Carlos Briones, degree in Chemical Sciences (specialty: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) and PhD in Sciences, with a thesis completed at the Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), is a researcher on staff at CSIC and Coordinator of the Group of Molecular Evolution, RNA World and Biosensors. at Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA).
His lines of research are: i) origin and early evolution of life (experimental and theoretical approaches to the RNA world model and prebiotic systems chemistry); ii) in vitro evolution of nucleic acids (RNA and DNA aptamers against different molecules and biomarkers); iii) genetics of RNA viruses (dynamics of viral quasispecies, sequence/structure/function relationships in their genomic RNA); and iv) development of biosensors (based on aptamers, DNA and protein microarrays, nanobiosensors). Partner in interdisciplinary projects to analyze microbial biodiversity in extreme environments (MARTE and IPBSL), and to identify molecular precursors of the RNA world in the interstellar medium. He has participated in 25 competitive research projects, being PI in 10 of them. He is co-author of more than 120 articles, among which more than 80 are published in journals indexed in Web of Science (with index h 30). Co-inventor of 10 patents and utility models.
He is a member of the Executive Committees of the European Astrobiology Institute (EAI) and the María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence – CAB, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Society of Virology (SEV). Since 2016 he is the Scientific Secretary of the International School of Astrobiology “Josep Comas i Solà” (CAB-UIMP-NASA). Coordinates the Research Challenge “The origins of life: from chemistry to biology” (within the Strategic Theme “Origins, (co)evolution, diversity and synthesis of life” in the CSIC 2030 White Papers), and the CSIC Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform (PTI) “Origin of life: evolution towards the emergence of biochemical functions”. In parallel, he has accumulated extensive experience in popularization and communication of science as a speaker, coordinator of activities, author of articles and books (among them “Orígenes. El Universo, la vida, los humanos“, Ed. Crítica 2015, and “¿Estamos solos? En busca de otras vidas en el Cosmos“, Ed. Crítica 2020).
ORCID: 0000-0003-2213-8353
WoS ResearcherID: G-3689-2016
SCOPUS Author ID: 6701780070
| Key words | Origin of life, RNA world, RNA viruses, in vitro evolution of nucleic acids, aptamers, biomarkers, biosensors, biosensing, bio-nanotechnology, astrobiology |
