We Make the coolest Peptides
Welcome to our laboratory. We use peptides to solve complex problems in chemistry, biology, and materials science. By combining experimental synthesis with computational modeling, we design peptide platforms with precise structural control and specific functional properties.
We aim to understand the fundamental rules of molecular organization and use that knowledge to develop new functional materials and technologies, focusing on peptide scaffolds capable of conducting electricity, acting as bioorthogoncal catalysts inside living cells, or displaying unique photophysical properties.
We invite curious researchers to join us in translating these molecular principles into functional discoveries.
I am a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the USC. My scientific career began at USC, where I completed my Chemistry degree in 1996 and earned my PhD in 2001 under the guidance of Prof. José Luis Mascareñas. Following my doctoral work, I moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as an HFSP Fellow to work with Prof. Barbara Imperiali. During my three years at MIT, I focused on developing light-responsive caged compounds and fluorescent probes to study biological systems, particularly kinase activity.
I returned to the University of Santiago in 2004 through the Ramón y Cajal program and became a Group Leader at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) in 2010. In 2023, I was promoted to Full Professor.
Throughout my career, I have published more than 100 papers in leading multidisciplinary journals, including J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., and Chem. Sci., which have collectively received over 3,000 citations. I am also the author of seven patents, one of which was licensed to Merck in 2021.
Publication record in ORCID
From Intracellular catalysis & Fluorescence Imaging to conductive materials
Bioorthogonal metallopeptide catalysts
Most transition metals used in chemistry are deactivated by the complex environment found inside a cell. We address this challenge by designing small, synthetic proteins that act as a protective shell around a palladium catalyst. This molecular architecture prevents the catalyst from being "poisoned" by cellular components, allowing it to perform chemical reactions, such as depropargylation, directly inside human HeLa cells (Learte-Aymamí et al., 2024). This approach enables us to perform precision chemistry in vivo, creating new possibilities for targeted drug activation.
Non-Aromatic Fluorescent peptides
It has long been assumed that peptides only emit fluorescence if they contain specific aromatic amino acids. We have challenged this rule by demonstrating that simple, non-aromatic peptides can also emit light. When these peptides fold into a tight α-helix, their charged side chains are brought into close proximity, creating a network of salt bridges that can capture and emit blue light (González-González et al., 2025). This discovery provides a new way to monitor protein folding and offers a path toward developing genetically encodable fluorescent markers that do not require traditional aromatic dyes.
Self-assembled conductive peptides
Modern electronics rely on rigid materials that are difficult to integrate with biological systems. We are developing a sustainable alternative using self-assembling peptide nanowires. By utilizing a tryptophan zipper motif, we can coax short peptides to form long, robust fibers. The precise arrangement of residues within these fibers allows electrons to move through the material, resulting in intrinsic electronic conductivity (Lopez-Blanco et al., 2025). These biological wires are biocompatible and offer a new platform for creating electronics that can interface directly with living tissues.