Redox Chemistry and Biology of Thiols

Dr. Beatriz Alvarez is a Professor at the Laboratory of Enzymology, School of Sciences, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. Her research interests span the areas of redox biochemistry, kinetics and enzymology, especially in relation to biological thiols and hydrogen sulfide. Dr. Marcelo Comini is a Principal Investigator at the Redox Biology of Trypanosomes Laboratory, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Uruguay. He is a Biochemist (Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina) and Dr. rer. nat. from the Technische Universität Brausnchweig (Germany). The research interest of his lab encompasses understanding the role of different components of the thiol-redox system of trypanosomatids, the identification of inhibitors thereof, and the development of fluorescent-protein redox biosensors. Dr. Gustavo Salinas is a Principal Investigator at the Worm Biology Laboratory, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Uruguay, as well as a Professor at the Department of Biosciences, School of Chemistry, Universidad de la República, Uruguay. His research contributes to the understanding of linked thioredoxin-glutathione systems in parasites, glutathione-independent deglutathionylation, selenocysteine horizontal gene transfer and the use of selenocysteine in fungi. He is also interested in anaerobic mitochondria and recently discovered key steps in the biosynthesis of rhodoquinone, an electron transporter used in anaerobic bioenergetics. Madia Trujillo, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the School of Medicine and an Investigator at the Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de la República, Uruguay. Her research focuses on the characterization of the reactions of biologically relevant oxidants as well as in the mechanisms of their sensing and detoxification, particularly in humans and human pathogens.