Evolution, dynamics and genetics of protein post-translational control

Pedro Beltrao, from the European Bioinformatics Institute in Hinxton, UK, studies how cellular functions have diverged during evolution as well as how they are altered in disease. His group investigates the molecular sources of phenotypic novelties, exploring how DNA changes are propagated through molecular structures and interaction networks to give rise to phenotypic variability. They use post-translational modifications (PTMs) data from mass-spectrometry experiments to study the evolutionary dynamics and functional importance of post-translational regulatory networks. They are also interested in studying why different individuals or species diverge in their response to drugs, other environmental perturbations or additional genetic changes. He has been invited by Eduard Sabidó (CRG-UPF).