The PIs

Roberto J. Brea

Roberto received his PhD in Chemistry (2013) from the University of Santiago de Compostela, under the supervision of Prof. Juan R. Granja. Afterwards, he moved to the University of California, San Diego to carry out postdoctoral studies with Prof. Neal K. Devaraj as a Human Frontier Science Program (Cross-Disciplinary) fellow. Since 2022, he is a Ramón y Cajal fellow at the University of A Coruña.

Francisco (Paco)
Fernández Trillo

Paco received his PhD in 2004 from the University of Santiago de Compostela, under the supervision of Prof. Susana López. In 2005, he moved to the field of polymer chemistry and joined the group of Prof. Neil Cameron at the University of Durham. In 2018, he became Senior Lecturer and the academic lead for Health and Safety at the School of Chemistry. Since 2021, he is a Beatriz Galindo Researcher at the University of Coruña.

Postdoctoral Researchers

Bruno Delgado González

Bruno received his PhD in Chemical Science and Technology (2024) from the University of Santiago de Compostela, under the supervision of Prof. Eduardo Fernández Megía. His research is focused on the development of novel approaches for fabricating functional synthetic cells.

Graduate Students

Amit Deb

Amit received his BSc in Chemistry from Kingston University London. Then, he did a MRes in Advanced Molecular Synthesis at Imperial College of London. In 2020, he began his PhD at University of Birmingham under the supervision of Dr. Paco and Dr. Sara Jabbari (University of Birmingham, UK).

Diego Miranda Balbuena

Diego received his BSc in Biology in 2020 form University of A Coruña. He then obtained in 2021 MSc in Health Care and Research form the same university. In 2022, he began his PhD in Health Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Paco and Dr. Ana Rey (G-CEL Group, CICA, Spain).

Federica A. Souto Trinei

Federica received her BSc in Chemistry in 2021 from University of A Coruña. She then obtained in 2022 her MSc in Science, Technology and Environmental Management from the same university. In 2022, she began her PhD in Fundamental and Environmental Chemistry under the supervision of Dr. Roberto J. Brea.

Alba Ramil Bouzas

Alba received her BSc in Biology and Chemistry in 2022 from University of A Coruña. She then obtained in 2023 her MSc in Molecular Biotechnology at University of Barcelona. In the same year, she began her PhD in Advanced Biotechnology under the supervision of Dr. Paco and Dr. Ana Rey (G-CEL Group, CICA, Spain).

Iván Torreiro León

Iván received his BSc in Chemistry in 2022 from University of A Coruña. He then obtained in 2023 his MSc in Chemical Research and Industrial Chemistry from the same university. In the same year, he began his PhD in Applied Physics under the supervision of Dr. Paco and Dr. Roberto J. Brea.

Brenda Portasany Figueiro

Brenda Received her BSc in Chemistry in 2017 from University of Santiago de Compostela. She then obtained in 2018 her MSc in Secondary Education Teacher Training form the University of Extremadura. She is currently doing her PhD in Fundamental and Environmental Chemistry under the supervision of Dr. Roberto J. Brea.

Lucía Rodríguez Pérez

Lucía received her BSc in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in 2024 from University of A Coruña. Then, she obtained a MSc in Condensed Matter Physics and Biological Systems at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. In 2025, she began her PhD at University of A Coruña under the supervision of Dr. Roberto J. Brea and Dr. Ana Rey (G-CEL Group, CICA, Spain).

Undergraduate Students

Victoria Charro Valle

Undergraduate student in the Chemistry program. She is currently completing her Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Roberto J. Brea, focusing on protein dilipidation.

Claudia Vázquez Fernández

Undergraduate student in the Chemistry program. She is currently completing her Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Roberto J. Brea, focusing on targeting protein dilipidation in disease.

José Manuel Rodríguez Martínez

Undergraduate student in the Chemistry program. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Roberto J. Brea, focusing on the development of functional synthetic cells.

Pablo Baz Martínez

Undergraduate student in the Chemistry program. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Paco and Dr. Roberto J. Brea, focusing on the fabrication of helical materials.

Lucía Medín Agraso

Undergraduate student in the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology program. She is currently completing her Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Roberto J. Brea and Dr. Paco, focusing on the construction of artificial viruses.

Ángela Sofía Ronda Hernández

Undergraduate student in the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology program. She is currently completing her Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Paco and Dr. Roberto J. Brea, focusing on the design and applications of novel helical nanomaterials.

Breixo Barba Gasamáns

Undergraduate student in the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology program. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Ana M. Ferreiro (UDC, Spain) and Dr. Roberto J. Brea, developing new models of synthetic cells.

Mario Couceiro García

Undergraduate student in the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology program. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Ana Rey (G-CEL Group, CICA, Spain) and Dr. Roberto J. Brea, building novel niosome-based systems.

Nadisha Mahtani Balani

Undergraduate student in the Double Degree of Chemistry and Biology program. She is currently completing her Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Armand Hernández (GRICA Group, CICA, Spain) and Dr. Roberto J. Brea, focusing on lipid biomarkers.

Alexandre Peón Vázquez

Undergraduate student in the Double Degree of Chemistry and Biology program. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Roberto J. Brea and Dr. Ana Rey (G-CEL Group, CICA, Spain), focusing on gene delivery carriers.

Visiting Scholars

Merve Kizilay

Undergraduate student in the Molecular Biology and Genetics program at the Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH). She is currently completing a three-month stay (Erasmus+ Trainee) in our group under the supervision of Dr. Roberto J. Brea, focusing on new methodologies for obtaining synthetic cells.

Alumni

Former “BioNanoChemiers”

· Eva Novo Rivas (BSc; Master’s Degree Final Project 2024-2025).

· Andrea Iglesias Ansia (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2024-2025).

· Mario García Prego (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2024-2025).

· Lola Wei Salvado Zas (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2024-2025).

· Beatriz Casal Prego (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2024-2025).

· Alex Díaz González (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2024-2025).

· Patricia Aguilar Gil (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2023-2024).

· Adrián José García Garcia (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2023-2024) – Currently PhD student at DNieto Lab (CICA, Spain).

· Lucía Rodríguez Pérez (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2023-2024).

· Raúl Díaz Subero (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2023-2024) – Currently MSc in Biomolecules and Cell Dynamics (UAM, Spain).

· Eva Novo Rivas (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2023-2024).

· Greta Bellio (Visiting Scholar; 2023) – Currently Postdoctoral Researcher at Mastrotto Lab (Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy).

· Alejandro Fiel Baña (Undergraduate; Incrúst@te-CICA Fellowship 2022) – Currently PhD student at Montenegro Lab (CIQUS, Spain).

· Leticia M. Jazmín Herrera (BSc; Master’s Degree Final Project 2021-2022) – Currently lab analyst at Referencia Laboratorio Clínico (Dominican Republic).

· José Manuel Pérez Martínez (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2021-2022) – Currently PhD student at Exprela Lab (CICA, Spain).

· Lucía Lomba Riego (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2021-2022) – Currently PhD student at Barbacid Lab (CNIO, Spain).

· Esther Calviño Sanlés (Undergraduate; Bachelor’s Degree Final Project 2021-2022) – Currently PhD student at Bernardes Lab (IMM, Portugal).