Javier Conesa
CNB, Spain
I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Complutense University of Madrid in 2010 and my Master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid in 2011.
The research work I carried out during my Master’s continued at the CNB throughout 2012. In this project, I resolved the structure of the influenza A (H1N1) ribonucleoprotein using cryo-electron tomography (Arranz et al., 2012).
In 2016, I obtained my PhD on the quantification of superparamagnetic nanoparticles internalized in cancer cells using X-ray spectroscopy.
To deepen my knowledge in structural biology and imaging techniques, I joined the ALBA synchrotron at the MISTRAL beamline led by Dr. Eva Pereiro, establishing a close collaboration with Dr. Peter Cloetens at the ESRF synchrotron’s id16a beamline to implement new correlative workflows between both synchrotrons and apply them to biological problems.
In 2019, I joined the CNB-CSIC as a postdoctoral researcher under the Severo Ochoa program to establish and implement a new laboratory for correlative cryo-light and electron microscopy under the scientific direction of Prof. José María Valpuesta. I also closely collaborate with the groups of Prof. José María Carazo and Carlos Oscar Sorzano (world-leading experts in electron microscopy data processing) on the development of software for cryo-electron tomography data processing.
Currently, I am responsible for the correlative cryo-microscopy laboratory at CNB-CSIC, where we are implementing new workflows to offer them to the national and international scientific communities.
Recently, I have participated as a spokesperson in a proposal to build a new X-ray fluorescence and phase contrast imaging beamline at the ALBA synchrotron as part of the ALBA-II machine upgrade. The proposal has been accepted, and the beamline design has begun, with construction expected to start in 2025.
CRYO-CORRELATIVE LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) is a structural biology methodology to solve biological problems. This methodology, applied in cryogenic conditions, allows the extraction of high resolution structural 3D information in the native cellular context avoiding artefacts related to chemical fixation and dehydration. CLEM allows the study of cellular samples by means of cryo-fluorescence microscopy to locate interesting cellular events while cryo-focus ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-FIB-SEM) serial sectioning is used to analyse the cellular ultrastructure at the level of cellular organelles or, alternatively, cryo-electron tomography is used to analyse the 3D structure of protein complexes and their distribution at molecular resolution. At CNB-CSIC we are implementing a cryo-correlative platform aiming to provide users with dedicated tools to perform CLEM in cryogenic conditions in a variety of workflows, including the usage of cryo-epifluorescence, cryo-confocal fluorescence, cryo-FIB-SEM and cryo-ET, to investigate and answer questions to biological events occurring in the cell.