December 2025
I am pleased to annouce our last Preprint!
«Uncoupling of nutrient sensing and cell size control by specific defects in ceramide structure»
José Ignacio Quesada-Márquez, Ana Serrano, María Alcaide-Gavilán, Rafael Lucena
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.28.691118v1
Amazing work from Nacho’s TFG/TFM. When funding is tight (or simply there is no funding at all), we celebrate this work as if we were climbing Everest.
We’ll let you know the final publications once we get the reviewers back.
June 2025
It is a great honor to announce that our Anita just got the prestigious FPU fellowship to do her PhD in our lab!! She got score #17 among ALL THE STUDENTS IN SPAIN. Great job Anita!!
December 2024
Great news! We have now published our new manuscript on Yck1/2 kinases. Check it out here:
https://journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/137/24/jcs262036/364832/Casein-kinase-1-controls-components-of-a-TORC2
Also, a First Person interview to Rafa:
https://journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/137/24/jcs263769/364823/First-person-Rafael-Lucena
October 2024
We are starting the new academic course with two new incorporations: The two Isas: Isabel Castaño and Isabel Silva.
Both Isas are starting their third year at Biology School and will be having fun doing PCRs, western blotting, and yeast experiments. Their pictures are on the group page!
June 21st 2024
All good things must come to an end. Eu, Andrea, Marta and Pilar are leaving. Eu will be starting a Masters in Education, while Andrea will be doing a Masters in Health Biotechnology. Marta on the other hand will be looking for a job after finishing her Masters. After an amazing work in the lab, Pilar is waiting to start a job at some hospital (hopefully) soon.
We will miss you all. Truly.
Wish you the best in your future life and career.
June 2nd 2024
We welcome Dragos-Aurelian Vasvari, an Erasmus student from Constructor University (Germany). During the next 8 weeks, Dragos will be working on different projects learning fission and budding yeast techniques.
May 2024
We welcome Pilar Valera! Thanks to a collaboration between Maria Alcaide’s lab and a Higher Education Institute in Pathology, Pilar will be helping in the lab for 6 weeks as a technician.
April 25th 2024
Rafa is now tenure!
After three years at US, Rafa got his tenure position as Associate Professor.
April 5th 2024
Congrats to our amazing undergrad!
Eu just got a scientific fellowship from the University to work on our lab for a few months.
January 31st 2024
Our new Preprint is out! Check out our preliminary work on Yck1/2 kinases regulating the TORC2 pathway.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.30.578072v1
November 13-15 2023
We are back in business! First meeting for Nacho! We went to the XX Meeting of the Spanish Society of Cell Biology in Cordoba. Nacho presented his work, enjoyed a couple of beers and (hopefully) had some fun.
Let’s hope for a new meeting soon!
October 6th 2023
Big congrats to Anita for obtaining the prestigious «Beca de Colaboración» from the Spanish Ministry of Education. Anita will be working on TORC2 signaling and nutrients, her favorite thing in the world…
May 23rd 2023
We have a new publication!
Check it out at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388198123000586?via%3Dihub
– Impact of sphingolipids on protein membrane trafficking
March 16th 2023
Nacho was presenting his work at the XIX IBIS RESEARCHERS FORUM 2023!
Well done, Nacho!
March 1st 2023
We have a new incorporation to the Department!
Dr. Maria Alcaide-Gavilan is joining the Cell Biology Department with a grant from Junta de Andalucia. She will be working on eisosomes and cell growth and size control.
Dr. Alcaide-Gavilan has a PhD in Genetics and postdoctoral experience at UC Santa Cruz working with Douglas Kellogg.
December 14-16 2022
Rafa was presenting at the «13 Red Nacional de Levaduras». A great meeting to discuss new ideas with wonderful people!
December 2nd 2022
Our first paper from the lab got an award! Best paper in January 2022 at the School of Biology. Thanks to everyone involved in this work!
September 12th 2022
We have three new incorporations to the lab! Eugenia (Eu), Ana María (Anita) and Andrea will be learning how to treat yeasts. Thanks for joining the group!
September 6-9 2022
The lab was present at the 44 National Meeting of the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SEBBM).
Rafa was presenting Nacho’s excellent work on cell growth control. It was a great experience after these years without personal meetings.
Summer 2022
Rafa and Nacho are enjoying life and science at UC Santa Cruz and the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria (IBBTEC), respectively. Pictures will be posted soon!
The Lucena Lab 