IMpaCT co-coordinator leads one of the IBERIAN FCT-ALBA collaboration Projects

IBERIAN FCT-ALBA collaboration Project

The recent agreement between FCT and the ALBA Synchrotron aims to promote the collaboration between Portugal and Spain, in order to develop collaboration networks focused on four key areas. One of the areas of interest is the “Multi-length scale imaging in life sciences: understanding how molecular dynamics results in function of the tissue".

The project awarded within this area is led by the Portuguese team of Dr. Célia Romão (ITQB NOVA) and Dr. Federico Herrera (FCUL/BioISI), in collaboration with Dr. Vanesa Fernandez (University of Oviedo); and, from the ALBA, the teams are headed by Dr. Eva Pereiro (MISTRAL beamline) and Dr. Roeland Boer (XALOC beamline).

This project aims to “Imaging phosphorylation-dependent stress response pathways in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells” and will include state-of-the-art imaging methodologies, namely correlative microscopy, cryo soft X-ray tomography and soft X-ray transmission microscopy, as well as structural biology studies using X-ray crystallography. The postdoctoral researcher will be funded by both FCT and ALBA and employed by ALBA.

This will be a fascinating and challenging pilot project that will contribute enormously to the scientific questions that are being addressed, especially by using imaging methodologies that are not currently implemented in Portugal, namely cryo soft X-ray tomography and soft X-ray transmission microscopy. The kick-off meeting occurred today, and the postdoctoral position will soon be announced.

Project partners and collaborators at the Kick-off meeting on February 16th 2021

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