U9. Synthesis of Nanoparticles Unit

U9. Synthesis of Nanoparticles Unit

• • Scientific Director: Prof. Jesús Santamaría jesus.santamaria@unizar.es

• • Scientific Coordinator: Dr. José Luis Hueso jlhueso@unizar.es

• • Entities: Instituto de Materiales y Nanociencia de Aragón (INMA)
  • Address: R&D Building, Campus Río Ebro, Universidad de Zaragoza. C/Mariano Esquirl S/n, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain

• • Phone: 34 976 761000 ext. 3496

• • Web: https://nfp.unizar.es/

U9. Synthesis of Nanoparticles- plasmonic nanoparticles 1

U9. Synthesis of Nanoparticles- hollow magnetic nanoparticles

U9. Synthesis of Nanoparticles- Laser pyrolysis device and reaction area

Description

This Unit, integrated in the Nanostructured Films and Particles Group at the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragón (INMA) coordinated by Dr. Jesús Santamaría, has as objective the synthesis of nanoparticles with applications in biomedicine. The Unit provides an automated system for the synthesis of nanoparticles using laser-induced pyrolysis of chemical precursors in gas and/or aerosol phase, which enable either individual nanoparticles or biocompatible hybrid nanostructures to be produced in large quantities. In addition, this facility is able to draw on a wide range of nanoparticles fabrication technique, as well as having the necessary specialized personnel, to undertake exhaustive characterization of the microstructure, chemical composition, particles size and distribution of sizes, as well as magnetic, optical and colloidal properties and degree of biological functionality of the synthesized material.

News U9

24 Jun

Prof. Jesús Santamaría secures his third ERC Advanced Grant in tumor-targeting nanomedicine

Prof. Jesús Santamaría wins his third ERC Advanced Grant for a €3.1M project to boost tumor targeting in nanomedicine. Zaragoza, 23 June 2025 – Prof. Jesús Santamaría, Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Zaragoza and Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS Unit 9, has been awarded his third European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant—a rare achievement shared by only five other researchers in Spain, as reported in the official Unizar webpage. The newly funded project, ROMEO (“Cracking the code on tumor targeting with nanostructures: competitive kinetics and extracellular vesicles“), will receive €3.12 million over five years, exceeding the usual €2.5 million cap thanks to[...]

14 Feb

New Dendritic Platinum Nanocatalysts for Selective Activation of Anticancer Drugs

PEGylated dendritic platinum nanoparticles enable targeted drug activation, reducing tumors in vivo. Developed with NANBIOSIS Unit 9, they enhance cancer therapy. Zaragoza, february 2025. A recent study published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition (see reference at the end of the article) introduces a novel approach in cancer treatment through the development of PEGylated dendritic platinum nanoparticles. These nanoparticles exhibit high biocompatibility and selectively activate anticancer drugs within cancer cells. The study was co-led by members of the Nanostructured Films and Particles (NFP) group, Dr. Jose I. Garcia-Peiro, Dr. Jose L. Hueso and Prof. Jesus Santamaria (Group Leader) that belong to CIBER-BBN, t[...]

26 Dec

Innovative Copper-Based Nanoparticles Open New Frontiers in Glioblastoma Treatment

NANBIOSIS Unit 9 advances glioblastoma treatment with tailored copper nanoparticles, reducing tumor invasiveness and opening new therapeutic pathways. Zaragoza, December 2024. Our Unit 9, specialized in nanoparticle synthesis, has achieved a breakthrough in the fight against glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant forms of cancer. Utilizing state-of-the-art facilities and expertise, the Unit and its collaborators have developed novel copper-based nanostructures with tailored release patterns, demonstrating significant potential in inhibiting tumor progression and invasiveness. A New Paradigm in Cancer Therapy Glioblastoma (GBM) is characterized by its high invasiveness and poor prognosis. Current therapeutic options are limited by the tumor’s[...]

25 Nov

New Solutions to Old challenges: Key Symposium on Nanomedicine Against Cancer

Symposium on nanomedicine vs cancer: experts gather Nov 28 in Málaga to tackle tumor-targeting challenges and advance innovative therapies. Málaga, november 2024. On November 28th at 9:00 AM, the Salón de Actos at IBIMA (C/Severo Ochoa, 35, Málaga) will host the symposium “Targeting in Nanomedicine Against Cancer,” bringing together leading experts to discuss the critical challenges and advances in applying nanomedicine to oncology. Organized by IBIMA, this event will shed light on one of the most pressing issues in cancer nanomedicine: the difficulty of delivering nanostructures to tumor cells. The challenges to overcome cancer Cancer remains one of the world’s[...]

22 Nov

Jesús Santamaría awarded with the ‘Aragón Investiga’ for his Research Excellence

Prof. Jesús Santamaría, Director of NANBIOSIS Unit 9, wins the Aragón Investiga Award for his pioneering contributions to nanomaterials and research excellence. Zaragoza, november 2024. The Aragón Investiga Award for Research Excellence has been awarded to Prof. Jesús Santamaría Ramiro, a distinguished researcher and Full Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Zaragoza, and Scientific Director of Unit 9 of NANBIOSIS. Prof. Santamaría is the principal investigator of the Nanostructured Films and Particles group, where Unit 9 is located. He is also a key member of the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragón (INMA), a Severo Ochoa Center[...]

25 Sep

Latest breakthroughs in pulmonary drug delivery and cancer research at NANBIOSIS

On World Pharmacists’ Day, NANBIOSIS Units highlighted for breakthroughs in pulmonary drug delivery and cancer research, advancing treatments for respiratory diseases and brain cancer. Barcelona and Zaragoza, September 2024. On World Pharmacists Day, we celebrate the vital contributions pharmacists make, not only in patient care but also in groundbreaking research that is shaping the future of healthcare. This year 2024, we want to give this significant date a little twist: by showcasing a few examples of how our Units are contributing to healthcare and new pharmaceutical approaches. Two key NANBIOSIS units —Unit 9 and Unit 25— are at the forefront[...]

09 Apr

New cathalitic therapy for destroying key molecules within tumor cells

The prestigious journal Nano Letters published the work led by NANBIOSIS researchers, affiliated with Unizar, INMA (CSIC-UNIZAR), CIBER–BBN, and IIS Aragón. The successful development of this innovative treatment approach was possible through the efforts of our Unit 9, led by Prof. Santamaría and Dr. Hueso, both corresponding authors of the publication. As recently announced by Universidad de Zaragoza (Unizar), a team led by NANBIOSIS researchers at the Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA, a joint institute of CSIC and UNIZAR) has discovered a way to artificially conduct a new chemical reaction, called transamination. This approach can act within[...]

08 Mar

The revolutionary path of research in NANBIOSIS and advice on Woman’s Day 2024

Our interview series delve into the journeys of 7 female researchers, their challenges, and the call for gender equality in science, inspiring the next generation. March 8th 2024, NANBIOSIS (Spain) Kicking off on 11F “International Day of Women and Girls in Science” 2024, and spanning all the way until Woman’s Day 2024, our interview series has aimed to highlight the life, career and opinions of some of the brilliant minds within our network. Today is time to wrap it up, and for this reason we present you a summary of each of them and a chance to take a deeper[...]