INTERNAL MORPHOGENESIS AND HOMEOSTASIS

Our main scientific interest is the understanding of intestinal morphogenesis and cellular polarity during morphogenesis, homeostasis, and regeneration, as well as their implications in human diseases, such as cancer, inflammation and intestinal bowel diseases (IBD). Our research is based model systems such as organoids. Moreover, with this system, we are obtaining essential information about the molecular mechanisms that regulate epithelial morphogenesis. However, this model cannot reconstitute the complexity of the architecture given in vivo, which includes different cell types, dynamic remodeling, and tissue homeostasis. For this reason, the use of in vivo systems should serve to validate and better characterize the phenotypes observed in vitro. We used the zebrafish and mouse intestine as models systems to elucidate epithelial morphogenesis and intestinal homeostasis.

We are focused on the analysis of genes that regulate epithelial polarity during morphogenesis, and intestinal homeostasis, and particularly those controlling the following processes: Signaling, membrane trafficking, mechanical forces, and metabolic remodeling.

2023 Activity Indicators

2 European competitive projects led: H2020-MSCA-IF y HE-MSCA-DN
4 national public competitive projects: MICINN
2 private competitive project led: La Caixa Foundation and AECC
4 competitive HR contracts
1 publication
1 award of the Huygens science image competition
Evaluators of projects of national and international public agencies: 2 PI
Members of editorial committees: 1 PI
+2 months stay in external centres:
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB)

Milestones

SurfEx Project. Epithelial Exchange Surfaces - From organising principles to ex vivo disease models of the gatekeepers of the body - PI: Fernando Martin-Belmonte. EU (Horizon-MSCA-2022-DN -101119504).
Start of the MICINN-funded public competitive project 'Exploration of Polyamine Metabolism as a Driver of Diffuse B-cell Lymphoma' (CNS2022-135636) led by Dr Martínez Martín.
Andrés-San Román JA, Gordillo-Vázquez C, Franco-Barranco D, Morato L, Fernández-Espartero CH, Baonza G, Tagua A, Vicente-Munuera P, Palacios AM, Gavilán MP, Martín-Belmonte F, Annese V, Gómez-Gálvez P, Arganda-Carreras I, Escudero LM. (2023) CartoCell, a high-content pipeline for 3D image analysis, unveils cell morphology patterns in epithelia. Cell Rep Methods. 2023 Oct 23;3(10):100597. DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100597. PMID: 37751739
Spanish Thematic Network on the Interaction between Cell Metabolism and the Microenvironment in Homeostasis and Disease. Coordinator: Fernando Martín Belmonte. Granting body MICINN. RED2022-134927-T.
Professor Martín Belmonte has been appointed 'Full professor' of research of the CSIC.