Protein Crystallography Unit

Inés Muñoz Head of Unit
T +34 917328000 (Ext 3020)
imunoz@cnio.es

The Protein Crystallography Unit provides unique expertise and capabilities that are not available elsewhere within the institution. It brings together a comprehensive portfolio of advanced synchrotron-based imaging and structural biology techniques within a single, integrated multiscale workflow, enabling the study of cancer across biological scales ranging from whole tumours to atomic-level molecular targets. This workflow combines Phase-Contrast X-ray Tomography (PCXT), Cryo-Soft X-ray Tomography (CSXT), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), and Macromolecular Crystallography (MX), allowing non-destructive, label-free, three-dimensional (3D) characterisation of tumours, cells, and macromolecules. Together, these approaches provide a coherent view linking tissue architecture, cellular organisation, biochemical states, and the atomic structures of therapeutic targets. Through coordinated access to major European synchrotron facilities, the Unit supports high-impact research on tumour biology, therapeutic targets, and mechanisms of drug action and resistance, enabling both comprehensive 3D analysis of tumours and their microenvironment, and detailed structural characterisation of proteins and complexes directly involved in cancer progression and therapy.

Recent publications

Martín-Hurtado A, Contreras J, Sánchez-Wandelmer J, Zarzuela E, García F, Le Coq J, Boskovic J, Muñoz IG, Gago F, Muñoz J, Isasa M, Plaza-Menacho I. (2026). The oncogenic CCDC6-RET fusion protein is a dual ATP- and ADP-dependent kinase. Nat Commun (in press). CNIO Publication.
Pignataro MF, Fernández NB, Garay-Alvarez A, Pavan MF, Molina R, Muñoz IG, Grossi J, Noguera M, Vila A, García AE, Gentili HG, Rodríguez NA, Aran M, Parreño V, Bok M, Hermoso JA, Ibañez LI, Santos J. (2026). Nanobodies as tools for studying human frataxin biology. Commun Biol (in press). CNIO Publication.
Ceballos-Zúñiga F, Galvez-Larrosa L, Muñoz IG, Infantes L, Fernández-Carrillo J, Pérez-Dorado I. (2025). Dissecting the molecular basis underlying mycobacterial cell-wall hydrolysis by the catalytic domains of D29LysA and DS6ALysA phage endolysins. Int J Biol Macromol 334, 148896. CNIO Publication.
Favretto F, Fruncillo S, Jiménez-Faraco E, Masè N, Dominici P, de José UP, Muñoz IG, Hermoso JA, Astegno A (2025). Redox-dependent activity and thioredoxin interaction of cyclophilin TgCyp21 from Toxoplasma gondii.. Int J Biol Macromol 330, 148019. CNIO Publication.
Lama R, Fose JM, Martín D, Muñoz IG, Wang ES, Sung PJ, Chemler SR, Wang X. (2025). Novel Inhibitors for MDM2-MDM4 E3 Ligase Potently Induce p53-Indepedent Apoptosis in Drug-Resistant Leukemic Cells. Molecules 30, 186. CNIO Publication.
Martin-Hurtado A, Contreras Contreras J, Sanchez-Wandelmer J, Zarzuela E, Muñoz IG, Muñoz J, Isasa M and Plaza-Menacho I (2025). The oncogenic CCDC6-RET fusion product is a dual ATP and ADP-dependent kinase that functions via cis-phosphorylation. BioRxiv (in press). CNIO Publication.
Lama R, Fose JM, Martín D, Muñoz IG, Wang ES, Sung PJ, Chemler SR, Wang X. (2024). Small-molecule MMRi36 induces apoptosis in p53-mutant lymphomas by targeting MDM2/MDM4/XIAP for degradation. Front Oncol 14, 1462231. CNIO Publication.
Cuesta N, Contreras MJ, Sanchez-Waldermer J, Soriano-Maldonado P, Martin-Hurtado A, Munoz IG, Llimargas M, Munoz J, Plaza- Menacho I (2023). An allosteric switch between the activation loop and a c-terminal palindromic phospho-motif controls c-Src function. Nat Commun 14, 6548. CNIO Publication. Open Access
Mur P, Viana-Errasti J, García-Mulero S, Magraner-Pardo L, Muñoz IG, Pons T, Capellá G, Pineda M, Feliubadaló L, Valle L. (2023). Recommendations for the classification of germline variants in the exonuclease domain of POLE and POLD1. Genome Med 15, 85. CNIO Publication.
Martínez-Caballero S, Freton C, Molina R, Bartual SG, Gueguen-Chaignon V, Mercy C, Gago F, Mahasenan KV, Muñoz IG, Lee M, Hesek D, Mobashery S, Hermoso JA, Grangeasse C. (2023). Molecular basis of the final step of cell division in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Cell Reports 42, 112756. CNIO Publication.
Lázaro-Gorines R, Pérez P, Heras-Murillo I, Adán-Barrientos I, Albericio G, Astorgano D, Flores S, Luczkowiak J, Labiod N, Harwood SL, Segura-Tudela A, Rubio-Pérez L, Nugraha Y, Shang X, Li Y, Alfonso C, Adipietro KA, Abeyawardhane DL, Navarro R, Compte M, Yu W, MacKerell AD Jr, Sanz L, Weber DJ, Blanco FJ, Esteban M, Pozharski E, Godoy-Ruiz R, Muñoz IG, Delgado R, Sancho D, García-Arriaza J, Álvarez-Vallina L. (2023). Dendritic Cell-Mediated Cross-Priming by a Bispecific Neutralizing Antibody Boosts Cytotoxic T Cell Responses and Protects Mice against SARS-CoV-2.. Adv Sci 10, e2304818. CNIO Publication.
Lama R, Xu C, Galster SL, Querol-García J, Portwood S, Mavis CK, Ruiz FM, Martin D, Wu J, Giorgi MC, Bargonetti J, Wang ES, Hernandez-Ilizaliturri FJ, Koudelka GB, Chemler SR, Muñoz IG, Wang X. (2022). Small molecule MMRi62 targets MDM4 for degradation and induces leukemic cell apoptosis regardless of p53 status. Front Oncol 12, 933446. CNIO Publication.
Compte M, Harwood SL, Erce-Llamazares A, Tapia-Galisteo A, Romero E, Ferrer I, Garrido-Martin EM, Enguita AB, Ochoa MC, Blanco B, Oteo M, Merino N, Nehme-Álvarez D, Hangiu O, Domínguez-Alonso C, Zonca M, Ramírez-Fernández A, Blanco FJ, Morcillo MA, Muñoz IG, Melero I, Rodriguez-Peralto JL, Paz-Ares L, Sanz L, Alvarez-Vallina L. (2021). An Fc-free EGFR-specific 4-1BB-agonistic Trimerbody Displays Broad Antitumor Activity in Humanized Murine Cancer Models without Toxicity. Clin Cancer Res 27, 3167-3177. CNIO Publication.
Martínez-Caballero S, Mahasenan KV, Kim C, Molina R, Feltzer R, Lee M, Bouley R, Hesek D, Fisher JF, Muñoz IG, Chang M, Mobashery S, Hermoso JA. (2021). Integrative structural biology of the penicillin-binding protein-1 from Staphylococcus aureus, an essential component of the divisome machinery. COMPUT STRUCT BIOTEC 19, 5392-5405. CNIO Publication.