Ikerbasque Research Professor
0000-0001-5559-1918Nicola G.A. Abrescia obtained his BSc in Physics from the Università degli Studi di Milano (IT) and continued his scientific pursuits by completing his PhD in Physics from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
During this period, Dr. Abrescia also worked at the Institute of Cancer Research in London (1998). In 2000, he conducted structural studies of archaeal RNA polymerase at Yale University in Paul Sigler's lab, and at Harvard University in Stephen Harrison's lab. In 2001, he moved to Oxford to begin his postdoctoral research period with Prof. D.I. Stuart's group at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics.
In 2008, Dr. Abrescia joined CIC bioGUNE as an Ikerbasque Research Professor and Group Leader of the Structure and Cell Biology of Viruses Lab. His laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of viral pathogenesis using structural methods. The team examines virus assembly, cell entry, and virus-antibody recognition to devise strategies for disrupting viral morphogenesis and improving the understanding of viral relationships and neutralization processes.
Additionally, 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.
Awards & recognitions
Extraordinary Doctorate Award from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (2003).
Latest Publications
2024
2023
2022
2021
The past years (2020-2021) have underscored the critical importance of research in virology and immunology. Rapid responses to pandemic events depend on years of accumulated basic knowledge and ongoing technological advancements. Studying viruses that infect Bacteria, Archaea, or Eukaryotes—whether from basic, clinical, or translational perspectives—ultimately benefits society. The Abrescia Lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms governing viral pathogenesis through structural methods. Our research areas include virus assembly, virus cell entry, and virus-antibody recognition mechanisms.
By deciphering the principles of virus assembly, we aim to develop strategies to interfere with viral morphogenesis. Expanding our structural knowledge of the viral world (virosphere) helps uncover viral relationships that are not apparent at the sequence level. Understanding virus cell entry processes enables us to disrupt this key-lock mechanism, often using antibodies. By studying recognition and neutralization processes, we increase the potential for fine-tuning these mechanisms.
We employ an integrative approach based on X-ray crystallography and Electron Microscopy (EM) techniques, complemented by functional studies. Our access to high-end electron microscopy and crystallographic infrastructure allows us to resolve viral and viral protein structures at atomic detail. This knowledge helps elucidate molecular mechanisms and translates into molecular tools such as drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines to improve human and animal health.
Our group combines electron microscopy and tomography, X-ray crystallography, and biophysical methods with expertise in molecular and cell biology. Our structural studies are complemented by functional data. Our targets include:
Research line 1: Viruses with internal membranes and medically relevant human and animal enveloped viruses
Research line 2: Viral vectors for gene therapy, such as AAV
Research line 3: Prototype vaccines within the ONE HEALTH framework
Collaborations
Hanna M Oksanen (University of Finland). Alejandro Brun (CISA-INIA, Madrid). David I Stuart (University of Oxford). Santiago Elena (I2SysBio, CSIC – Universitat de València). Javier Ortego (CISA-INIA, Madrid). Viralgen biotech (San Sebastian). VIVEbiotech (San Sebastian).
Links
https://www.deia.eus/opinion/tribuna-abierta/2017/01/19/potente-mirada-euskadi-futuro/551456.html
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Ane Martinez Castillo
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Antonela Soledad Stagnoli
TECHNICIANS / DOCTORAL CANDIDATES -
Esther Uribe-Echeverría Echeverri
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Irati Lacunza Elizalde
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Alejandro Cenalmor Molina
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Lifei Fu
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Ander Vidaurrazaga
Members
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERLatest Publications
Structural Insight Into a Human H Ferritin@Gold-Monocarbene Adduct: Aurophilicity Revealed in a Biological Context
Cosottini, L; Giachetti, A; Guerri, A; Martinez-Castillo, A; Geri, A; Zineddu, S; Abrescia, NGA; Messori, L; Turano, P; Rosato, A;
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
2025-04-27
Structural and functional significance of Aedes aegypti AgBR1 flavivirus immunomodulator
Martinez-Castillo, A; Barriales, D; Azkargorta, M; Zalamea, JD; Ardá, A; Jimenez-Barbero, J; Gonzalez-Lopez, M; Aransay, AM; Marín-López, A; Fikrig, E; Elortza, F; Anguita, J; Abrescia, NGA; ...
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
2025-04-24
pH-antenna residues trigger a large-scale conformational change in the large extracellular loop domain of the CD81 human receptor
Risueño, C; Carbajo, I; Charro, D; Abrescia, NGA; Coluzza, I;
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
2025-04-21
Genomic and structural insights into Jyvaskylavirus, the first giant virus isolated from Finland
Almeida, GMD; Arriaga, I; de Azevedo, BL; Leppänen, M; Abrahao, JS; Andreani, J; Zabeo, D; Ravantti, JJ; Abrescia, NGA; Sundberg, LR;
ELIFE
2025-03-25
Engineering hyaluronic acid-based nanoassemblies for monoclonal antibody delivery - design, characterization, and biological insights
López-Estévez, AM; Zhang, Y; Medel, M; Arriaga, I; Sanjurjo, L; Huck-Iriart, C; Abrescia, NGA; Vicent, MJ; Ouyang, D; Torres, D; Alonso, MJ;
NANO RESEARCH
2024-10-01
Nanotechnology-assisted intracellular delivery of antibody as a precision therapy approach for KRAS-driven tumors
López-Estévez, AM; Sanjurjo, L; Turrero, A; Arriaga, I; Abrescia, NGA; Poveda, A; Jimenez-Barbero, J; Vidal, A; Torres, D; Alonso, MJ;
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
2024-07-15
Seroprevalence of adeno-associated virus types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 in a Basque cohort of healthy donors
Navarro-Oliveros, M; Vidaurrazaga, A; Guerra, GS; Castellana, D; Embade, N; Millet, O; Marigorta, UM; Abrescia, NGA;
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
2024-07-10
SUMOylation controls Hu antigen R posttranscriptional activity in liver cancer
Lachiondo-Ortega, S; Rejano-Gordillo, CM; Simon, J; Lopitz-Otsoa, F; Delgado, TC; Mazan-Mamczarz, K; Goikoetxea-Usandizaga, N; Zapata-Pavas, LE; García-del Río, A; Guerra, P; Peña-Sanfélix, ...
CELL REPORTS
2024-03-26
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, D; 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