My research interests focus on mitochondrial function and biogenesis. Mitochondria are eukaryotic complex organelles of endosymbiotic origin, which conserve their own genome and gene expression machinery. They are commonly known as “the powerhouse of the cell” for their pivotal role in the conversion of nutrients derived energy in the form of ATP molecules, through the mitochondria-housed pathways of Krebs cycle, respiration and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS).

The overarching long-term goal of my research is to gain a complete understanding of the biogenesis and function of the mitochondrial OXPHOS system. Current projects are centered on:

1.The biogenetic pathway of mitochondrial respiratory chain supercomplexes and the physical and functional interconnections among OXPHOS enzymes and electron carriers and

2.The mechanisms underlying stability of the mitochondrial genome.

Lab Website: Barriento's Lab

• Public URL for my bibliography collection in My NCBI

Dr. Fontanesi joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Miami in 2013 as a Research Assistant Professor.