Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
I am leading since 2009 the research group on “Human host defense RNases” at the Dpt. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). Following 5 years of postdoctoral studies (1 at the National Institutes of Health and 4 at the University of Bath), I was awarded in 2002 with a Ramon y Cajal senior researcher contract and I am currently working as an Associate Professor at the UAB (full professorship accredited AQU2016 and position promoted to Full professorship: UAB 26/10/2022). I have been awarded 9 public research Grants as Principal Investigator and have published more than 90 papers in international peer-review journals. My main research interest focuses on the mechanism of action of human host defense RNases, as lead proteins for the design of novel therapies.
Since my PhD I have contributed to the understanding of the mechanism of action of host ribonucleases: first identification of a substrate binding site, pioneer in the development of novel high yield expression systems for recombinant RNases’ production, first 3D crystal structures and screening methodologies for the elucidation of their antimicrobial mechanism of action.
I was first to propose RNases as antimicrobial proteins and contributed to more than 50% of publications using the term antimicrobial RNases. My group was also first in the identification of antimicrobial peptides derived from RNases. Recently we have established in our laboratory all the methodology to analyse the RNases action on small RNA and have reported the selectivity of human RNase2 on tRNAs and the protein involvement in the host antiviral activity against single stranded RNA viruses.
During the past 20 years I have leaded several topic issues on the structural functional properties of RNases and written several reviews to introduce new concepts in that field. Based on the structure-function knowledge of host RNases I am currently working on the design of alternative antimicrobial agents to fight bacterial resistance and have being awarded 3 transfer of technology projects.
During my career thanks to stages abroad and collaborative works, I contributed to introduce to our laboratory at the UAB: molecular biology techniques for production of recombinant RNases, X-ray crystallography and cellular infection models.
I am also actively involved as an associate editor of two first quartile journals and act as a regular reviewer of research articles and participate in national and international evaluation agencies.
Research work has been carried out in parallel with teaching, students supervising and managing tasks. I have been coordinator of the Master program and the PhD doctoral studies on Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicines, and I am currently in charge of a Master course on Structural Biology and a 4th Grade course in Advanced Structural Analysis Methodologies in the UAB Grade of Biochemistry.
Indicators of scientific production:
H index=41; hi10: 68; 4107 citations (Google Scholar).
93 indexed references (Web of Science): 17% as first author and 51% as corresponding author; 90% as corresponding during the last 10 years. Average citations/year, last 5 years: 288. WoS Researcher ID: B-9038-2012.
2 Patents.
Mentoring:
Supervision of 12 PhD Thesis: 9 defended and 3 ongoing; supervision of 4 external PhD works; 17 master works and 1 Final Grade Work per year; and supervision of 5 Postdoctoral researchers.
Author of 33 structures deposited at the Protein Data Bank and 2 Transcriptomic data.
Research and Teaching recognition 6 years- Terms (sexenios):
4 Research Terms (Last 2012-2017); 4 National Teaching Terms (Last 2012-2017) and 3 Autonomic Teaching Terms (Last 2012-2017)
Full Professorship Accreditation Agència Qualitat Universitària AQU 2016
Current Position Promoted to Full Professorship by Merit Evaluation (26/10/2022)
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Ph. D., Doctor en Ciencias Biológicas, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Award Date: 1 Feb 1994
Masters, Máster en Bioquímica Clínica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Award Date: 15 Jul 1988
Degree, Licenciada en Ciencias Biológicas, Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Award Date: 1 Jul 1986
External positions
Investigador "Ramón y Cajal", Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
1 Feb 2003 → 9 Dec 2004
Ajudant d'Universitat (Y1), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
15 Sept 2000 → 31 Jan 2003
Ajudant de Facultat (Y2), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
15 Sept 1998 → 14 Sept 2000
Investigador Postdoctoral, Dpt. Biochemistry, University of Bath, UK
1 Jul 1998 → 31 Dec 2000
Research Officer, University of Bath
1 Jul 1998 → 31 Dec 2001
Ajudant d'Escola Universitària (Y3), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
4 Apr 1995 → 14 Sept 1998
Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
1 Jan 1995 → 31 Dec 1995
Professor Associat, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
15 Sept 1992 → 14 Sept 1995
Ajudant d'Escola Universitària (Y3), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
1 Oct 1990 → 15 Feb 1992
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AMRnase: An RNase-based drug to target antimicrobial resistance
Boix Borras, E., Anguita Contreras, R., Buffa Dunat, M. N., Moussaoui Keribii, M. & Prats Ejarque, G.
19/10/22 → 18/04/24
Project: Research Projects and Other Grants
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NON CODING RNA CLEAVAGE IN HOST DEFENCE AGAINST INFECTION (NCRNA-INFECT)
Boix Borras, E., Lu ., L., Prats Ejarque, G., Fernandez Millan, P., Moussaoui Keribii, M., ANGUITA CONTRERAS, R., Bhakta, S., Li, J., ROSENBERG, H., SALAZAR MONTOYA, V. & SPYROULIAS, G.
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Project: Research Projects and Other Grants
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A novel anti-infective therapy (BactRNAClean) to target antimicrobial resistance (IU68-017006)
22/07/20 → 21/04/21
Project: Research Projects and Other Grants
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Pattern recognition of non-coding RNA's to search for novel therapeutic targets in the fight against bacterial antimicrobial resistance
Boix Borras, E., Barbosa Perez, S., Fernandez Millan, P., Moussaoui Keribii, M., Nogués Bara, M. V., Prats Ejarque, G., Pulido Gomez, P., Vergara Esteras, P. & Li, J.
29/03/19 → 31/12/22
Project: Research Projects and Other Grants
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A human derived peptide (hECP-5P36) as a novel antimicrobial agent to fight bacterial resistence.
Boix Borras, E., Fernandez Millan, P., Prats Ejarque, G. & Torrent Burgas, M.
30/09/17 → 26/07/19
Project: Research Projects and Other Grants
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Essential Role of Enzymatic Activity in the Leishmanicidal Mechanism of the Eosinophil Cationic Protein (RNase 3)
Abengózar, M. Á., Fernández-Reyes, M., Salazar, V. A., Torrent, M., De La Torre, B. G., Andreu, D., Boix, E. & Rivas, L., 8 Jul 2022, In: ACS infectious diseases. 8, 7, p. 1207-1217 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Exploring the RNase A scaffold to combine catalytic and antimicrobial activities. Structural characterization of RNase 3/1 chimeras
Fernández-Millán, P., Vázquez-Monteagudo, S., Boix, E. & Prats-Ejarque, G., 14 Sept 2022, In: Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. 9, 17 p., 964717.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
In Vivo Evaluation of ECP Peptide Analogues for the Treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii Infection
Li, J., Prats-Ejarque, G., Torrent, M., Andreu, D., Brandenburg, K., Fernández-Millán, P. & Boix, E., 1 Feb 2022, In: Biomedicines. 10, 2, 20 p., 386.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Selective cleavage of ncRNA and antiviral activity by RNase2/EDN in THP1-induced macrophages
Lu, L., Li, J., Wei, R., Guidi, I., Cozzuto, L., Ponomarenko, J., Prats-Ejarque, G. & Boix, E., Apr 2022, In: Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 79, 4, 18 p., 209.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access5 Citations (Scopus) -
Structure-based design of an rnase chimera for antimicrobial therapy
Prats-Ejarque, G., Lorente, H., Villalba, C., Anguita, R., Lu, L., Vázquez-Monteagudo, S., Fernández-Millán, P. & Boix, E., 1 Jan 2022, In: International journal of molecular sciences. 23, 1, 21 p., 95.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus)