News

Symposium honouring Professor Conxita Solans. (ECIS Rome 2016)

In the frame of ECIS 2016, the 30th Conference of the European Colloid and Interface Society (ECIS), Rome 4-9 September, 2016, a special Symposium honouring Conxita Solans was organized on September 8th – 2.00-5.00 pm. Conxita Solans, Scientific Director of Unit 12 of NANBIOSIS, has during many years been one of the leading scientists in the field of surfactants and dispersions. She has been very active in ECIS, presenting her research results at several conferences, being President and also organizing one ECIS meeting in Barcelona.

Nanbiosis-U12-Symposium honouring Professor Conxita Solans. Conference of the European Colloid and Interface Society (ECIS), Rome 2016

• Read More

Chemical control over the energy-level alignment in a two-terminal junction

In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers of Nanomol group, led by the Scientific Director of Unit 6 of NANBIOSIS, Dr. Jaume Veciana have shown that the alignment of the energy levels in molecular bonds based on sel- assembled monolayers can be regulated through only chemical modifications.

The energy-level alignment of molecular transistors can be controlled by external gating to move molecular orbitals with respect to the Fermi levels of the source and drain electrodes. Two-terminal molecular tunnelling junctions, however, lack a gate electrode and suffer from Fermi-level pinning, making it difficult to control the energy-level alignment of the system. Here is where the researchers report an enhancement of 2 orders of magnitude of the tunnelling current in a two terminal junction via chemical molecular orbital control, changing chemically the molecular component between a stable radical and its non-radical form without altering the supramolecular structure of the junction. These are the findings that demonstrate that the energy-level alignment in self-assembled monolayer-based junctions can be regulated by purely chemical modifications, which seems an attractive alternative to control the electrical properties of two terminal junctions.

Article of reference:

Chemical control over the energy-level alignment in a two-terminal junction. Li Yuan, Carlos Franco, Núria Crivillers, Marta Mas-Torrent, Liang Cao, C.S. Suchand Sangeeth, Concepció Rovira, Jaume Veciana*, Christian A. Nijhuis*. Nature Communications.

Nanbiosis-U6-Chemical control over the energy-level alignment in a two-terminal junction

• Read More

DR. CONXITA SOLANS received the “Pierre Fillet” Prize 2016 awarded by the Formulation Group of the French Chemical Society (SCF)

Conxita Solans, Scientific Director of the Unit 12 NANBIOSIS, received last July 4 in the opening ceremony of the congress Formula VIII, the award Pierre Fillet 2016, given by the Formulation Group of the French Chemical Society (SCF).

The prize was awarded to Dr Solans in recognition to her contributions on formulation of colloidal systems, namely on the design and characterization of Nanostructured Liquids such as nano-emulsions, microemulsions, micelles, etc, developed through Unit 12 of NANBIOSIS.

Pierre Fillet was a major force behind formulation in France particularly and across Europe, he was one of the instigators of the first Formula conference held in Nice in 1987. The prize is awarded to a well-recognized researcher whose work led to significant developments of any topic in formulation.

DR. CONXITA SOLANS received the “Pierre Fillet” Prize 2016 awarded by the Formulation Group of the French Chemical Society (SCF)

• Read More

“MICELA PRIZE” by the Spanish Committee of Detergents, Surfactants and Related Products (CED) TO DR. CONXITA SOLANS

Dr. Conxita Solans, Scientific Director of the Unit 12 NANBIOSIS, has been awarded with the Micelle Prize, by the Spanish Committee of Detergents, Surfactants and Related Products (CED) The award was presented to Dr. Conxita Solans during the International Congress Formula VIII (Barcelona 4 to 7 July 2016),

The Formula Conferences cover all aspects in Formulation Sciences and Technologies and constitute a frame for knowledge transfer and dialogue between Academia and Industry. This annual event is organized jointly by various European Societies namely the French Chemical Society (SCF), the British Formulation Group of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FSTG/RSC), the German Society of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (DECHEMA, Germany), Scandinavia Chemical Societies (SP Chemistry) and the Spanish Group of Colloids and Interfaces of the Royal Societies of Chemistry and Physics (GECI/RSEQ-RSEF), as well as several companies (AKZO-NOBEL, BASF, BAYER and EVONIK, ensuring a truly and deep dialogue. The Formula VIII conference with the motto “Formulate your innovation. Innovate your formulation” has highlighted that technical innovation and scientific discoveries in the chemistry field are the driving forces to offer breaking new products to the market.

The Comité Español de la Detergencia, Tensioactivos y Afines (CED) founded in 1957, is an independent entity constituted by National associations and enterprises related to the detergency, cosmetics, and detergent raw material industry. The Micelle Award is to recognize the participation and contributions to the conference organized annually by the CED for 46 consecutive years.

“MICELA PRIZE” by the Spanish Committee of Detergents, Surfactants and Related Products (CED) TO DR. CONXITA SOLANS.

• Read More

Nanotechnology bio applications in the clinical diagnosis II: biosensor BiMW for the early diagnosis of bacterial infections in cirrhotic patients

The peritonitis bacterial spontaneous is an infection of the fluid ascetic that has high incidence in cirrhotic patients and is associated with a high mortality. In such situation, a diagnosis early is essential for the survival of the patient. However, the identification of the causative pathogen of infection is based currently on cultivation methods that are slow and laborious.

A research coordinated by the Group of Nanobiosensors and Bioanalytical applications of the CIBER-BBN, which coordinates Unit 4 of NANBIOSIS led by Laura Lechuga, has presented the development of a biosensor interferometric based in guides bimodal (BiMW), capable of identify and quantify E. coli in liquid ascetic reaching some limits of detection below them 100 cfu /mL in only 15 min of analysis. These results demonstrate the great capacity of the biosensor BiMW as a new tool in the field clinical for the analysis microbial due to its ease use and its good relationship of cost-effectiveness and speed in the microbiological analysis.

Article of Reference: Label-free bimodal waveguide immunosensor for rapid diagnosis of bacterial infections in cirrhotic patients. Jesús Maldonado, Ana Belén González-Guerrero, Carlos Domínguez, Laura M.Lechuga. Biosensors and Bioelectronics.

Nanotechnology bio applications in the clinical diagnosis II biosensor BiMW for the early diagnosis of bacterial infections in cirrhotic patients

• Read More

Nanotechnology bio applications in the clinical diagnosis: nanoplasmodic biosensor device for the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer

The group of Nano-biosensors and Bioanalytical applications of CIBER-BBN which coordinates Unit 4 of NANBIOSIS directed by Dr. Laura Lechuga, has led the final preparations of a technology with potential application in the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer, based in the detection of specific biomarkers in blood.
The nanoplasmonic biosensor based on LSPR (Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance) is generated on structured surfaces of nano discs of gold, that allow monitoring of biological interactions in real time and without the need of markers.
The nanoplasmonic biosensor allows analysis of human samples in a few minutes, without requiring reagents or additional instrumentation. The device is easy to use and its reduced dimensions offer an attractive opportunity for the development of point-of-care devices with potential to be used outside the laboratory.

Article of Reference: Label-free nanoplasmonic sensing of tumor-associate autoantibodies for early diagnosis of colorectal cancer.Maria Soler, M. Carmen Estevez, Roi Villar-Vázquez, J. Ignacio Casal, Laura M. Lechuga. Analytica Chimica Acta. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2016.04.059

Nanotechnology bio applications in the clinical diagnosis nanoplasmodic biosensor device for the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer

• Read More

Synergies produced in NANBIOSIS multiply the value of its services and allow its users to have results with faster and superior reliability due to proven experience of the scientists and technicians involved, says Jaume Veciana, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS, in an interview at July 2016 CIBER-BBN Bulletin.

In this interview, Jaume Veciana assesses the functioning of this Singular Scientific-Technical Infrastructure and its contribution to research and anticipates some of the guidelines of the NANBIOSIS Strategic Plan 2017-2020, which includes a clear commitment to internationalization.

“The scientific-technical capabilities available at NANBIOSIS must be exploited without limitation to our country. Therefore we are clear that we must promote the activity of NANBIOSIS both academic and industrial sector in the European Union and other countries, either directly or in association with other similar organizations actions. Some such initiatives have already started but we believe it should be given further boost to internationalization. As an example we can mention the participation in the European project INFRAIA that aims to integrate regional and national research infrastructures existing in Europe under the Horizon 2020”

Professor Veciana also talks about NANOMOL, the research group coordinator of Unit 6 of NANBIOSIS, and the main applications of their findings in the fields of nanomedicine and biomaterials.

To know more

Synergies produced in NANBIOSIS multiply the value of its services and allow its users to have results with faster and superior reliability due to proven experience of the scientists and technicians involved, says Jaume Veciana, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS, in an interview at July 2016 CIBER-BBN Bulletin.

• Read More

Dr. Simó Schwartz, Scientific Director of Unit 20 of NANBIOSIS: appointed president of the European Society for Nanomedicine (ESNAM) and member of the executive board of the International Society of Nanomedicine (ISN).

The objectives of ESNAM are to promote nanomedicine research and facilitate the exchange of knowledge among its members (currently, about 800 members). According to Dr. Simó Schwartz “the dissemination of specialized infrastructure in nanomedicine, like NANBIOSIS, among members of the society and its utilities is also an object of ESNAM. This is intended to strengthen European technological capabilities, use, and improvement of clinical transfer”.

Society members represent different sectors of the scientific community: doctors, biologists, chemists, pharmacists, physical …. The technical office of the ESNAM in Barcelona is located in the Vall d’Hebron Hospital and is coordinated by Aida Castellanos, CIBER-BBN R&D+i Project Manager.

In addition, Dr. Schwartz has also been appointed a member of the executive board of the International Society of Nanomedicine (ISN), a newly established company that includes the American Association, Korean and European, ESNAM, among others. This entity will organize the 2nd year of summer in Barcelona Nanomedicine 2017, this year held in South Korea.

Dr. Simó Schwartz, Scientific Director of Unit 20 of NANBIOSIS: appointed president of the European Society for Nanomedicine (ESNAM) and member of the executive board of the International Society of Nanomedicine (ISN).

• Read More

Pablo Laguna and Jordi Aguilo, Scientific Directors of the Units 27 and 8 of NANBIOSIS participate in the European program Remote Assessment of Disease and Relapse in Central Nervous System Disorders (RADAR-CNS)

RADAR-CNS is an important European research program supported by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) focused to develop new ways of monitoring patients affected by major depression, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, with the use of wearable technology and smart mobile phones.

This program brings together experts from various disciplines in clinical research, engineering, computer and data analysis, as well as health services. RADAR-CN aims to improve symptoms and quality of life of patients and treatment of these and other chronic diseases. This program is jointly led by King’s College London and the pharmaceutical company Janssen and is funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (a public-private agreement EFPIA and the European Union). RADAR-CNS involves 24 organizations in Europe and US, including CIBER through its thematic areas of Mental Health (CIBERSAM) and Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN)

“In recent years, the quality and quantity of data that can be collected with the wearable technology and smart phones has increased a lot. The information generated with this large amount of data will help to improve clinical care by providing greater detail of the patient’s condition and prognosis of its evolution. Moreover, it will be possible to detect whether a patient is beginning to have problems before there is clinical evidence of it” says Dr. Jordi Aguilo, scientific coordinator of the Unit 8 of NANBIOSIS.

This huge generate data sets, suitable to be stored and treated so to retrieve the relevant information hidden in the data, frequently require computing systems and information systems of high performance. The Unit 27 of NANBIOSIS will be the platform in which this analysis will be performed.

Pablo Laguna and Jordi Aguilo, Scientific Directors of the Units 27 and 8 of NANBIOSIS participate in the European program Remote Assessment

• Read More

Elizabeth Engel, Scientific Coordinator of Unit 5 of NANBIOSIS: “Our research has opened the door to the regeneration of the nervous system by biomaterials”

The CIBER-BBN research group Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, which coordinates Unit 5 of NANBIOSIS develops various lines of research on biomaterials for regenerative therapies, especially focusing on the design and fabrication of scaffolds for tissue regeneration. They are working with polymers, hydrogels and compounds that can be manufactured using different techniques such as electrospinning to make 3D printing matrices or scaffolding. Applications are diverse, such as bone regeneration, neuronal, skin or cell therapy.

The group has recently presented the results of a project focused on the development of implants for the regeneration of nerve tissue with very promising results. The study opens the door to the possibility of regenerating the nervous system, since the capacity of cells to dedifferentiate is demonstrated and thus become capable of generating tissue cells. Moreover, these nanofibers scaffolds benefits vascularization (generation of new blood vessels) in the injured area, which promotes regeneration. The study has been shown in laboratory mouse and currently Dr. Alcantara (University of Barcelona), with whom the group is collaborating on this project since 6 years ago, is doing tests in rats to show that new neurons generated are functional.

The new prospects for medicine opened by this finding are very important: The first is the regenerative capacity of the brain. The second, biomaterials play a fundamental role in this regeneration and can open an important way for the development of biomedical devices that advance tissue regeneration using whose regulatory systems to market is much less complex than advanced therapies based cells and growth factors. 3D printing opens a new approach to fabricate this type of implants, as more porous structures can be printed to favor cell colonization and vascularization.

Elizabeth Engel, Scientific Coordinator of Unit 5 of NANBIOSIS: “Our research has opened the door to the regeneration of the nervous system by biomaterials”

• Read More

You are here : Home / News (Page 78)