Group description
The Mitochondrial Membranes Laboratory (MML) is a membrane biophysics group, housed in the Physical Chemistry Department at Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and the Biomedical Research Institute “Hospital 12 de Octubre". The MML merges a broad array of disciplines, including physical chemistry, biophysics or molecular biology. The MML focuses on understanding the mechanics and dynamics of the membrane processes occurring in mitochondria such as membrane fusion or oxidative phosphorylation. Headed by Iván López Montero, the MML is currently formed by 2 assistant professors, 4 postdoctoral researchers, 1 PhD student and 4 undergraduate students. The MML is equipped with a wet lab, cell culture (prokaryote and eukaryote) and a wide range of techniques for the mechanical characterization of biomimetic model membranes (confocal microscopy, micromanipulation, surface tension or Image Correlation Spectroscopy). Our experimental capabilities will be expanded in the upcoming months to time-resolved fluorescence microscopy (FLIM, FRET, TR-anisotropy, FCS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Other techniques/facilities are also available in the campus including NMR, SEM, TEM or DLS among others.