Ombretta Foresti Email & Phone Number

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

Senior Researcher working in Vivek Malhotra's Lab on the mechanism of collagen export from the cell.Collagens are secreted into the extracellular space where they assemble into a large complex protein network to form basement membrane and extracellular matrix. Collagens are therefore essential for cell attachment, tissue organization and the overall survival of all multicellular organisms. Collagens are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but they are too big to fit into a conventional transport carrier. How are these molecules exported from the ER and then transported along the secretory pathway?

Cell And Developmental Biology Program, Crg - Barcelona, Spain

Senior researcher working with Dr Pedro Carvalho on a HHMI founded project entitled "Elimination of Misfolded and Aggregated Proteins". - My project focused on studying a cellular system responsible for disposing of damaged proteins, known as the endoplasmic reticulum–associated degradation (ERAD) pathway. ERAD can also promote degradation of functional proteins in a highly regulated manner. Indeed, we showed that a key enzyme in the Sterol pathway is selectively degraded by ERAD in response to an evolutionarily conserved feedback system. On a second line of research, we identified a new branch of the ERAD pathway that specifically degrades proteins in the inner nuclear membrane (INM), a specialized ER subdomain with important functions in nuclear organization and gene expression. - Conducted two research projects from hypothesis to publication- Supervised PhD students and technical staff- Prepared original manuscripts and reviewed scientific papers and grants- Presented data (posters and talks) at international conferences- Developed co-operative networks and working relationships with my supervisor and colleagues within the institution and the wider research community- Technical skills: yeast cell culture and manipulation including generation of strains with multiple gene deletions and/or tagged-fusion proteins, Mammalian cell culture, transient transfection, siRNA, gene expression analysis, fluorescent microscopy, in vivo photo-crosslinking. Expression and purification of different tagged-proteins in E. Coli using FPLC

Institute Of Molecular And Cell Biology (Imcb), Faculty Of Biological Sciences

Postdoctoral Research fellow working with Dr. Eric Hewitt on a Wellcome Trust-funded project on the Cell Biology of Natural Killer Cells. The aim of the research project was to elucidate the role of the SNARE protein Syntaxin 11 in the cytotoxic function of natural killer cells since this protein is either mutated or deleted in the immunodeficiency disorder familial haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis type 4 (FHL-4). - Technical skills: mammalian cell culture, transient transfection, Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM), Expression and purification of different tagged-proteins in E. Coli.

Institute Of Integrative And Comparative Biology, Faculty Of Biological Science

Postdoctoral research fellow working with Prof. Jurgen Denecke on a BBSRC founded project entitled “Anterograde and retrograde transport of the plant vacuolar sorting receptor BP80“The aim of the project was to characterize at the molecular level the signals required for the cycle of transport of the BP80 receptor, from the Golgi apparatus to the vacuole and back. We discovered that the cytosolic tail of BP80 contains a bipartite YMPL motif that controls both steps of the transport. - Trained junior lab members and master/summer students- Co-organised two “Transient expression technology course: rapid screening methods to detect & study recombinant proteins in plant cells” (16-21 July 2007 and 7-11 September 2008). [http://www.plants.leeds.ac.uk/jd/Transient_expression_course.html]- Technical skills: General cloning techniques, PCR assembly, site directed mutagenesis, small and large scale plasmid DNA preparation. In vitro plant culture (A. thaliana and N. tabacum), transient and stable transformation by A. tumefaciens. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). Subcellular fractionation and organelles isolation.

Faculty Of Biological Sciences, Leeds, Uk.

- Research: The aim of my PhD studies was to characterise the transport of proteins to the lytic vacuole. We showed that overexpression of the syntaxin SYP21 caused accumulation of cargo in the PVC, providing the first functional evidence of SYP21 involvement in vacuolar sorting. Moreover, we showed that SYP21 transmembrane domain does not play major role in its intracellular targeting. In contrast, its N-terminal domain is essential for its export from the ER and efficient transport to the PVC. - I was responsible for supervising Plant Biology students during their undergraduate practical classes and I was a class tutor for the Gatsby summer school (4–11 July 2005 and 8-15 July 2006). This has been a particularly rewarding experience which has imparted valuable interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.- I presented research outcomes at EU consortia, departmental seminars and international conferences.- Technical skills: general cloning techniques, PCR assembly, site directed mutagenesis, small and large scale plasmid DNA preparation, protein quantification and analysis using SDS-PAGE and WB.

Milano, Italia

Project title: “BiP recognition properties and activity in the endoplasmic reticulum”.Supervisor: Dr. Alessandro Vitale.- Undergraduate research project for the final thesis of the Bachelor's degree in Plant Biotechnology. it was the starting point for three research papers in peer-reviewed journals.- Technical skills: protoplasts isolation, radio labeling, detection of protein-protein interactions by immunoprecipitation, assessing protein stability by pulse-chase analysis.

Experto En Genética Médica Y Genómica, Experto Universitario

https://genotipia.com

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Cell Biology

PhD in Cell Biology - Marie Curie EU Post-Graduate Fellowship. Supervisor: Prof Jürgen Denecke. Project title: “Characterisation.

Bachelor'S Degree, Plant Biotechnology, 110/110 Cum Laude