The NANOPDICS Project has succesfully consolidated the NANOPDICS-MOLCAN Lab, at the ITB and School of Medicine of the Universidad de La Laguna. The NANOPDICS team has been fully functional consisting of the PI, 5 postdocs, 2 PhD students, 1 technician and a Lab Manager. Main achievements include characterization of new sites involved in BK modulation by Calcium, the identification of independent movements triggered by specific activation of ion binding sites in the BK gating ring and/or voltage sensor (Miranda et al, PNAS 2016; Miranda et al, eLife 2018), super-resolution images of Cav-BK complexes in heterologous expression systems (Kshatri et al, 2018, JGP; another manuscript is currently ready for submission), characterization of Cav-BK complexes composed of various Cav types and NMDAR-BK complexes (Kshatri et al 2018, JGP; Gomez et al, 2021, PNAS; Kshatri et al, manuscript in preparation), unnatural aminoacids insertion into BK channels and successful functional assays (Gonzalez-Hernandez et al, Doctoral Thesis defended September 2021; manuscript in preparation), development of potential new BK-Ca sensors based on BK channel proteins (Roger Gimeno’s PhD Thesis defended 2019). In addition, we have started the generation of a transgenic mouse with fluorescently labelled endogenous BK channels (B. Rivero, undergoing work in the laboratory). Finally, and as one of the most relevant contributions of our lab, we have presented the first functional evidence for a role of BK channels in synaptic plasticity, which has open a new avenue of research in the laboratory (Gomez et al, 2021, PNAS).
The NANOPDICS lab and project has been presented as invited seminars at many international academic institutions. Conversely, several renowned researchers have visited the facilities and imparted specialized seminars for the project. The project has brought prestige to our lab and institution, and has been very well recognised within the ion channels, Biophysics and Neuroscience research communities, resulting in very relevant professional achievements of the PI and lab members. In addition to prestigious scientific publications, NANOPDICS has extensively participated in many other activites to disseminate our results, including participation in large number of scientific conferences, workshops and courses; strong presence in the media via interviews, press releases and other activities; participacion in science outreach in our community, such as TEDex talks, Pint of Science editions, series of talks at schools and high-schools, etc. Our activity and public engagement has resulted in three relevant recognitions to the PI and other members of the research group.
