Felix Rico

Dr. Felix Rico is an Associate Professor (Maître de conférences) at Aix-Marseille Université, affiliated with Inserm and the DyNaMo research group. His primary research focuses on molecular and cellular mechanics, utilizing advanced atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Key areas include high-speed force spectroscopy of biomolecules, cell mechanics, and adhesion studies. He leads projects funded by prestigious grants such as the ERC Consolidator Award and HFSP, investigating topics like protein unfolding dynamics and nanomechanical biomarkers.

Education: PhD in Biophysics (University of Barcelona, 2006); Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (Aix-Marseille Université, 2017). Professional experience includes postdoctoral fellowships at Institut Curie (2009–2011) and the University of Miami (2006–2008). He teaches graduate courses in physics of living systems, soft matter, and atomic force microscopy.

Research Highlights:

• Development of high-speed AFM for submicrosecond force measurements
• Unfolding of titin proteins and streptavidin-biotin interactions
• Mechanical mapping of membrane proteins and cell microrheology

Awards:

• ERC Consolidator Award (MechaDynA project)
• HFSP Research Grant (collaborative project)
• H2020 MSCA fellowships

Grants & Future Work: Current projects include exploring viral spike protein mechanics and developing standardized AFM protocols. His lab contributes to MechanoProDB, a protein mechanical properties database.