University of Miami · NeuroscienceBarrientos Lab
Antoni Barrientos · Coral Gables, Florida
Research Focus
Dr. Antoni Barrientos' lab at the University of Miami focuses on understanding the assembly of mitochondrial complexes, which are critical for energy production in our cells. The team studies how proteins of different origins come together to form these complexes and how disruptions in this process can lead to various diseases, including neurodegeneration and metabolic disorders. They utilize advanced techniques like gene editing and cryo-electron microscopy to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind mitochondrial biogenesis in both yeast and human cells.
mitochondriaoxidative phosphorylationbiogenesisneurodegenerationgene editingprotein assemblycryogenic electron microscopymitoribosomemetabolic disease
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the assembly pathways of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes.
AIM 02Characterize the factors involved in the assembly of mitochondrial structures.
AIM 03Understand regulatory mechanisms that ensure proper mitochondrial protein synthesis and assembly.
Skills the Lab Values
gene editingyeast geneticscryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM)protein purificationcell culturebiochemical assaysmolecular cloningWestern blotRNA analysis
Output against the department
Publications183top 41% of dept.272nd of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations11ktop 37% of dept.249th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.