Characterisation of the structure and function of a member of the L-Amino acid Transporter (LAT) family Blog Post

Scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) in the Barcelona Science Park and the CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER) – in collaboration with the Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC) at PCB, and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center-Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) – have now characterised the structure of a member of the LAT family. Mutations in L-amino acid transporters (LATs) can lead to a wide range of conditions, such as autism, hearing loss and aminoacidurias. The work has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

 

Moldless approach to generate 3D intestinal tissue model using hydrogels Blog Post

The Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group, lead by Elena Martínez at IInstitute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), has developed a new method to generate 3D intestinal tissue using hydrogels. This new in vitro model has been improved by providing cells with a more physiologically realistic environment, including tissue architecture, cell-matrix interactions and chemical signalling while remaining compatible with standard cell characterization techniques.

 

World’s first baby is born in Greece through of Maternal Spindle Transfer technique developed by Embryotools Blog Post

Through pioneering clinical research, Embryotools, based in the Barcelona Science Park, and Institute of Life in Athens have achieveg birth of the world’s first healthy baby through the pioneering Maternal Spindle Transfer method to solve infertility problems. This technique was implemented by the Greek IVF center and Spanish research center to address fertility issues associated with multiple in vitro fertilization (IVF) failures caused by cytoplasmic dysfunction of the oocytes or rare mitochondrial genetic diseases.

 

Dr. Cristina Bescos is new Managing Director of EIT Health Spain Blog Post

Dr. Cristina Bescos has been named the new Managing Director of EIT Health Spain, based in the Barcelona Science Park. She began her work 8 April 2019, after being approved by the EIT Health Spain Board to take over the position that had been held by Dr. Marco Pugliese since its creation in 2016. Her expertise and knowledge will continue to foster the main strategic areas covered by the partners of the Spanish node of EIT Health, the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC), dedicated to healthy living and active aging, promoted by the European Institute of Technology and Innovation (EIT).

 

The XII edition of the Board of Trustees of the UB and the FBG awards is already open Blog Post

The awards of the Board of Trustees of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation for the transfer of knowledge and the creation of innovative companies celebrate their twelfth edition. These awards aim to promote the return to society of the knowledge acquired through study and research, to stress the importance of technology, knowledge, and innovation transfer projects, and to foster the creation of innovative companies and entrepreneurial culture within the UB Group. The Bosch i Gimpera Foundation is the technology transfer office of the UB since 1983 and is based in the Barcelona Science Park.

 

EASI Genomics: an EU-funded project to provide free-of-charge access to sequencing technologies Blog Post

EASI-Genomics –a new European project to provide easy access to sequencing technologies and analysis to researchers– has opened its 1st call for proposals today, 25th March. Ivo Gut,  Director of the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico of the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CNAG-CRG) coordinates the consortium, that  will handle between 150 and 300 projects over a period of 4 years with a total budget of 10 M€ funded under the European Union’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020.

 

A step forward in using nanoparticles to fight bacterial resistance Blog Post

For the first time, scientists at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) have designed a technique that makes it possible to test the efficiency of drugs linked to nanoparticles in a precise and reliable way. This new technique has recently been published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology.

 

SOM Biotech closes a financing round of 7 million euros Blog Post

SOM Biotech, a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company focused on repurposing drugs for orphan diseases of the Central Nervous System headquartered at the Barcelona Science Park, has just closed a financing round of 7 million euros led by a holding company belonging to a European family with a long tradition in the pharmaceutical sector which will give the opportunity to get a facilitated access to pharma network. Several of the current partners of SOM Biotech have also taken the opportunity to participate in this round.

 

A new technique allows researchers to focus the action of drugs via infrared light Blog Post

A scientific team led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), based at the Barcelona Science Park, and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)manages to efficiently activate molecules located inside cell tissues using two-photon excitation of with infrared light lasers. The study has recently been published in the journal Nature Communications.