New regulator of neuron formation identified Blog Post

The protein NEK7 regulates neuron formation, as it is required for dendrite growth and branching, as well as the formation and shaping of dendritic spines. These are the main conclusions of a study published in Nature Communications and led by Jens Lüders at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) based in the Barcelona Science Park, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC) at PCB.

 

Water can be dead, electrically speaking Blog Post

A research led by Dr. Laura Fumagalli and Nobel Laureate Prof. Andre Geim from the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester, reveals that water water that covers every surface around us behaves very differently to normal water. The study, published today in Science, has involved IBEC group leader Gabriel Gomila at the Barcelona Science Park, as well as scientists from Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science. 

 

Bacteria need vitamins too Blog Post

The research group of Bacterial infections: antimicrobial therapies from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Barcelona Science Park has revealed the essential role played by a vitamin in the development of a common bacterial biofilm. This new knowledge could play a part in understanding the spread of these bacteria, which will help towards the better design of targeted antibacterial drugs.

 

Tumour cells evade death through in extremis DNA repair Blog Post

A study conducted at IRB Barcelona in Barcelona Science Park, published today in the journal Cancer Cell, rreveals a new protective mechanism for tumour cells in breast cancer and identifies novel therapeutic targets to treat this condition. The paper identifies the key role of p38 in safeguarding tumour cells against the excessive accumulation of DNA damage. The results show that p38 blockage ncreases the death of tumour cells, thus causing tumours to shrink.

 

Xavier Trepat from IBEC and Salvador Aznar from IRB Barcelona elected as EMBO members Blog Post

ICREA research professors Xavier Trepat at IBEC and Salvador Aznar Benitah at IRB Barcelona –both centers based at the Barcelona Science Park, have been elected as a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). Each year, EMBO, which has a membership of 1,800, selects new scientists to join its ranks. Of the 62 researchers from 24 countries to receive membership this year, Xavier and Salvador are are the only two  researchers from Spain.

 

Mind the Byte opens an office in Toronto Blog Post

Mind the Byte, a pioneer company in the development of technologies based on artificial intelligence, cloud and big data for computational drug design, located in the Barcelona Science Park, announces the incorporation of a Canadian subsidiary, Mind the Byte Ltd, and the opening of a new office in Toronto. The new location in the heart of city’s tech hub is ideally situated in Canada’s largest biotech cluster, offering a range of opportunities for collaboration and partnership.

 

The 14th edition of the BATX2LAB programme gets underway Blog Post

The Barcelona Science Park has just opened the registration period for participating in the 14th edition of BATX2LAB, the research project programme aimed at bachillerato (High School) students. This initiative is part of PCB’s Research in Society initiative—a proposal to bring science to citizens and encourage young people to consider jobs in the field—that offers over 100 activities in which around 5,000 people participate every year.

 

Creating the map of cells of the human body with support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Blog Post

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, today announced new funding for 85 projects to support the Human Cell Atlas (HCA), a global effort to map every type of cell in the healthy human body as a resource for studies of health and disease. The grants total $15 million over one year. Holger Heyn, leader of the Single Cell Genomics team at the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG-CRG), heads one of the projects selected for funding.