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Dr Isabel Palacios

Isabel

Lecturer of Cell Biology, Deputy Director of Research Nanchang

Email: i.palacios@qmul.ac.uk
Room Number: Room 3.13, Fogg Building
Website: https://palacioslabqmul.squarespace.com/outreach

Profile

Dr Isabel Palacios is a lecturer on the Nanchang Joint Programme at Queen Mary University of London. She has extensive research experience and has worked in various research positions at the University of Cambridge for over 12 years. Dr Palacios completed her PhD studies at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany. She has been successful in obtaining various grants from distinguished institutions such as the BBSRC, the Wellcome Trust, CRUK and Alzheimer’s Research UK. 

Our research group focuses on understanding the genetic, cell biology and biophysical basis of cellular self-organisation and tissue architecture.

We use two model systems: 1. Drosophila as a powerful multicellular organism; and 2. human iPSCs-derived cerebral organoids as a valuable 3D model for investigating early human brain development. Experimental biophysicists and biologists are welcome to join us.

She is a founder of the charity DrosAfrica, with the mission of helping to set up an African research community using Drosophila as a model system for human diseases of interest in the area (see http://drosafrica.org for details).

View Isabel's personal lab webpage

Research department

  • Biochemistry
  • Centre for Molecular Cell Biology

Undergraduate Teaching

Nanchang Modules:

  • SNU309 - Investigative Skills for the Biomedical Sciences
  • NU208 - Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics 

Postgraduate Teaching

  • Supervisor on MSc Molecular Cell Biology Research Project

Research

Research Interests:

See Isabel Palacios' research profile pages including details of research interests, publications, and live grants.

Examples of research funding:

Grants of specific relevance to the Centre of MCB

Highthroughput Light Sheet Microscopy: Imaging Across Scales
Viji Draviam Sastry, Caroline Brennan, Vidya Chandran Darbari, Chema Martín-Durán, Ivan Kadurin, Isabel M Palacios, Richard Pickersgill, Sarah McClelland, Tyson Sharp and Martin Knight
£386,205 MRC Medical Research Council
A confocal microscope for multidisciplinary dynamic studies of complex biological systems
Conrad Mullineaux, Caroline Brennan, Alexandre De Mendoza Soler, Viji Draviam Sastry, Maurice Elphick, Christoph Engl, Isabel M Palacios, Matteo Palma, Marina Resmini, Alexander Ruban, Peter Thorpe, Angelika Stollewerk, Chema Martín-Durán, Paulo Baptista Ribeiro, Susana Alves Godinho, Richard Grose, Stephanie Kermorgant, Peter McCormick and Tyson Sharp
£390,834 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

View Isabel's personal lab webpage

Publications

2025

Kanso H, Di Cio S, Rose R, Palacios IM, Gautrot JE. (2025) Artificial Cells Evidence Apical Compressive Forces Building up During Neuroepithelial Organoid Early Development. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961225007902?via%3Dihub

L Rincón-Ortega, CH Fernández-Espartero, IM. Palacios, A González-Reyes, and MD. Martín-Bermudo. (2025) Mechanical context defines integrin requirement for maintaining epithelia architecture. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.09.675082 

2024

Essential conserved neuronal motors kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 regulate Aβ42 toxicity in vivo
 Francis D, Paonessa F, Fabre CCG, Hewitt VL, Giannakou ME, Peset I, Whitworth AJ, Livesey FJ, Palacios IM
Biorxiv Journal  
DOI 10.1101/2024.04.23.590704
 

2023

Constriction imposed by basement membrane regulates developmental cell migration
López EM Kabanova A Winkel A Franze K Palacios IM Martín-Bermudo MD
Plos Biology, Public Library of Science vol. 21 (6)  
DOI 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002172
 

2020

The humble fruit fly is helping the African science community to thrive
Palacios I Vicente-Crespo M Martín-Bermudo MD
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Springer Nature vol. 21 (10), 558-559.   
DOI 10.1038/s41580-020-00283-0


Integrins regulate epithelial cell shape by controlling the architecture and mechanical properties of basal actomyosin networks
Santa-Cruz Mateos C Valencia-Expósito A Palacios IM Martín-Bermudo MD
Plos Genetics, Public Library of Science (Plos) vol. 16 (6), e1008717-e1008717.   
DOI 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008717
 
Optical flow analysis reveals that Kinesin-mediated advection impacts on the orientation of microtubules in the Drosophila oocyte.
Drechsler M Lang LF Al-Khatib L Dirks H Burger M Schönlieb C-B Palacios IM
Molecular Biology of The Cell, American Society For Cell Biology, mbcE19080440-mbcE19080440.   
DOI 10.1091/mbc.E19-08-0440
 

2019

YAP/Yorkie in the germline modulates the age-related decline of germline stem cells and niche cells
Francis D Chanana B Fernandez B Gordon B Mak T Palacios IM
Plos One, Public Library of Science (Plos) vol. 14 (4)  
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0213327
 

2017

Active diffusion and advection in Drosophila oocytes result from the interplay of actin and microtubules
PALACIOS IM
Nature Communications, Nature Publishing Group vol. 8  
DOI 10.1038/s41467-017-01414-6
 
DrosAfrica: Building an African biomedical research community using Drosophila
Martín-Bermudo MD Gebel L Palacios IM
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, Elsevier Bv vol. 70, 58-64.   
DOI 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.08.044
 

2016

α-Spectrin and integrins act together to regulate actomyosin and columnarization, and to maintain a monolayered follicular epithelium
Ng BF Selvaraj GK Santa-Cruz Mateos C Grosheva I Alvarez-Garcia I Martín-Bermudo MD Palacios IM
Journal of Cell Science, The Company of Biologists vol. 129 (9), e1.2-e1.2.   
DOI 10.1242/jcs.191288
Workshop‐Based Training for Capacity Building: Using Drosophila to Bring Research Skills to Africa
Vicente‐Crespo M Muñoz‐Descalzo S Martín‐Bermudo MD
The FASEB Journal. vol. 30 (S1)  
DOI 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.663.2
α-Spectrin and integrins act together to regulate actomyosin and columnarization, and to maintain a monolayered follicular epithelium
Ng BF Selvaraj GK Santa-Cruz Mateos C Grosheva I Alvarez-Garcia I Martín-Bermudo MD Palacios IM
Development, The Company of Biologists vol. 143 (8), 1388-1399.   
DOI 10.1242/dev.130070
Planar cell polarity: the Dachsous/Fat system contributes differently to the embryonic and larval stages of Drosophila
Saavedra P Brittle A Palacios IM Strutt D Casal J Lawrence PA
Biology Open, The Company of Biologists vol. 5 (4), 397-408.   
DOI 10.1242/bio.017152

2015

A complex relationship between motor activity, cytoplasmic flows and the organisation of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons
Palacios IM Drechsler M Ganguly S
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL. vol. 26 

Alpha-spectrin is essential for septate junction formation and columnarization, but not for proliferation control, in the follicular epithelium
Palacios IM Martin-Bermudo M
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL. vol. 26 

A complex relationship between motor activity, cytoplasmic flows and the organisation of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons.
Palacios IM Drechsler M
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL. vol. 26 

2014

Hop-on hop-off: Polysomes take a tour of the cell on endosomes
Palacios IM
Journal of Cell Biology, Rockefeller University Press vol. 204 (3), 287-289.   
DOI 10.1083/jcb.201401019
Plasticity of both planar cell polarity and cell identity during the development of Drosophila
Saavedra P Vincent J-P Palacios IM Lawrence PA Casal J
Elife, Elife vol. 3  
DOI 10.7554/elife.01569
Integrins regulate epithelial cell differentiation by modulating Notch activity
Gómez-Lamarca MJ Cobreros-Reguera L Ibáñez-Jiménez B Palacios IM Martín-Bermudo MD
Journal of Cell Science, The Company of Biologists vol. 127 (21), 4667-4678.   
DOI 10.1242/jcs.153122
Epithelia patterning and body plan mapping in the Drosophila egg chamber: cell fate specific screen
Braun AL Chanana B
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL. vol. 25 

A combined cell biological and biophysical strategy to analyze actin/microtubule crosstalk and its relation to cytoplasmic streaming.
Drechsler M Goldstein R
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL. vol. 25 

The auto-inhibitory domain and ATP-independent microtubulebinding region of Kinesin heavy chain are major functional domains for transport in the Drosophila germline
Williams LS Ganguly S Loiseau P Ng BF
Journal of Cell Science, The Company of Biologists vol. 127 (1), e1-e1.   
DOI 10.1242/jcs.147793

2013

How are spoken skills assessed in proficiency tests of general English as a Foreign Language? A preliminary survey
Roca-Varela ML Palacios IM
International Journal of English Studies, Servicio De Publicaciones De La Universidad De Murcia vol. 13 (2), 53-68.   
DOI 10.6018/ijes.13.2.185901
The auto-inhibitory domain and ATP-independent microtubule-binding region of Kinesin heavy chain are major functional domains for transport in the Drosophila germline
Williams LS Ganguly S Loiseau P Ng BF Palacios IM
Development, The Company of Biologists vol. 141 (1), 176-186.   
DOI 10.1242/dev.097592

2012

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay: from mechanistic insights to impacts on human health
Palacios IM
Briefings in Functional Genomics, Oxford University Press (OUP) vol. 12 (1), 25-36.   
DOI 10.1093/bfgp/els051
Cytoplasmic streaming in Drosophila oocytes varies with kinesin activity and correlates with the microtubule cytoskeleton architecture
Ganguly S Williams LS Palacios IM Goldstein RE
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America, Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences vol. 109 (38), 15109-15114.   
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1203575109
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD: DROSOPHILA NEUROGENETICS, UGANDA
Baden T Palacios I Vicente M Godino LP
INTED2012: INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE., 5347-5347.  

2011

Drosophila Upf1 and Upf2 loss of function inhibits cell growth and causes animal death in a Upf3-independent manner
Avery P Vicente-Crespo M Francis D Nashchekina O Alonso CR Palacios IM
Rna, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory vol. 17 (4), 624-638.   
DOI 10.1261/rna.2404211
Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and development: shoot the messenger to survive?
Vicente-Crespo M Palacios IM
Biochemical Society Transactions, Portland Press vol. 39 (1), 411-411.   
DOI 10.1042/bst0390411v

2010

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and development: shoot the messenger to survive?
Vicente-Crespo M Palacios IM
Biochemical Society Transactions, Portland Press vol. 38 (6), 1500-1505.   
DOI 10.1042/bst0381500
Drosophila PAT1 is required for Kinesin-1 to transport cargo and to maximize its motility
Loiseau P Davies T Williams LS
Journal of Cell Science, The Company of Biologists vol. 123 (16), e1-e1.   
DOI 10.1242/jcs.078287
Drosophila PAT1 is required for Kinesin-1 to transport cargo and to maximize its motility
Loiseau P Davies T Williams LS
Development, The Company of Biologists vol. 137 (16), 2763-2772.   
DOI 10.1242/dev.048108

2007

The Salvador-Warts-Hippo Pathway Is Required for Epithelial Proliferation and Axis Specification in Drosophila
Meignin C Alvarez-Garcia I Davis I Palacios IM
Current Biology, Elsevier vol. 17 (21), 1871-1878.   
DOI 10.1016/j.cub.2007.09.062
How does an mRNA find its way? Intracellular localisation of transcripts
Palacios IM
Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, Elsevier vol. 18 (2), 163-170.   
DOI 10.1016/j.semcdb.2007.01.008


2004

An eIF4AIII-containing complex required for mRNA localization and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay
Palacios IM Gatfield D St Johnston D Izaurralde E
Nature, Springer Nature vol. 427 (6976), 753-757.   
DOI 10.1038/nature02351

2003

Barentsz, a New Component of the Staufen-Containing Ribonucleoprotein Particles in Mammalian Cells, Interacts with Staufen in an RNA-Dependent Manner
Macchi P Kroening S Palacios IM Baldassa S Grunewald B Ambrosino C Goetze B Lupas A et al.
Journal of Neuroscience, Society For Neuroscience vol. 23 (13), 5778-5788.   
DOI 10.1523/jneurosci.23-13-05778.2003


2002

Kinesin light chain-independent function of the Kinesin heavy chain in cytoplasmic streaming and posterior localisation in theDrosophila oocyte
Palacios IM St Johnston D
Development, The Company of Biologists vol. 129 (23), 5473-5485.   
DOI 10.1242/dev.00119


Drosophila 14-3-3/PAR-5 Is an Essential Mediator of PAR-1 Function in Axis Formation
Benton R Palacios IM St Johnston D
Developmental Cell, Elsevier vol. 3 (5), 659-671.   
DOI 10.1016/s1534-5807(02)00320-9


RNA Processing: Splicing and the Cytoplasmic Localisation of mRNA
Palacios IM
Current Biology, Elsevier vol. 12 (2), r50-r52.   
DOI 10.1016/s0960-9822(01)00671-6

2001

GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS: The Intracellular Localization of mRNAs in Higher Eukaryotes
Palacios IM Johnston DS
Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology, Annual Reviews vol. 17 (1), 569-614.   
DOI 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.17.1.569
Dimerization of the 3′UTR of bicoid mRNA involves a two-step mechanism11Edited by J. Doudna
Wagner C Palacios I Jaeger L St Johnston D Ehresmann B Ehresmann C Brunel C
Journal of Molecular Biology, Elsevier vol. 313 (3), 511-524.   
DOI 10.1006/jmbi.2001.5057


Barentsz is essential for the posterior localization of oskar mRNA and colocalizes with it to the posterior pole
van Eeden FJM Palacios IM Petronczki M Weston MJD St Johnston D
Journal of Cell Biology, Rockefeller University Press vol. 154 (3), 511-524.   
DOI 10.1083/jcb.200105056


RNA Intracellular Transport
Palacios I
In Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, Wiley  
DOI 10.1038/npg.els.0000896


1997

Nuclear import of U snRNPs requires importin β
Palacios I Hetzer M Adam SA
The Embo Journal, Springer Nature vol. 16 (22), 6783-6792.   
DOI 10.1093/emboj/16.22.6783


An immersion in nucleocytoplasmic transport at the Garda lake
Palacios I
Trends in Cell Biology. vol. 7 (2), 81-83.   
DOI 10.1016/s0962-8924(96)30079-2


Chapter 23 In Vitro Systems for the Reconstitution of snRNP and Protein Nuclear Import
Dingwall C
Methods in Cell Biology, Elsevier vol. 53, 517-543.   
DOI 10.1016/s0091-679x(08)60893-6

1996

bullet iconRAN/TC4 mutants identify a common requirement for snRNP and protein import into the nucleus.
Palacios I Weis K Klebe C
Journal of Cell Biology, Rockefeller University Press vol. 133 (3), 485-494.   
DOI 10.1083/jcb.133.3.485
bullet iconMutational analysis identifies functional domains in the influenza A virus PB2 polymerase subunit
Perales B de la Luna S Palacios I Ortín J
Journal of Virology, American Society For Microbiology vol. 70 (3), 1678-1686.   
DOI 10.1128/jvi.70.3.1678-1686.1996


1995

Nuclear retention of RNA as a mechanism for localization.
Boelens WC Palacios I
Rna vol. 1 (3), 273-283.  
Artificial Cells Evidence Apical Compressive Forces Building up During Neuroepithelial Organoid Early Development
In Biorxiv  
DOI 10.1101/2025.06.13.659497

Mechanical context defines integrin requirement for maintaining epithelia architecture
Rincón-Ortega L Fernández-Espartero CH Palacios IM González-Reyes A Martín-Bermudo MD
In Biorxiv  
DOI 10.1101/2025.09.09.675082

Optical flow analysis reveals that Kinesin-mediated advection impacts on the orientation of microtubules in the Drosophila oocyte
In Biorxiv  
DOI 10.1101/556043
 

Integrins control tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis by sustaining the different types of intracellular actin networks
In Biorxiv  
DOI 10.1101/639427
 

Active diffusion and advection in the Drosophila ooplasm result from the interplay of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons
In Biorxiv  
DOI 10.1101/098590
 

Supervision

  • Yasmín Camacho Rodríguez
    A Novel Non-Toxic Glue Based on Biometerials
  • Olga Xintarakou
    Investigating Mtor Activity Effects on Cellular Metabolism and Cytoarchitecture
  • Ellie Horder
    Investigating The Effects of E-Cadherin Dynamics on Egfr, Stat and Related Signalling Pathways.

Public Engagement

Isabel Palacios is one of the founders of DrosAfrica. The organisation aims to build an African biomedical research community using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system.

DrosAfrica | Building an African Biomedical Research community using Drosophila

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