Rafael Maldonado Hernández

Personal Statement

My research focuses on understanding microbial interactions and their implications for both infectious disease and environmental microbiology. One of my primary projects involves the identification and characterization of microorganisms present in the Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi (Coquí llanero). Through a combination of microbial isolation, metagenomics, and metabolomics, I aim to identify bioactive compounds with potential antimicrobial properties. This research contributes to the broader understanding of amphibian-microbe symbioses and may lead to the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents that could have biomedical applications. In addition to this project, I am actively involved in studying the persistence and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare environments. Using molecular detection techniques, bioassays, and antimicrobial surface coatings, my work aims to elucidate the role of microbial communities in viral stability and to develop strategies to mitigate viral spread. This research is particularly relevant for infection control in clinical settings and aligns with the ongoing efforts to enhance pandemic preparedness.
My expertise extends to advanced analytical techniques, including mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and proteomics, which I apply to both environmental and biomedical microbiology research. I have experience working with high-resolution mass spectrometry instruments, allowing me to analyze microbial metabolites and protein interactions in complex biological samples. This skill set enables me to integrate multiple approaches for a comprehensive understanding of microbial function and pathogen dynamics. Through these research efforts, I am committed to advancing microbial science by bridging environmental and biomedical applications. By investigating microbial interactions in both natural ecosystems and clinical settings, I seek to contribute to novel therapeutic developments and public health strategies.

Education:

Postdoc in Molecular Biology, Structural Biology and Biochemistry
Molecular Sciences and Research Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Structural Biology and Biochemistry
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras

OTH in Industrial Biotechnology
University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, Puerto Rico

B.Sc. in Microbiology
University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, Puerto Rico

Positions

2024 – Present tenure-track assistant professor, University of Puerto Rico, Cayey, Puerto Rico

2022 – 2024 tenure-track assistant professor, University of Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico

2020 – 2022 Assistant Professor, University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, Puerto Rico

Lista de sus publicaciones

1. 2024
   Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, Orestes Quesada, José A. González-Feliciano, Abel Baerga, José A. Lasalde-Dominicci (2024). “Identification of the native Torpedo californica nicotinic acetylcholine receptor’s glycan composition after a multi-step sequential purification method using MALDI-ToF MS” Journal of Proteomics, 2300151. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.202300151.
2. 2023
   Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, (2023), “Dataset Advancement: Glycan Composition and Peptide Mass Fingerprinting of the Native Torpedo californica Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor after a Multi-Step Sequential Purification Method”, Mendeley Data, V2, 10.17632/zbfxf8kwvn.2.
   Orestes Quesada, Joel E. González-Nieves, José Colón, Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, Carol González Freire, Jesús Acevedo-Cintrón, Irvin D. Rosado-Millán and José A. Lasalde-Dominicci (2023). Assessment of purity, functionality, stability, and lipid composition of Cyclofos-nAChR detergent complexes from Torpedo californica using lipid matrix and macroscopic electrophysiology. J Membrane Biol, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00232-023-00285-x.
3. 2022
   Gómez, Valerie Ortiz; Gómez, Adriana; Maldonado-Hernández, Rafael; Nicolau, Eduardo (2022). Biophysical and molecular characterization of the immobilization of biomimetic peptide-polymer conjugates as building blocks for antimicrobial catheter surfaces to prevent infectious diseases. Biophysical Journal 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.11.1653.
4. 2021
   Delgado-Vélez, M.; Quesada, O.; Villalobos-Santos, J.C.; Maldonado-Hernández, R.; Asmar-Rovira, G.; Stevens, R.C.; Lasalde-Dominicci J.A. (2021) Pursuing High-Resolution Structures of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: Lessons Learned from Five Decades. Molecules, 26, 5753. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26195753
5. 2020
   Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, Orestes Quesada, José O. Colón-Sáez & José Lasalde. (2020) Sequential purification and characterization of Torpedo californica nAChR-DC supplemented with CHS for high-resolution crystallization studies. Journal: Analytical Biochemistry, 113887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ab.2020.113887.
   Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, Orestes Quesada & José Lasalde. Biophysical Characterization of Native Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Lipid-Like Detergent Complexes. Journal: Data in Brief. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.106230.
   Rafael Maldonado-Hernández; José Lasalde & Orestes Quesada (2020), Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching and Circular Dichroism Dataset of Native Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Lipid-Like Detergent Complexes, Mendeley Data, http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/hjmf3tgykz.1.
   Valerie Ortiz Gómez, Victor D. Rodríguez, Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, José A. González and Eduardo Nicolau. Antimicrobial activity of a polymer-peptide conjugate based on Maximin H5 and PEG to prevent biofouling of E. coli and P. aeruginosa ACS Applied Materials, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c13492.
   Rafael Maldonado-Hernández (2020). Purification and Biophysical Characterization of Native Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Lipid-like Detergent Complexes, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2020. 28092290.
6. 2019
   Garton, D. R., Ross, S. G., Maldonado-Hernández, R., Quick, M., Lasalde-Dominicci, J. A., & Lizardi-Ortiz, J. E. (2019). Amphetamine enantiomers inhibit homomeric α7 nicotinic receptor through a competitive mechanism and within the intoxication levels in humans. Neuropharmacology, 144, 172-183. http://10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.10.032.

UNDER REVIEW

1. 2025
   Valerie Ortiz-Gómez & Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, (2025). “Challenges and Opportunities: Interplay between Infectious Disease and Antimicrobial Resistance”. ACS Omega Under review
   Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, Valerie Ortiz-Gómez, Luis Prieto and Neftalí Ríos-López (2025). “Serratia Species-Mediated Antimicrobial Defense in the Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi Egg Gelatin Matrix. Symbiosis by Springer Nature. Under review

IN PREPARATION

1. 2025
   Christine Wu, Katherine Ayala, Nataniel Medina-Berríos, Keyla A. López-Pérez, Valerie Ortiz Gómez, Luis Prieto-Costas, Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, Gerardo Morell, Brad R. Weiner. Apr. 2025 Improving the hydrophilicity of the drugs Tetrandrine, Violacein, and Paclitaxel using Carbon-based Quantum Dots. Molecular Pharmaceutics by ACS.
2. Valerie Ortiz Gómez, Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, Orestes Quesada, and Eduardo Nicolau (2025). “Evaluation of the Potential Biomedical Applications of MH5C-Cys and MH5C-Cys-PEG Peptide Conjugates: Cellular Viability and Proteomic Perceptions”. Frontiers in Microbiology.
   Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, Valerie Ortiz-Gómez and Luis A. Prieto-Costas, (2025), Serratia: New Perspectives on the Production of Bioactive Compounds. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
   Kellyann Román-Cruz, Valerie Ortiz-Gómez & Rafael Maldonado-Hernández, (2026). “Elucidating the Impact of Nicotine on α7-nAChR Dynamics in Human Cardiomyocytes Cells Exposed to SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Variants”. BioMed MDPI.

RESEARCH FUNDING INFORMATION
• 2024-Present Bioactive Defense Networks in Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi Microbiome: Translational Strategies Against Drug-Resistant Infections Puerto Rico IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence. (Rafael Maldonado-Hernández P.I.). Period: (2024-2026), Direct Cost $125,000. Grant: P20GM103475
• 2024-Present National Institute on Aging by NIH. Cytation 5 Multimode Imaging System for UPR at Mayaguez Biomolecular Chemistry Facilities. (Rafael Maldonado- Hernández Co-P.I.), Direct Cost 244,901.0. Grant: 1S10AG090400-01
• 2024. The American Society for Microbiology 2024 Peggy Cotter Award for Early Career,Rafael Maldonado-Hernández
• 2024-2024 Puerto Rico IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence by NIH. Exploring Microbiome Diversity through Integrating Nanopore Technology in Undergraduate Research Experiences for Antibiotic Producers. (Rafael Maldonado- Hernández P.I.), Direct Cost $30,000. Grant: P20 GM103475-21 NIH/NIGMS
• 2023-2024 Upregulation of α7-nAChR as a possible therapeutic target for the activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway preventing the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the human cardiomyocyte cell. The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity Phase 3 pilot projects by NIH (Rafael Maldonado- Hernández P.I.), Direct Cost $110,000. Grant: P30-GM149367 NIH/NIGMS
• 2022-2023 Upregulation of α7-nAChR as a possible therapeutic target for the activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway preventing the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the human cardiomyocyte cell.The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity Phase 2 pilot projects by NIH (Rafael Maldonado- Hernández P.I.), Direct Cost $110,000. Grant: 2P20GM103642 NIH/NIGMS
• Seed Money: The COBRE Center for Neuroplasticity Phase 2 by NIH (Rafael Maldonado- Hernández P.I.). Direct Cost $5,000 Grant: 2P20GM103642 NIH/NIGMS
• 2022-2024. Collaborative Research: Developing Foundations for Nanopore DNA Sequencing Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences at Minority-serving Institutions by NSF.
• 2023 Puerto Rico IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence. Development of Antimicrobial Peptides for Biomedical Uses. STCE-PRINBRE. (Rafael Maldonado-Hernández P.I.). Direct Cost $25,250.
• 2019-2023 Advanced Photon Source supported by U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Argonne National Laboratory under Proposal ID 68121
UNDERGRADUATE MENTORING
2021–Present Research mentor of eight (5-8) undergraduate students (on average/semester) enrolled in BIOL4990 at UPR-Cayey. Undergraduate research students has been sponsored by NIH/NIGMS, NIH-RISE program, STCE-PRINBRE and the Puerto Rico Louis Stokes Alliance For Minority Participation and Research Opportunity for Undergraduate Students in STEM (ROUSS) program.

External Links:

MBAR.LAB https://www.instagram.com/mbar.lab?igsh=MWR0Y2dkOGRwaW1ibw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr