Oxygen is an essential element for the metabolism of all tissues. Therefore, cells respond to hypoxia by implementing a series of mechanisms directed at restoring an adequate supply of oxygen and maintaining appropriate generation of energy during hypoxia. These responses are mediated by molecular machinery in which the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) plays a central role.

The fundamental objective of our group is to deepen understanding of the molecular machinery of the hypoxia response.

Specifically, we seek to identify, using a combination of bioinformatic and molecular biology techniques, the complement of genes induced by hypoxia through HIF and to characterise its function in the response to hypoxia. In addition to providing an overall view of the response to hypoxia, this research line may help identify genes that are useful markers for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases that progress with the development of tissue hypoxia, such as neoplasms and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.