E-Mail : sergi@biology.columbia.edu
Phone : (212) 854-9606

I graduated in Chemistry (Major: Physical Chemistry) from the University of Barcelona, Catalonia, in 2000 (extraordinary award in graduation) and in 2001 I finished my MS in Analytical Chemistry. In 2005 I obtained my PhD degree from the Department of Physical Chemistry (University of Barcelona) in the group of Nanobioscience under the supervision of Prof. Fausto Sanz. My PhD was mainly focused on the understanding of the nanomechanical properties of well-defined molecular systems through Force Spectroscopy with AFM. More precisely, I explored the different regimes of the force curves in order to try to understand the mechanical response of surfaces at the nanometric scale under the application of force. Concerning the hard contact region of the force plots (nN-µN scale), we were able to discern between different materials ranging from ionic (1) to covalent (2), especially focusing on the elastic regime and also on the onset of plastic deformation (nanoindentation) (3). Regarding the 'soft' contact region (nN range), I was concerned about the study of the mechanical response of lipid bilayers, and especially the role that ionic strength (4), temperature (5) and phospholipid chemical structure play upon membrane stability at the nanometer scale. The adhesion force and the jump-to-contact force (pN) provide an insight into chemical interactions that arise between a chemically functionalized tip and the target surface (6). From September 2005 I hold a postdoctoral research position in the laboratory of Prof. Julio Fernandez. My current research interests aim to extend the Force Spectroscopy applications to the field of unfolding single proteins upon the application of force, i.e., in the pulling regime of the force plots. In particular, I am interested in the measurement of single-bond rupture and also in the understanding of the unfolding and folding pathways that a protein undergoes under the application of constant force, which can be experimentally achieved by using the so-called force-clamp spectroscopy mode. References

1. Sergi Garcia-Manyes, Albert Verdaguer, Jordi Fraxedas and Fausto Sanz, submitted.
2. Sergi Garcia-Manyes, Aleix G. Guell, Pau Gorostiza and Fausto Sanz, Journal of Chemical Physics, 123 (2005), 114711.
3. Jordi Fraxedas, Sergi Garcia-Manyes, Pau Gorostiza and Fausto Sanz, PNAS, 99 (8), (2002), 5228-5232.
4. Sergi Garcia-Manyes, Gerard Oncins and Fausto Sanz, Biophysical Journal, 89, (2005), 1812-1826.
5. Sergi Garcia-Manyes, Gerard Oncins and Fausto Sanz, Biophysical Journal, 89,(2005), 4261-4274.
6. Sergi Garcia-Manyes, Pau Gorostiza and Fausto Sanz, Analytical Chemistry, 78, (2006), 61-70.