A team of researchers from CIC bioGUNE has unveiled new findings about the structure of protein p53. Mutations of this protein – which has been described as the guardian of the genome or the master watchman, referring to its role in preserving stability by preventing genome mutation – are present in over half of all cancers. The team has been led by Mikel Valle, who has been working on this project for over two years.

The research project was begun at the National Biotechnology Centre of the Higher Centre for Scientific Research (Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – CSIC) in Madrid, where Mikel Valle had been working for a year when he decided to join scientist José María Mato's team of researchers at Technology Park of Bizkaia.