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RIVAS PARDO LAB
Mechano-Biology Group
THE TEAM
Aiming to understand how mechanical forces control molecular processes
J ANDRÉS RIVAS PARDO
Assistant Professor/PI
I have a deep interest to understand how force controls biological processes. I have focused my interest in three systems related to force, although I am constantly looking for new ideas. Read more in my Bio.
IVANA ORELLANA
PhD student
ANID Fellow 2022
Bioinformaticians Engineer
I studied bioinformatics engineering at Talca University, Class 2019.
Currently, I am in my second year of the Integrative Genomics PhD Program at UMayor. My project proposed to study the evolutive pathway of the adhesive mechanism present in the Streptococcus genus. My proposal includes phylogenomics, molecular dynamics and force spectroscopy to understand the mechanical properties of pili proteins.
JOSEFA NUÑEZ
PhD student
UN-UBioLAC Fellow
Doctor of Dental Surgery
After graduating from the Dental School in 2020, I joined the Integrative Genomics PhD Program, aiming to continue my training and research. I do have interest in the understanding infectious oral pathologies, in particular periodontitis disease.
My Ph.D. project proposed to understand the diversity, virulence, and fimbriae adhesion mechanics of the Porphyromonas gingivalis.
TOMAS HERMOSILLA
Biotechnologist
Research Assitant
I completed my BSc thesis in 2022, working in the implementation of the first Magnetic Tweezers based of 3D printing. I keep my interest in the instrumentation and the fabrication of tools, reason I continue working on the new generation of 3D printed microscopes and software for studying single molecule and single cells mechanics.
VICENTE COLARTE
Biotechnologist
Research Assitant & Lab Manager
After finishing my BSc degree in the lab, working with the engineering of elastic proteins, I continued working in the lab as a researcher.
Part of my time I dedicated to the single cell platform recently acquired in our Center, while I continue working collaborating the projects leaded by Prof. Sebastián Reyes and Prof. Rivas Pardo.
At the Rivas-Pardo Lab I am in charge of the molecular biology and protein engineering needed for studying them at force spectrometers.
NICOLAS SCHERER
Biotechnology Student
2022-2023
I'm fifth year biotech student at U. Mayor and my purpose in the lab is to investigate about the adhesive RrgB protein, molecule involved in the adhesion of S. pneumoniae to human epithelia. Specifically I use computational biology to determine the role of isopeptide bonds in RrgB and how to intefere with the elasticity of the molecule. Through a combination of SMD and moelcualr docking I hace design peptides that could intefere with the elasticity and adhesion of RrgB. Read more in my Bio.
NATALIE DUCHENS
Biotech student 2023-2024
I am senior student at the Biotech Program. My thesis will be focused to developed a software for automatize the current magnetic-tweezers based force spectrometer. For that I will be combining programing in C++, phyton and some arduino for fully controlling the microscope.
MICHELLE MENDOZA
Biotech student 2023
I am recently joined the lab as part of my research rotation in the Biotechnology Program. I decided to stay in the lab and conduct my thesis developing peptides for interfering with the elasticity of Spy0128, adhesine from Streptocccus pyogenes. I will used molecular biology and magnetic tweezers to test my hypothesis of blocking and preventing isopeptide bond formation on Spy0128.
BENJAMÍN ULLOA
Winter Intern
I am a fourth-year student at U. Mayor. I joined the lab in a winter rotation with aiming characterize the mechanical adhesion properties of two different bacteria: Siie, adhesine protein from Salmonella enterica and SpaD, pilus protein from Corynebacterium diphtheria.
(updated to June 2023)
FORMER MEMBERS
FERNANDA CONTRERAS
Biochemist
Lab technician 2019-2020
(currently PhD student USaCh)
After that I finished my BSc thesis under the supervision of Prof Vasquez and Prof Arenas investigating metalloid resistance of environmental bacteria, I joined the RP-Lab as lab manager and research assistant. During my time in the lab I collaborated in the preparation of proteins and single molecule experiments. Currently, I am in my fourth year of the Microbiology PhD Program at USACH-UChile.
ANDREA SAN MARTÍN
Biotech Engineer 2019-2020
(currently PhD student USACH)
Despite I started working in the lab on titin during my thesis I focused to design and implemented a platform for protein immobilization and polymerization. I used protein engineering and molecular biology yielding vectors for easy-oriented-cloning of mechanical proteins. Currently, I am in my thrid year at the PhD program of Biotecnology at USACH.
MARCELO JORQUERA
Biotechnologist 2021-2022
MERCK Award Best Undergraduate 2022
I did my thesis investigating the elastic properties of the pili protein AgI/II from Streptococcus mutans. In particular, I used a combination of molecular dynamics and docking for designing peptides for the intervention of the elasticity of AgI/II.
PABLO BERRIOS
Biotechnologist 2020-2022
(currently AFM specialist at Aguayo's lab PUC)
I joined the lab in 2020, aiming to accomplish my BSc thesis. My investigation was focused to understand the impact of the RedOx conditions on the folding of the muscle giant protein titin. In particular my thesis project I combined stereed molecular dynamics and single-molecule AFM to determining the elastic properties of titin I10 domain. take a look of my thesis manuscript
SERGIO CANALES
Summer Intern 2023
Biotechnology Program
During the 2023 summer I joined the MBL team. I was training in molecular biology, collaborating in the cloning of the fimbriae Spy0128, structural protein from Streptococcus pyogenes.
VICENTE LADRIX
summer Intern 2023
Biotecnology student
I am a fourth-year Biotechnology student at Universidad Mayor. My primary interests revolve around computational biology, the utilization of artificial intelligence, and the formulation of successful biotechnological businesses based on applied sciences. Within the laboratory setting, I have been engaged in the design of optimized peptides employing techniques such as docking and steered molecular dynamics. The objective of this work was to disrupt the folding process of Spy0128, an adhesin derived from Streptococcus pyogenes, with the intention of impeding the bacterium's epithelial adhesion.
JAIME CISTERNAS
Summer Intern 2019, Biotech Student
(Currently BSs thesis student)
In the summer of 2019 I joined the team, aiming to be trained in molecular biology and protein engineering. I teamed up with Andrea joining efforts to get a platform for easy cloning of mechanical proteins.
ISRAEL MORENO
Summer Intern 2019, Biotech Engineer
During the fall of 2019 I joined to the team, as a part of my lab rotation included in my program. During my time in the lab I learned about protein purification, focusing in the preparation of alpha-catenin and chaperones partners that play a very important role during mechanical cell transduction.
NICOLAS GARRIDO
Winter Intern 2023
Biotecnology student
(updated June 2023)