My current interests are focused on the development and the use of
technologies
dedicated to proteomics, i.e. the global and large scale analysis of
proteins.
This includes technologies like two-dimensional electrophoresis, liquid
chromatography and mass spectrometry. On the bioinformatics side, I'm
involved
in design and development of protein identification and
characterization
tools, protein and genomic sequence databases, the implementation of a
LIMS (laboratory information management system). I'm still taking care
of the Metallothionein
website,
a reminiscence of my PhD time.
My activities and research projects at the Geneva University
Hospital
and at the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Note: This aspect of the web page is (still) under construction.
I have the scientific responsabilities of the proteomics projects
related
to the identification and characterisation of protein using mass
spectrometry
within the PI group and in collaboration with the BPRG.
I'm coordinating the activities of the SIB and of the BPRG within
some European networks.
I'm also leading the working group "mass spectrometry" of the Swiss
Clinical Chemistry Society
Among others I'm also involved in various teaching environments, like
the
GeneBio bioinformatics course,
the last
EMBO course
in Bioinformatics hold in Uppsala University in Sweden in August
2001,
the year 2000 INSERM "atelier de formation 115". etc.
Antoine de Daruvar (LION Biosciences) and myself have recently
organised
a workshop in data integration in Functional Genomics and proteomics in
Geneva, October 15-17th, 2001, financed by a European Science Fundation
program. Go and have a look at the workshop
homepage or at the Functional
Genomics ESF network web page.
My research projects at the University of Zürich
The clue of the various projects I was involved in during my PhD was
the
study of the family of small metal-binding proteins: the Metallothioneins
(MTs).
The various aspects I have scrutinised were:
Analysis of the mechanism of molecular evolution of over 170 MTs. Use
of
phylogenetic methods applied to coding sequences and to selected
non-coding
segments of the respective genes. Use of other screening and
correlation
procedures for specific segments. Description of an evolutionary
related
classification system for MT.
Characterisation of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus MT-I
using
optical and chiroptical spectroscopy (in collaboration with Dr. M.
Brouwer
of the University of Southern Mississippi) as well as NMR and MS
specrometry.
Design, synthesis and spectroscopic characterisation of Metallothionein
model peptides.
Testing a theoretical model for the simulation of the (chir-)optical
properties
of metal-thiolate complexes/clusters and for the prediction of the
spatial
structure of these clusters.
Design of an object-oriented protein database in collaboration with the
group of Prof. K. Dittrich at the Institute for Informatics, University
of Zürich.