+34 620 10 75 37info@nanbiosis.com

Posts by Nanbiosis

You are here : Home / Articles by Nanbiosis (Page 37)

Update on biomaterials, bioengineering and nanomedicine, with a focus on COVID-19, at the annual CIBER-BBN conferences

National and international leading researchers have addressed this Monday and Tuesday the main scientific advances and challenges in the areas of bioengineering, biomaterials and nanomedicine. For yet another year, the XIV CIBER-BBN Annual Conference, held online, has brought together all the scientific groups in this area of ​​the ISCIII Center for Online Biomedical Research (CIBER).

The conference was opened on Monday by the director of the ISCIII, Raquel Yottti, who highlighted the role of the CIBER-BBN investigation “to find answers to very complex problems, specifically this year in the field of the fight against the pandemic.” The scientific director of the CIBER-BBN, Ramón Martínez Máñez, highlighted the good results in scientific production of the groups at the center, the importance of internationalization and the high number of requests for European projects.

Internal collaborations and projects with CIBEREHD

This edition of the conference has included presentations of internal collaboration projects, three plenary talks given by renowned experts in the fields of Hybrid Biosignals and Nanomaterials Analysis, a forum on the main achievements of ICTS Nanbiosis, and a session dedicated to COVID- 19 and the most recent advances in fighting disease in detection, prevention, and therapy.

The conference began on Monday with two internal collaboration sessions, in which topics such as hybrid (nano) materials for biomedical applications, molecular and metabolic biomarkers in bladder cancer for new detection and treatment strategies or technologies based on in proteins for targeted tumor cell therapy.

She also highlighted the collaboration in these conferences of the CIBER on Liver and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD), thanks to the participation of María Luz Martínez, from CIC BIOGUNE. In this session, the seed projects were discussed in collaboration between the two areas.

Session on COVID-19

During the day of the 17th, the first part has been dedicated to COVID-19. Jordi Vila, from the Institute of Global Health and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, ​​spoke about the ‘Evolution of the clinical microbiological diagnosis of COVID-19 during the pandemic’, while Julià Blanco, from the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute of Barcelona, ​​has fact about the ‘Immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination’. For her part, Nuria Oliver, curator of the Presidency of the Valencian Community, has focused on ‘Data science to fight COVID-19’.

The conference closed this Tuesday with two sessions on internal collaborations and another on Nanbiosis, the ICTS of the CIBER-BBN, Bionand and the Jesús Usón Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery (CCMIJU) .

Source of information: ISCIII

• Read More

Laura Lechuga: awarded the most important recognition in Spain in the field of scientific research

The Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U4 Biodeposition and Biodetection Unit Laura Lechuga, has been awarded the 2020 National Research Prize, the most important recognition in Spain in the field of scientific research, granted by the Ministry of Science and Innovation.

The National Research Awards, created in 1982, aim to distinguish the merit of those researchers of Spanish nationality who are carrying out outstanding work in scientific fields of international relevance and who exceptionally contribute to the advancement of science, to the transfer of technology and the progress of humanity. These awards have a total amount of 300,000 euros, (30,000 euros each award).

National Award “Juan de la Cierva”, in the area of ​​Technology Transfer
Laura Lechuga, group leader of the CIBER-BBN at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), a joint GENCAT-CSIC-UAB center, has received the Juan de la Cierva National Award, in the area of ​​Technology Transfer, for her contribution innovator of diagnostic methods through pioneering projects such as the development of “lab-on-a-chip” platforms.

The jury highlighted the complete nature of her career, which combines high-quality scientific activity with technology transfer, not only in the development of patents but also in terms of promoting the creation of spin-off companies. All this, together with the leadership and coordination of important projects at the international level, and the impact of her work on the early diagnosis of diseases, makes her worthy of this distinction.

Prof. Lechuga has received several awards and recognitions throughout her career, such as the Physics, Innovation and Technology Award from the Royal Spanish Physics Society and the BBVA Foundation in 2016, a Fellow of the Optical Society (OSA) since 2014, the Ada 2020 Byron Award, from the University of Deusto (Bilbao, Spain) and, recently, the Rei Jaume I New Technologies 2020 Award, awarded by the Valencian Government and the Rei Jaume I Awards Foundation.

Source of information: Ministry of Science and Innovation.

• Read More

How to delay vision loss in hereditary retinal dystrophies? Looking for the most effective and economical pharmacological nanotherapy

Researchers from the CIBER-BBN and NANBIOSIS are participating in a new project that aims to achieve the most effective, specific and economical pharmacological nanotherapy that allows delaying the death of retinal cells and subsequent loss of vision in hereditary retinal dystrophy. retinitis pigmentosa, regardless of the genetic defect causing the disease.

In this project, coordinated by the researcher Regina Rodrigo, the ONCE and the Prince Felipe Research Center (CIPF) of Valencia collaborate, together with researchers from the CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER) and the Manises Hospital in Valencia. On behalf of the CIBER-BBN, the scientific director, Ramón Martínez Máñez, together with Elena Aznar from the IDM-UPV group of the Polytechnic University of València, José Luís Pedraz, Gustavo Puras and Idoia Gallego, from the group of the University of the Basque Country and Nanbiosis.

The NANBIOSIS participation in the project will be through the U10 Drug Formulation unit (from @CIBERBBN and @upvehu), led by NanoBioCell Group and Prof. José Luis Pedraz and U26 NMR: Biomedical Applications II , led by IDM-UPV-UV Group, led by Prof. Ramón Martínez Máñez. Elena Aznar, researcher of CIBER-BBN at IDM-UPV-UV explained “We use the unit to characterize the nanoparticles. Through a solid phase NMR confirms that the molecular gate has been correctly attached to the surface of the nanoparticles“.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of inherited retinal dystrophies characterized by progressive and irreversible loss of vision. Although it is considered a rare disease, it is the leading genetic cause of blindness in developed countries. So far there is no effective treatment, although there are various therapeutic approaches such as gene therapy, cell therapy, pharmacological therapy, optogenetics or electronic implants.

During the progression of the disease, an important inflammatory component has been observed that may contribute to its pathogenesis. In this sense, different anti-inflammatory strategies have been evaluated. The research group has successfully tested one of these strategies in preclinical models of retinitis pigmentosa. However, the implementation of this therapeutic strategy with nanocarriers as controlled release delivery systems would improve the mode of action of the administered drug, avoiding its degradation, increasing its half-life, stability or its availability in the retina. In this project, two types of nanocarriers will be used and their effect on the degenerative process in a murine model of retinitis pigmentosa will be evaluated.

  • PICTURE: Hematoxylin and eosin image showing that intravitreal blockade of the cytokine TNFα with Adalimumab-type monoclonal antibodies (ADA) reduces retinal degeneration, preventing the death of photoreceptors (RF) in the murine model of retinitis pigmentosa, rd10 mouse.
• Read More

Nb4D group – NANBIOSIS Unit 2 CAbS – accredited with the TECNIO seal

The Nb4D group of CIBER-BBN and IQAB-CSIC, coordinator of NANBIOSIS Unit 2 Custom Antibody Service (CAbS), has been accredited with the TECNIO seal.

This accreditation is the hallmark TECNIO granted by the Government of Catalonia, through ACCIÓ, to identify the developers and facilitators of differential technologies in Catalonia. TECNIO is the umbrella brand for catalan technology centres and university research groups dedicated to industrial research and technology transfer.

ACCIO, CERTIFICATION, QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• Read More

NANBIOSIS in the new poster of ICTS map published by Spanish Goverment.

ICTS underpins the Spanish reputation for research excellence.

In the picture: the new poster of the ICTS map in which NANBIOSIS facilities have been highlighed with a red square

The term Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS) refers to facilities, resources, or services for the development of top-quality cutting-edge research, as well as the communication, exchange, and preservation of knowledge, the transfer of technology, and promotion of innovation. They are unique or exceptional in their fields, with a high cost of investment, maintenance, and operation, and are of a strategic importance that justifies their availability to all actors in the field of R&D&I. The ICTS share three fundamental characteristics; they are infrastructures with public ownership, unique and open to competitive access.

ICTS offer an opening capacity percentage of their essential services under ‘Competitive Open Access’ for the use by national and international public and private sector researchers, with the support of technical and administrative personnel of the ICTS. Infrastructures access is ruled by a public “Access Protocol” that describes the procedure and criteria for access to the infrastructure. The main features of ‘Competitive Open Access’ are that R + D + i quality of activities developed at the infrastructure should be proven and that requests for access should be prioritized on the basis of objective criteria.

The dissemination of ICTS and their capabilities is essential to provide Spanish and international researchers with access to a large base of quality services and facilities, a basic requirement for the development of excellent science.

The new posster pushised by the General Subdirectorate of Large
Scientific-Technical Facilities of the of the Sapanish Ministry of Science and Research Innovation helps to disseminate and understand the map of ICTS wich are located throughout the country

NANBIOSIS, is one of the five ICTS in the field of Health Sciences and Biotechnology

Further informations: MICINN

• Read More

Third edition of the course on “Characterization techniques for Particulate Materials” with Amable Bernabé

The Soft Matrials Lab at ICMAB-CSIC, run by Amable Bernabé (NANBIOSIS U6 Biomaterial Processing and Nanostructuring Unit, hosted from Monday, 5 October, to Wednesday, 7 October a course on “Characterization techniques for particulate materials”.

The course was an introduction to different techniques to characterize nanoparticles and other particulate matter, including the basic fundamentals, sample preparation, practical examples and results interpretation. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants of the course were less than in previous years, and during the practical sessions the group was divided, so less people was at the same time inside the lab, and the safety measures could be kept. 

Theory:

  • Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) with Zetasizer Nano ZS (Malvern Instruments)
    • Size distribution
    • Z Potential 
  • Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) with Nanosight NS300 (Malvern Instruments)
    • Size distribution
    • Particle concentration
    • Fluorescence
  • Light Scattering (LS) with Mastersizer 2000 (Malvern Instruments)
    • Size distribution

Practice:

  • Sample analysis and practical cases of Dynamic Light Scattering with the Zetasizer Nano ZS (Malvern Instruments) equipment.
  • Samples analysis and practical cases of the Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) technique with the Nanosight NS300 (Malvern Instruments) equipment.
  • Sample analysis and practical cases of the Light Scattering (LS) technique with the Mastersizer 2000 (Malvern Instruments) instrument.

Source of information ICMAB-CSIC

• Read More

Laura Saenz del Burgo, NANBIOSIS U10, award for the best emerging researcher at the XXI Bioaraba Research and Innovation Conference

The CIBER-BBN researcher at the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), Laura Saenz del Burgo, received, within the framework of the XXI Bioaraba Research and Innovation Conference, the award for the “Best Emerging Researcher 2020”.

The researcher of the NanoBioCel group of the UPV / EHU, who belongs to the CIBER BBN and the U10 Drug Formulation of the ICTS of Nanbiosis, is an active part within the research group led by Jose Luis Pedraz and focuses her work in the areas of Regenerative Medicine , Tissue Engineering and 3D-Bioprinting.

The conference was held at the Palacio de Congresos de Europa, in Vitoria (Álava) last Thursday, November 5. It is a meeting forum between research staff, both from the health system and the university, the company, technology centers, institutions and citizens.

The Bioaraba Research and Innovation Awards want to recognize and encourage people and institutions whose dedication directly affects the improvement of the health and quality of life of the population, through not only purely scientific or healthcare work, but also from a contribution adequate social.

• Read More

Regenerating ankle joints with collagen- and gelatine-based implants

 TRIANKLE is an EU Project to develop regenerative therapies for ankel injuries in which participate NanoBioCell Group and NANBIOSIS U10 Drug Formulation unit (from CIBER-BBN and UPV/EHU), led by José Luis Pedraz.
 The main objective is to reduce the time of recovery down to 50% and
increase the functionality ratios up to 10-15%.
 Research consortium is composed of 12 partners from 5 European countries and counts with a EU funding of €5.9M.
 It is expected that the results of the project will be very well received by potential patients, such as elite athletes and patients with osteoarthritis, through the outreach work of the FCB Barça Innovation Hub and the OAFI, both members of the consortium.

On November 6th, the grant agreement No: 952981 funded by the European
Commission (Horizon 2020 Program) by which the TRIANKLE project comes into operation was signed. The TRIANKLE consortium – made up of 12 European organisations, will develop 3D bioprinted personalised scaffolds for tissue regeneration of ankle joints. This ambitious research project in regenerative medicine comes with an overall budget of €5.9M and
will be developed over 4 years, starting January 2021. The consortium aims to create innovative personalised collagen- and gelatine-based implants manufactured with 3D technology for patients with tendinopathies such as Achilles tendon partial ruptures and cartilage injuries.

Tendinopathies and osteoarthritis (OA) are extremely common and expensive, especially among the elderly, women and professional athletes. In addition to quality of life, both conditions substantially impact healthcare systems of economies worldwide (OA costs €76.5 billion in EU every year, while tendinopathies have an estimated worldwide expenditure above €140,000 million).

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market.

For more info: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/what-horizon-2020

• Read More

CIBER-BBN and NANBIOSIS at CIBEREDH Scientific Annual Meeting

José Becerra Ratia, Subdirector of CIBER-BBN and researcher of NANBIOSIS, has presented NANBIOSIS-ICTS at the online annual conference of CIBEREH research, which takes place from 9 to 11 of November 2020.

José Becerra has explained an initiative of CIBER-BBN, already successfully launched with other CIBER thematic areas such as “seed projects” between research groups from two areas, in this case -BBN (Bioingniering, Biomaterials an Nanomedicine) and – EHD (Hepatic and Digestive Diseases) Professor Becerra has also presented CIBER-BBN as well as the opportunities offered by the ICTS NANBIOSIS as a Platform for Research and Biomedical Innovation.

CIBEREHD counts with:

50 groups of 30 centers spread over 9 Autonomous Communities that work together in 4 corporate programs:

P1. Mechanisms of liver damage / evolution to advanced cirrhosis and transplantation.

P2. Gastrointestinal pathophysiology: inflammatory disease and motility disorders.

P3. Epidemiology, prevention and treatment of hepatitis virus infection.

P4. Hepatic and Digestive Oncology.

• Read More

III Course on Introduction to research and laboratory techniques in Biosciences

CCMIJU has organised the III Course on Introduction to research and laboratory techniques in Biosciences, which wil take place at JUMISC on December, 18th, 2020 under the Direction of Esther López Nieto and Javier García Casado, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U14 Cell Therapy. Other researchers of NANBIOSIS Units offer their expertise as Beatriz Moreno Lobato, Scientific Diector NANBIOSIS U19 and Luis Dávila Gómez, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U22

The course contents are distributed in the following blocks:

Block I. Knowledge pills for research – Theory
Research career and aid for hiring (Dr JG Casado). 30 min
Communication of research results (Dra. E López). 30 min
Introduction to bibliographic resources. (Dra. R Blázquez). 30 min
Research Projects: preparation and evaluation (Dr JG Casado). 30 min
Protection of research results. Intellectual and industrial property. (JL Añover). 30 min

Block II. Knowledge pills for research – exercises / case studies
Practical case 1: Bibliographic search and Commentary and assessment of different scientific communications: 1.5h
Block III. RNA and DNA: gene expression and genetic studies in reproduction
Introduction to the analysis of gene expression using qPCR (F Marinaro and E López). 1h 30min
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis in assisted reproduction clinics (E Delgado). 1 hour

Block IV. Proteins and proteome: protein expression studies and massive proteomics analysis / identification
Protein expression study I: Introduction to immunoprecipitation and western blotting techniques (E López). 1 hour
Introduction to the study of proteins II: Generalities and principles of proteomics in cardiovascular research (I Jorge). 1h 30min

Block V. Cell cultures: stem cell cultures and production for clinical uses
Cell cultures I: Isolation of adult stem cells and characterization (R Blázquez). 1 hour
Cell cultures II: Production, commercialization and clinical uses of cell therapy (O delaRosa). 1h 30min

Block VI. Miscelanea: Histology, clinical analysis, 3D bioprinting and animal experimentation
Basic fixation, inclusion and staining techniques for histology (A Usón). 1 hour
Basic techniques for determining blood parameters: Biochemistry and hematology (B Moreno). 1 hour
Technology and materials in the 3D bioprinting laboratory (JC Gómez). 1 hour
Minimally invasive experimental procedures in laboratory animals (L Dávila). 1 hour

Block VII: Laboratory techniques in biosciences – exercises / practical cases
Practical case-example 2: Analysis of qPCR results. 1,5h

Further information: Programm and inscriptions

• Read More