Prof. Koen Martens is Head of Research of the Royal Belgian Institute of natural Sciences (Brussels, Belgium), guest professor at the University of Ghent (Belgium) and invited professor at the University of Maringa (Brazil). His research interests are in aquatic ecology and evolutionary biology,
especially in the field of speciation in ancient lakes and the evolution of
asexual reproduction, and in the taxonomy and ecology of non-marine
Ostracoda (Crustacea).
Author of c 200 ISI rated papers and of more than 500 additional titles. He is author or (co-) editor of 18 books. He has been (co-) PI of about 50 national and international projects, including several large EU projects. Koen has been Editor in Chief of Hydrobiologia (since 2003). He is co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Diamond Open Access “European Journal of Taxonomy” (since 2011).
Prof. Koen Martens is Head of Research of the Royal Belgian Institute of natural Sciences (Brussels, Belgium), guest professor at the University of Ghent (Belgium) and invited professor at the University of Maringa (Brazil). His research interests are in aquatic ecology and evolutionary biology,
especially in the field of speciation in ancient lakes and the evolution of
asexual reproduction, and in the taxonomy and ecology of non-marine
Ostracoda (Crustacea).
Author of c 200 ISI rated papers and of more than 500 additional titles. He is author or (co-) editor of 18 books. He has been (co-) PI of about 50 national and international projects, including several large EU projects. Koen has been Editor in Chief of Hydrobiologia (since 2003). He is co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Diamond Open Access “European Journal of Taxonomy” (since 2011).
Prof. Koen Martens is Head of Research of the Royal Belgian Institute of natural Sciences (Brussels, Belgium), guest professor at the University of Ghent (Belgium) and invited professor at the University of Maringa (Brazil). His research interests are in aquatic ecology and evolutionary biology,
especially in the field of speciation in ancient lakes and the evolution of
asexual reproduction, and in the taxonomy and ecology of non-marine
Ostracoda (Crustacea).
Author of c 200 ISI rated papers and of more than 500 additional titles. He is author or (co-) editor of 18 books. He has been (co-) PI of about 50 national and international projects, including several large EU projects. Koen has been Editor in Chief of Hydrobiologia (since 2003). He is co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Diamond Open Access “European Journal of Taxonomy” (since 2011).
Prof. Koen Martens is Head of Research of the Royal Belgian Institute of natural Sciences (Brussels, Belgium), guest professor at the University of Ghent (Belgium) and invited professor at the University of Maringa (Brazil). His research interests are in aquatic ecology and evolutionary biology,
especially in the field of speciation in ancient lakes and the evolution of
asexual reproduction, and in the taxonomy and ecology of non-marine
Ostracoda (Crustacea).
Author of c 200 ISI rated papers and of more than 500 additional titles. He is author or (co-) editor of 18 books. He has been (co-) PI of about 50 national and international projects, including several large EU projects. Koen has been Editor in Chief of Hydrobiologia (since 2003). He is co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Diamond Open Access “European Journal of Taxonomy” (since 2011).
Prof. Koen Martens is Head of Research of the Royal Belgian Institute of natural Sciences (Brussels, Belgium), guest professor at the University of Ghent (Belgium) and invited professor at the University of Maringa (Brazil). His research interests are in aquatic ecology and evolutionary biology,
especially in the field of speciation in ancient lakes and the evolution of
asexual reproduction, and in the taxonomy and ecology of non-marine
Ostracoda (Crustacea).
Author of c 200 ISI rated papers and of more than 500 additional titles. He is author or (co-) editor of 18 books. He has been (co-) PI of about 50 national and international projects, including several large EU projects. Koen has been Editor in Chief of Hydrobiologia (since 2003). He is co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Diamond Open Access “European Journal of Taxonomy” (since 2011).
Godelieve Gheysen (PhD in Sciences) is full time professor at the Faculty of BioScience Engineering at Ghent University, where she heads the Department of Biotechnology and she also is director of International Plant Biotechnology Outreach. Her expertise is plant molecular biology and biotechnology, including science communication to the public. Her research focuses on the molecular analysis of interactions between plants and pathogens and the use of molecular breeding and biotechnology to improve plant resistance to biotic stress. G. Gheysen has an h-index of 44, with 164 a1 publications.
She is a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB) and in 2013 she obtained the Prometheus Award for Research from Ghent University. She teaches, amongst other courses, Molecular Biology, Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Aspects of Plant Nematode Relationships.
Godelieve Gheysen (PhD in Sciences) is full time professor at the Faculty of BioScience Engineering at Ghent University, where she heads the Department of Biotechnology and she also is director of International Plant Biotechnology Outreach. Her expertise is plant molecular biology and biotechnology, including science communication to the public. Her research focuses on the molecular analysis of interactions between plants and pathogens and the use of molecular breeding and biotechnology to improve plant resistance to biotic stress. G. Gheysen has an h-index of 44, with 164 a1 publications.
She is a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB) and in 2013 she obtained the Prometheus Award for Research from Ghent University. She teaches, amongst other courses, Molecular Biology, Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Aspects of Plant Nematode Relationships.
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Prof. Pohl Milón
Centro de Investigación e Innovación Universidad Peruana
de Ciencias Aplicadas UPC
Lima, Perú
Synthetic molecules for biosensing or inhibiting pathogenic microorganisms
Katherin Peñaranda2, José Alberto Nakamoto1, Diego F. Joseph1, Ana Elena Sanchez1, and Pohl Milón1,2,*
(1) Centro de Investigación e Innovación, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas-UPC, Lima, Perú
(2) Research and Innovation Division, BDM, Lima, Peru ́
* Presenter: pmilon@upc.edu.pe
Pathogenic microorganisms are a common problem to human health, agriculture, and alimentary industries, among others, causing deaths and economic loses worldwide. The prompt detection and inhibition of infectious microorganisms save lives and allow tailored interventions to reduce financial impacts. Here, we use large genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data sets to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets that are species-specific and absent in the host. On the other hand, we use the SELEX technology to develop aptamers for the specific recognition or inhibition of abundant and/or essential proteins from pathogenic microorganisms. Biochemical assays coupled to structural modeling allowed to characterize the interaction of aptamers against the HGMB1, a biomarker of Plasmodium falciparum, causing Malaria. Similarly, aptamers developed against an abundant protein of Trypanosoma Cruzi, causing Chagas disease, have been adapted for ELISA-like detection systems. Rapid kinetics, molecular modeling, and structural approximations show that aptamers against the bacterial translation initiation factor IF3 result in inhibiting initial steps of protein synthesis, i.e. aptamers as antibiotics. Altogether, aptamer applications as biosensing or therapeutic molecules will be discussed as attempts to tackle-down the negative impact that pathogenic microorganisms bring to societies.
Keywords: biosensor, biomarker, antibiotic, protein synthesis, FRET, rapid kinetics