviral enzymes, published in 2010). At present, Dr. Menndez-Arias leads a group of 6 people with two post-docs and two Ph.D. students, as well as a visiting Masters degree student from the University of Parma. He is also involved in teaching activities of Master degrees at the major universities of Madrid. Research infrastructure of the organisation The Centro de Biologa Molecular Severo Ochoa is a biological research centre founded in 1975 as a joint venture of the Universidad Autnoma de Madrid (UAM) and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas (CSIC, Spanish National Research Council). Research at CBMSO covers a wide variety of topics in molecular biology. At present, the institute is housed in new facilities inaugurated in January 2008. The Institute employs more than 600 people (about 100 senior scientists/permanent staff). The CBMSO is organized in five research departments (Cellular Biology and Immunology, Virology and Microbiology, Genome Function and Dynamics, Molecular Neurobiology and Development and Differentiation) and has a number of core facilities that constitute the Technical Department. As of January 2012, there were 74 group leaders in the institute, 16 of them junior principal investigators. One of the general strengths of the CBMSO is the research support services with competitive core equipment and technical expertise. These include a modern animal facility, optical and confocal microscopy, proteomics, bioinformatics and genomics (in this latter case, our centre leads the core facility for Madrid, at the UAM Scientific Park). In addition, we have access within the institute to other specialized equipment and facilities, relevant for the execution of the proposed project: cell and virus culture facilities (BSL2 and BSL3 labs), flow cytometry, electron microscopy and radioactivity labs with appropriate equipment and legal requirements. Additional support services include microbial fermentation, peptide synthesis,

graphic design, photography, computing services, library and administrative services (purchasing, personnel, institutional relations, cultural office, etc).

My LINK Projects No projects provided Results No results provided Publications No publications provided News No news provided Other links No other links provided My Library Empty

Main contact Dr Simone Giannecchini Organisation name: University of Florence Department/Unit: Experimental and clinic medicine Address: viale Morgagni 48 50134 Florence Toscany Italy Tel: 39-055-4598524 Fax: 39-055-4598924 Main organisation University of Florence Department: Public Health Position in organisation: full time researcher Address: viale morgagni 48 50134 Florence Toscany Italy Favourite theme FP7-HEALTH Expertise description He has 15-years experience in cellular and molecular biology applied to the study of pathogenesis of viruses infections and their prevention. His main interest is focused on the molecular mechanism of the immunopathogenesis of infection by viruses and on the antiviral development. Main research topics: Human Polyomavirus JCV: the interest of his research is focused on the study of molecular mechanisms of viral and cellular factors that may be involved in the reactivation of JCV in immunosuppressed patients and that can determine the beginning of the development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. In particular, he has studied the reactivation of JCV in patients with immunomediated-diseases treated with the monoclonal antibody infliximab, monoclonal anti-TNFalpha used in clinical therapy. In these studies the correlation between the expression levels of cellular microRNAs and reactivation of JCV in the blood of the patients was examined. Recently, he has activated collaborations in order to study the replicative activity of molecular clones of JCV carrying archetype or PMLprototype genomic structures. Influenza virus: he has performed its activities in studies on mechanisms of pathogenesis of avian and human influenza viruses. In particular, the studies have been projected to clarify the molecular mechanisms allow the interspecies transmission of avian influenza virus correlating changes in the viral genome with phenotypic changes in their behaviour of changing the host. In addition, another object of his interest are studies of anti-influenza virus drugs. He has been involved on the investigation of the molecular basis of resistance to neuraminidase inhibitors such as oseltamivir and zanamivir

and the development of new antiviral. He demonstrated that nucleic acidbased molecules reproducing the packaging sequences of polymerase genes can be attractive new antiviral for the influenza virus. Several of his research studies have been done in collaboration with National or International research groups (Istituto Superior di Sanit, Istituto zooprofilattico delle venezie, Roslin Institute of Edinburg). Expertise categories Medicine, Health, Biotechnology, Life sciences Skills and competences Present position: Researcher in MED/07, Faculty of Medicine, University of Florence Education Degree in Biological Sciences in 1993, University Professional qualification to Biologist in 1995, University PhD in "Immunobiology of Virus" in 1998, University Master in E-Medicine in 2006, University of From 2004 to 2006 time-dependent researcher, University of of Pisa. of Pisa. of Pisa. Florence. Florence.

Scholarships, patents and awards Two-years post PhD fellowship in 1998, University of Pisa. ANLAIDS Scholarships in 2000 entitled to professor G.B. Rossi. Fellowships of the Istituto Superiore di Sanit in 2002. Patent Oligopeptides and their use in the pharmacological treatment of the FIV in the cat, HIPPOCAMPE S. A. (MYMETICS SA) deposited in France in 2001. Award scientific entitled to Prof. Giovan Battista Rossi as a "Best Young Italian Researcher for AIDS Studies" in 2002. He also participates actively in the virological surveillance of influenza, collaborating on this purpose to the national influenza center at the Istituto Superiore di Sanit, in the virology laboratory of the Department of Public Health who is the reference laboratory of the Tuscany region for this activity. He is member of society such as the Italian Society of Virology, the Italian Society of Medical Virology, the Italian Society of Microbiology, and the European Society of Virology, and referee for several international journals. He is the author of 37 publications in extenso in journals with good impact factor and a number of communications to national and international. Teaching activities University lecturer of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology in the threeyear course of Dietician, of Phycical Therapy and Obstetrics at the University of Florence.

University lecturer of Microbiology and Clinical Virology, Microbiology and Hygiene, Microbiology in the University three-year degree course of Biotechnology, University of Florence. University lecturer of Applicative and experimental microbiology, Application of molecular virology, and Biotechnologies in microbiology, in the University master course of Biotechnology, University of Florence. Member of the teaching Committee of the PhD in Basic and clinic virology at the University of Pisa. Research infrastructure of the organisation The operative unit (OU) GIANNECCHINI has stable and strong research interactive collaborations with several researchers from different international laboratories recognized of high importance. The infrastructure of the OU, located in the Department of Public Health, University of Florence, are composed of cellular and molecular biology laboratories including laboratory of recently set up of biosafety level 3. All research activities are carried out with instruments available in the department and is composed mainly by thermocycler real-time PCR, Wester blot apparatus, thermostats and other equipment to propagate cell cultures in vitro. My LINK Projects No projects provided Results No results provided Publications No publications provided News No news provided Other links No other links provided My Library Empty