Iker Arriaga Saez
Iker Arriaga Saez
LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Structure and Cell Biology of Viruses Lab
Address: Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, building 800, Derio (Bizkaia)

Never as the past two years (2020-2021) have manifested the importance of the research in virology (and immunology). Readiness of action when such pandemic events occur rely on years of basic knowledge accumulated in time and constant technology development. The study of viruses infecting either Bacteria, Archaea or Eukaryotes – and whether from the basic, clinical or translation point of views – is always beneficial to society soon or later. The Abrescia Lab focuses on determining the molecular mechanisms governing viral pathogenesis using structural methods. We study virus assembly, virus cell entry, and virus-antibody recognition mechanisms. Deciphering the principles governing virus assembly allows developing molecular strategies for interfering with its morphogenesis. Expanding our structural knowledge of the virus world (Virosphere) also contributes to establish viral relationships that are undetected at sequence level. Elucidating the virus cell-entry processes provide the possibility of jamming this key-lock mechanism. Antibodies are often used to this purpose and understanding the recognition and neutralization processes greatly increase the possibility of tuning such mechanisms.

To this end, we use an integrative approach based on X-ray crystallography and Electron Microscopy (EM) techniques and complemented with functional studies. Specifically, access to high-end electron microscopy and crystallographic infrastructure is routinely available which allows the group to resolve viruses and viral protein structures to atomic detail. The generated knowledge is intended not only to elucidate molecular mechanisms but also to translate this knowledge into molecular tools (eg. drugs, diagnostics, vaccines) that would improve human and animal health.
Our research fulfils the ONE HEALTH concept and approach to societal challenges enabling the development of new intervention strategies.

Since 2014 the Abrescia Lab has been advocating the democratization of the cryo-EM technique and promoting it in the Basque Country:

Finally, Dr. Abrescia is the coordinator of the BAG-Bilbao for the Basque EM community to access state-of-the-art cryo-EM infrastructures at eBIC-Diamond (UK) for performing high-resolution cryo-EM studies on the topic of molecular recognition and host pathogens interactions.

Latest Publications

Targeting the Spike: Repurposing Mithramycin and Dihydroergotamine to Block SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Stagnoli, S; Macari, G; Corsi, P; Capone, B; Vidaurrazaga, A; Ereño-Orbea, J; Ardá, A; Polticelli, F; Jiménez-Barbero, J; Abrescia, NGA; Coluzza, I;

ACS OMEGA

2023-11-13

Controlling the protein corona of polymeric nanocapsules: effect of polymer shell on protein adsorption

Berrecoso, G; Bravo, SB; Arriaga, I; Abrescia, N; Crecente-Campo, J; Alonso, MJ;

DRUG DELIVERY AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH

2023-10-08

Immunization with a small fragment of the Schmallenberg virus nucleoprotein highly conserved across the Orthobunyaviruses of the Simbu serogroup reduces viremia in SBV challenged IFNAR-/- mice

Guerra, GS; Barriales, D; Lorenzo, G; Moreno, S; Anguita, J; Brun, A; Abrescia, NGA;

VACCINE

2023-05-12

Molecular Recognition of Glycan-Bearing Glycomacromolecules Presented at Membrane Surfaces by Lectins: An NMR View

Lete, MG; Hoffmann, M; Schomann, N; Martínez-Castillo, A; Peccati, F; Konietzny, PB; Delgado, S; Snyder, NL; Jiménez-Oses, G; Abrescia, NGA; Ardá, A; Hartmann, L; Jiménez-Barbero, J;

ACS OMEGA

2023-05-03

New Glucosamine-Based TLR4 Agonists: Design, Synthesis, Mechanism of Action, and In Vivo Activity as Vaccine Adjuvants

Romerio, A; Gotri, N; Franco, AR; Artusa, V; Shaik, MM; Pasco, ST; Atxabal, U; Matamoros-Recio, A; Mínguez-Toral, M; Zalamea, JD; Franconetti, A; Abrescia, NGA; Jimenez-Barbero, J; Anguita, ...

JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY

2023-02-23

Cellular and Structural Characterization of VP1 and VP2 Knockout Mutants of AAV3B Serotype and Implications for AAV Manufacturing

Arriaga, I; Navarro, A; Etxabe, A; Trigueros, C; Samulski, RJ; Moullier, P; François, A; Abrescia, NGA;

HUMAN GENE THERAPY

2022-11-01

Assessing the Mobility of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Spike Protein Glycans by Structural and Computational Methods

Stagnoli, S; Peccati, F; Connell, SR; Martinez-Castillo, A; Charro, D; Millet, O; Bruzzone, C; Palazon, A; Arda, A; Jimenez-Barbero, J; Ereno-Orbea, J; Abrescia, NGA; Jimenez-Oses, G;

FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY

2022-04-15

Mitochondrial bioenergetics boost macrophage activation, promoting liver regeneration in metabolically compromised animals

Goikoetxea-Usandizaga, N; Serrano-Maciá, M; Delgado, TC; Simón, J; Ramos, DF; Barriales, D; Cornide, ME; Jiménez, M; Pérez-Redondo, M; Lachiondo-Ortega, S; Rodríguez-Agudo, R; Bizkarguenaga, ...

HEPATOLOGY

2021-12-15

Bacteriophage PRD1 as a nanoscaffold for drug loading

Duyvesteyn, HME; Santos-Pérez, I; Peccati, F; Martinez-Castillo, A; Walter, TS; Reguera, D; Goñi, FM; Jiménez-Osés, G; Oksanen, HM; Stuart, DI; Abrescia, NGA;

NANOSCALE

2021-12-01

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Complex N-Glycans of the Parasite S. mansoni to Examine the Importance of Epitope Presentation on DC-SIGN recognition

Srivastava, AD; Unione, L; Bunyatov, M; Gagarinov, IA; Delgado, S; Abrescia, NGA; Ardá, A; Boons, GJ;

ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION

2021-07-16

Cross-Linking Effects Dictate the Preference of Galectins to Bind LacNAc-Decorated HPMA Copolymers

Bertuzzi, S; Gimeno, A; Martinez-Castillo, A; Lete, MG; Delgado, S; Airoldi, C; Tavares, MR; Bláhová, M; Chytil, P; Kren, V; Abrescia, NGA; Ardá, A; Bojarová, P; Jiménez-Barbero, J;

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES

2021-06-01

Minimal epitope for Mannitou IgM on paucimannose-carrying glycoproteins

Robakiewicz, S; Bridot, C; Serna, S; Gimeno, A; Echeverria, B; Delgado, S; de Ruyck, J; Semwal, S; Charro, D; Dansercoer, A; Verstraete, K; Azkargorta, M; van Noort, K; Wilbers, RHP; Savvides, ...

GLYCOBIOLOGY

2021-04-28

Sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion by flow cytometry reveals the presence of nucleoprotein-reactive antibodies in unexposed individuals

Egia-Mendikute, L; Bosch, A; Prieto-Fernández, E; Lee, SY; Jiménez-Lasheras, B; del Río, AG; Antoñana-Vildosola, A; Bruzzone, C; Bizkarguenaga, M; Embade, N; Gil-Redondo, R; Martínez-Chantar, ...

COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY

2021-04-20

A novel Schmallenberg virus subunit vaccine candidate protects IFNAR-/- mice against virulent SBV challenge

Boshra, H; Lorenzo, G; Charro, D; Moreno, S; Guerra, GS; Sanchez, I; Garrido, JM; Geijo, M; Brun, A; Abrescia, NGA;

SCIENTIFIC REPORTS

2020-11-23

Structural Characterization of N-Linked Glycans in the Receptor Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and their Interactions with Human Lectins

Lenza, MP; Oyenarte, I; Diercks, T; Quintana, JI; Gimeno, A; Coelho, H; Diniz, A; Peccati, F; Delgado, S; Bosch, A; Valle, M; Millet, O; Abrescia, NGA; Palazn, A; Marcelo, F; Jiménez-Osés, G; ...

ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION

2020-10-22

Superimposition of Viral Protein Structures: A Means to Decipher the Phylogenies of Viruses

Ravantti, JJ; Martinez-Castillo, A; Abrescia, NGA;

VIRUSES-BASEL

2020-10-01

The cryo-EM structure of African swine fever virus unravels a unique architecture comprising two icosahedral protein capsids and two lipoprotein membranes.

Andres, German; Charro, Diego; Matamoros, Tania; Dillard, Rebecca S; Abrescia, Nicola G A;

The Journal of biological chemistry

2020-01-03

Structural basis for assembly of vertical single β-barrel viruses

Santos-Pérez, I; Charro, D; Gil-Carton, D; Azkargorta, M; Elortza, F; Bamford, DH; Oksanen, HM; Abrescia, NGA;

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

2019-03-12

Membrane-Containing Icosahedral Bacteriophage PRD1: The Dawn of Viral Lineages

Oksanen, HM; Abrescia, NGA; Greber, UF;

PHYSICAL VIROLOGY: VIRUS STRUCTURE AND MECHANICS

2019-01-01

Membrane-containing virus particles exhibit the mechanics of a composite material for genome protection

Azinas, S; Bano, F; Torca, I; Bamford, DH; Schwartz, GA; Esnaola, J; Oksanen, HM; Richter, RP; Abrescia, NG;

NANOSCALE

2018-04-28