Our main research objective — but not limited to — is to solve biological problems using research strategies that combines theoretical and experimental approaches at the interface of bioinformatics and biophysics. The integrative focus of our group offers an iterative cycle of research, in which biological problems are tackled using a variety of theoretical and experimental approaches, based on the observation, systems characterization, parametrization, simulation and experimental validation. This cycle requires a group of expertises” with strong knowledge on biochemistry, biophysics, bioinformatics, computational chemistry, chemistry, among others. Our main research aims to understand how biological membranes emerged and what are the structural basis of their function. As example, we are combining different OMICS domains with Artificial Intelligence methods to studying how amphiphiles could create the compartments required to go from the prebiotic chemistry to biochemistry reactions, and to dilucidated of how the bacterial membranes structure is related with antimicrobial resistant.

Short-Biography
Biochemist and Applied Sciencee PhD. We are interested into solving biological problems by the use of biophysics and computational resources. Nowadays, my research is focused –but is not limited to– on simulate the structure and dynamics of biological membranes to understand the contribution of their components into different dynamic processes related with human health and Chilean industry.

• Hinostroza, F; Neely, Alan; Araya-Duran, I; Marabolí, V; Canan, J; Rojas, M; Aguayo, D; Latorre, R; González-Nilo, FD; Cárdenas, Ana M; ,Dynamin-2 R465W mutation induces long range perturbation in highly ordered oligomeric structures,Scientific reports,10,1,1-10,2020,Nature Publishing Group
• Castillo, J; Sánchez-Rodríguez, J; Hyde, HC; Zaelzer, C; Aguayo, D; Sepúlveda, R; Luk, L; Kent, S; Gonzalez-Nilo, F; Bezanilla, F; ,β1-subunit–induced structural rearrangements of the Ca2+-and voltage-activated K+ (BK) channel,Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,113,23,E3231-E3239,2016,National Academy of Sciences
• Carrasquel-Ursulaez, W; Contreras, G; Sepúlveda, R; Aguayo, D; González-Nilo, F; González, C; Latorre, R; ,Hydrophobic interaction between contiguous residues in the S6 transmembrane segment acts as a stimuli integration node in the BK channel, Journal of General Physiology,145,1,61-74,2015,The Rockefeller University Press
• Salazar, J; Alarcón, M; Huerta, J; Navarro, B; Aguayo, D; ,Phosphoethanolamine addition to the Heptose I of the Lipopolysaccharide modifies the inner core structure and has an impact on the binding of Polymyxin B to the Escherichia coli outer membrane,Archives of biochemistry and biophysics,620,,28-34,2017,Academic Press
• Aguayo, D; González-Nilo, F; Chipot, C; ,Insight into the properties of cardiolipin containing bilayers from molecular dynamics simulations, using a hybrid all-atom/united-atom force field,Journal of chemical theory and computation,8,5,1765-1773,2012,American Chemical Society