I am currently studying for a PhD at the University of Warwick. I started in 2003 with the first lot of the new multidisplinary programme called MOAC (Molecular Organistaion and Assembly in Cells). This new programme consisted of a Masters (2003–2004) and a PhD (2004-).

MOAC has been a challenging and successful programme in which my background in Chemistry (MChem, University of Seville, Spain, 2002) is widely used and new knowledge is acquired every day through working in the interface of Chemistry, Biological Sciences and Biomedical Research.

I am now in my second year PhD and looking forward to the new challenges and new discoveries!

About my Research

PhD Title: Structure, function and mechanisms of action of fibrous proteins
Supervisors: Alison Rodger (Biophysical Chemistry, group page), Dave Roper (Strucutural Biology)

Prokaryotic cells divide by a process known as binary fision. This process consists of the replication of the DNA and then progression to what is known as cytokinesis (or cell division). I am working with a protein called FtsZ. This protein forms a ring in the inner surface of the prokaryotic cell (known as the Z-ring) that carries out cell divion with the aid of some other proteins. My actual research concentrates on the protein-protein interaction and the development of a technique called Linear Dichroism (LD), which has been shown to be ideal for FtsZ and other filamentous proteins.

Raul at the MOAC Annual Conference 2006