Aurora Martinez
Aurora Martinez is the leader of the research group Biorecognition that studies the relation between biomolecular structure and function to understand and develop new therapeutic options for genetic diseases, notably neurometabolic disorders such as phenylketonuria (PKU) and defects in dopamine synthesis.
Hovedinnhold
In this interdisciplinary work they use a combination of biophysical and biochemical methods, as well as cell biology and animal models. Lately, we have focused on investigation of molecular mechanisms behind neuropsychiatric disorders.
Aurora is also a partner in the KG Jebsen Centre for neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, she is also a partner in the project 'Molecular control of Arc protein: Decoding a master regulator of synaptic plasticity and cognition', coordinated by Clive Bramham, which received support from the Toppforsk Program (NFR).
The research group works closely with other research groups at UiB, and had a central role in the establishment of a National high-field NMR center, financed by RCN and coordinated from UiB, and which also includes the Universities of Oslo and NTNU. The main instrument (850 MHz) was recently installed at the Department of Chemistry. Through the infrastructure program financed by RCN in 2015, the group was also awarded a major grant for the establishment of a Bergen node for a national platform for chemical biology and screening (NorOpenscreen).
A major research focus in their group is the screening of small molecules with therapeutic potential, and they have specialized in so-called pharmacological chaperones. This work has received national and international attention. It was also noticed by NovoSeeds, which has granted two scholarships for the group to test the commercial potential of some potential drug compounds as a therapy for PKU. In 2015 Martinez, together with BTO, obtained funding from the FORNY2020 program (RCN) that provides support to research-based innovation and verification of results with commercialization potential through academic institutions. The result of this activity is the establishment of the spin-off company Pluvia AS, December 2015. Pluvia has filed patents on several hit compounds and, together with BTO, works not for towards clinical trials.
Based mostly on these good results, as well as contributions to teaching, the group recently received the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry prize for best research group for 2015.