A new route for determining the structure and function of proteins

13.02.2026

Image | Patricia Bondía

• Researchers at IMDEA Nanociencia are developing a new strategy using “scaffold” proteins that allows their dynamics to be observed under real physiological conditions.
• The use of ultrafast X-rays paves the way for studying key interactions between proteins and drugs.

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Madrid, 13th febrary, 2026. Understanding the structure and dynamics of proteins is one of the great challenges of modern biology, as these macromolecules are behind essential processes such as metabolism, cell signaling, and photosynthesis. However, the most commonly used techniques for studying proteins, such as X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, have a key limitation: they require proteins to remain static, either crystallized or frozen, which prevents them from being observed under real physiological conditions and their natural movements from being tracked.

To overcome this obstacle, researchers at IMDEA Nanociencia have proposed an innovative strategy based on the use of proteins designed as “scaffolds.” These artificial structures allow many proteins of interest to be organized in an orderly manner and with controlled orientations, amplifying the signal detected when using advanced techniques such as X-ray free electron lasers (XFEL). At the same time, each protein retains its freedom of movement, behaving as it would in a physiological environment. This delicate balance between global order and individual dynamics is the key to the new approach.

The breakthrough opens the door to studying not only the structure but also the conformational changes of proteins in real time, for example during interactions with drugs, with other proteins, or after light-induced processes. This is an important step toward understanding fundamental biological mechanisms and has a potential direct impact on fields such as structural biology, pharmacology, and the design of new drugs. Although technical challenges remain, such as increasing the size and order of the nanostructures obtained, the results demonstrate the viability of the concept.

The work has been published in the scientific journal AIP Advances and is the result of an international collaboration between scientists from IMDEA Nanociencia, the CIC biomaGUNE center, and the Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste infrastructure, combining expertise in molecular biology, protein self-assembly, and state-of-the-art X-ray spectroscopy. This work has been highlighted by the BBVA Foundation's SIGMA magazine as part of the Leonardo network research to which the researchers belong.

Reference: 

Contact:

Sara Hernández Mejías. Bio-engineered nanophotonics Group 
https://nanociencia.imdea.org/bio-engineered-nanophotonics/home

IMDEA Nanociencia Dissemination and Communication Office
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.+34 91 299 87 12

Source: IMDEA Nanociencia.

The IMDEA Nanoscience Institute is an interdisciplinary research center in Madrid dedicated to exploring nanoscience and developing nanotechnology applications for innovative industries. IMDEA Nanoscience has been a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence since 2017, the highest recognition of research excellence at the national level.