Methodology

• Methodology in solid-state NMR and Magic-Angle Spinning Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (MAS-DNP) techniques
• Developing of protocols for MAS-DNP
• Dipolar recoupling techniques by symmetry-based pulse sequences
• Other characterization techniques : Neutron scattering and refletometry, QCMd, AFM, ellipsometry.
• Sample preparation of lipidic samples: a)Langmuir-Blodgett film formation and liposome formation techniques

Materials

• Characterization of materials for gas retention (CO₂, SF₆) by MAS-DNP solid-state NMR
• NMR and MAS-DNP characterization of porous materials for application in catalysis

Biology

• Protein-Ligand interactions
• Inrteraction site structure in protein-ligand binding
• MAS-DNP and NMR characterization of biological systems
• Structural study of the interaction interfaces of clathrin adaptor proteins involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis
• Endocytosis and its implications in degenerative diseases

I obtained my BSc in Chemistry at the Universidad de Sevilla in 2001. By October 2003, I started a PhD programme funded by an EPSRC grant in the subject of Solid-State NMR (ssNMR) in the well-known group of Prof. Malcolm H. Levitt at the University of Southampton (UK). During my PhD, I acquired a solid theoretical and experimental knowledge of the NMR technique. As main outcome, I developed new methodology to improve homonuclear recoupling pulse sequences for the measurement of atomic distance, and its application to protein studies.
In November 2007, I joined the group of Prof. Ulrich Günther at University of Birmingham, where I entered in contact for the first time with the Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) technique, which is revolutionizing NMR, improving by far the sensitivity limits of the technique with an important impact in areas like surface chemistry. These works were performed in close collaboration with the industrial partner Oxford Instruments Biotools, using the HypeSense equipment. I worked in new fast NMR methodology for its application in dissolution-DNP, the study of the polarization transfer mechanisms in DNP and the development of hardware for dissolution-DNP.
By the end of 2010, I joined the Biomolecular NMR Laboratory of Prof. Miquel Pons at the IRB-Barcelona and the Universitat de Barcelona, after obtaining a “Beatriu de Pinos” and a “Juan de la Cierva” grants. The main research lines carried out were the characterization of paramagnetic supramolecular oligomers formed by trityl radicals, design and testing of new polarizing agents for DNP, the hyperpolarization of quadrupolar nuclei, like ¹⁴N, and the study of protein-ligand interactions by DNP-NMR.
In 2015, I earned a Labex ARCANE Postdoctoral Fellowship  to work in the laboratory of Dr. Gaël de Paëpe and Dr. Sabine Hediger at the CEA-Grenoble and Université Grenoble-Alpes in Grenoble (France). The main research line was the study of carbohydrate-protein interaction by MagicAngle-Spinning DNP (MAS-DNP) solid-state NMR in Lectins and application of MAS-DNP to the study of biomolecular problems. Additional projects involve the design and testing of new polarizing agents for MAS-DNP and its application to mesoporous materials, the mechanistic study of the polarization transfer process between electrons and nuclei, and the investigation of the influence of O₂ in MAS-DNP experiments.
Since January 2019, I have joined the CICECO institute of the Universidade de Aveiro to work in study of materials for the trapping of CO₂ by ssNMR and MAS-DNP in collaboration with Dr. Mariana Sardo and Dr. Luis Mafra. Additionally, I will develop my own research line in biomolecular MAS-DNP with a project to selectively enlightening of the interaction interfaces of clathrin adaptor proteins involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

Luis Mafra, Mariana Sardo, Marina IlkaevaMirtha Lourenço, Ricardo Vieira, Carlos Bornes, João Pereira,Rita Fonseca, Daniel Pereira