Francisco Javier Morales Yànez

Francisco Javier Morales Yànez

ULg CIP- Nanobodies to Explore Protein Structure and Functions (NEPTUNS)

Francisco Javier Morales Jànez was granted a 3 years FRS-FNRS post-doctoral fellowship.

Francisco Morales Jànez completed his doctoral studies in Bioengineering Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp. For his PhD research project, he developed a novel nanobody-based diagnostic test to detect the excretory-secretory antigens of Toxocara canis, the aetiological agent of the highly prevalent but neglected parasitosis human toxocariasis^1-4.

He joined the group of Mireille Dumoulin at CIP, in September 2019 as a postdoctoral researcher in the frame of the WALinnov project Nanoneutra. This is a collaborative project between the Université de Liége, the Université catholique de Louvain and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. It aims at generating nanomedecines as a therapeutic strategy for cystic fibrosis. In addition, thanks to a Crédit d’Opportunités Stratégiques from ULiège, he has been the key person to develop ALPANANO, a platform to generate and select nanobodies.  

During his FRS-FNRS post-doctoral mandate, he aims to develop Nanomedecines to protect lungs against excessive NETs formation.

1- Nanobody-Based Immunosensor Detection Enhanced by Photocatalytic-Electrochemical Redox Cycling. Trashin S, Morales-Yánez F, Thiruvottriyur Shanmugam S, Paredis L, Carrión EN, Sariego I, Muyldermans S, Polman K, Gorun SM, De Wael K. Anal Chem. 2021 Oct 12;93(40):13606-13614. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02876.

2- Electrochemical detection of Toxocara canis excretory-secretory antigens in children from rural communities in Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador: association between active infection and high eosinophilia. Morales-Yánez F, Trashin S, Sariego I, Roucher C, Paredis L, Chico M, De Wael K, Muyldermans S, Cooper P, Polman K. Parasit Vectors. 2020 May 12;13(1):245. doi: 10.1186/s13071-020-04113-2.

3- Fast One-Step Ultrasensitive Detection of Toxocara canis Antigens by a Nanobody-Based Electrochemical Magnetosensor. Morales-Yánez F, Trashin S, Hermy M, Sariego I, Polman K, Muyldermans S, De Wael K. Anal Chem. 2019 Sep 17;91(18):11582-11588. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01687.

4- An innovative approach in the detection of Toxocara canis excretory/secretory antigens using specific nanobodies. Morales-Yanez FJ, Sariego I, Vincke C, Hassanzadeh-Ghassabeh G, Polman K, Muyldermans S. Int J Parasitol. 2019 Jul;49(8):635-645. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.03.004