+34 620 10 75 37info@nanbiosis.com

Nanbiosis

U1. Protein Production Platform Unit (PPP)

U1. Protein Production Platform (PPP)

U1. PPP logo IBB UAB

Order request

Description

The PPP Unit is at the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (IBB-UAB). It counts with the necessary facilities for the design, production, and purification of recombinant proteins. This facility is coordinated by the Nanobiotechnology Group, led by Prof. Antonio Villaverde. It has both highly specialized personnel and the necessary equipment to offer a “tailored” service for the design, production, and purification of recombinant proteins using both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems. Its location allows this service to be linked with other complementary services available within the university (Cell Culture, Cytometry, Production of Antibodies, Microscopy, Proteomic, and Bioinformatic, X-ray crystallography, and Microarray and Sequencing Services), as well as facilitating the management of subsequent uses of the produced protein.

Counts with a laboratory perfectly equipped for the bioproduction of proteins, another with all the necessary equipment for molecular cloning, plus one lab for the purification and characterization, and finally one for cryopreservation.

The PPP Unit has implemented the ISO9001 certification for standard quality control system.

IQNet ISO 9001:2015 Certification PPP

AENOR ISO 9001:2015 Certification PPP

Brochure Unit 1 – PPP

Active projects

Title Fundin: Organism Call: Funding source Role
GA: 720942 SMART FUNCTIONAL GLA-NANOFORMULATION FOR FABRY DISEASE – Smart-4-Fabry Unión Europea (Comisión Europea) H2020-NMBP-2016-2017 Coordinator
SAF2017-90810-REDI Strategic Promotion and coordinated management of Nanbiosis: Pronanbiosis II Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) Acciones de dinamización «REDES DE EXCELENCIA»
-ICTS 2017
Coordinator

Other projects

Ref Title Funding Organism Unit Role
PI15/00272 Design of intelligent nanoconjugates for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Instituto de Salud Carlos III Participant
BIO2013-41019-P ENGINEERING OF PROTEIN NANOPARTICLES FOR THE DIRECT DELIVERY OF THERAPEUTIC PROTEINS AND NUCLEIC ACIDS MINECO Participant
2014SGR-132 Basic and Applied Microbiology AGAUR Participant
BIO2016-76063-R DEVELOPMENT OF NONOSTRUCTURED PROTEIN TOXINS AND POISONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF CXCR4 + CANCERES MINECO Working package
RTC-2014-2207-1 TERARMET: Development of therapies for the treatment of rare congenital metabolic diseases MINECO Participant
Marato 416/C/2030TV32013-132031 Genotoxic nanoparticles targeting colorectal cancer stem cells Marato TV3 Participant

Publications


2016

  • Corchero J.L. Eukaryotic aggresomes: from a model of conformational diseases to an emerging type of immobilized biocatalyzers. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2016;100(2):559-569.
  • Saccardo P., Corchero J.L., Ferrer-Miralles N.. Tools to cope with difficult-to-express proteins. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2016;:1-9.
  • Torrealba D., Seras-Franzoso J., Mamat U., Wilke K., Villaverde A., Roher N. et al. Complex particulate biomaterials as immunostimulant-delivery platforms. PLoS ONE. 2016;11(10)
  • Cano-Garrido O., Sanchez-Chardi A., Pares S., Giro I., Tatkiewicz W.I., Ferrer-Miralles N. et al. Functional protein-based nanomaterial produced in microorganisms recognized as safe: A new platform for biotechnology. Acta Biomaterialia. 2016;43:230-239.
  • Serna N., Cespedes M.V., Saccardo P., Xu Z., Unzueta U., Alamo P. et al. Rational engineering of single-chain polypeptides into protein-only, BBB-targeted nanoparticles. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine. 2016;12(5):1241-1251.
  • Rueda F., Gasser B., Sanchez-Chardi A., Roldan M., Villegas S., Puxbaum V. et al. Functional inclusion bodies are produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Microbial Cell Factories. 2016;15(1)
  • Cabrera I., Abasolo I., Corchero J.L., Elizondo E., Gil P.R., Moreno E. et al. α-Galactosidase-A Loaded-Nanoliposomes with Enhanced Enzymatic Activity and Intracellular Penetration. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2016;5(7):829-840.
  • Céspedes MV, Unzueta U, Álamo P, Gallardo A, Sala R, Casanova I et al. Cancer-specific uptake of a liganded protein nanocarrier targeting aggressive CXCR4+ colorectal cancer models.Nanomedicine : nanotechnology, biology, and medicine. 2016;12(7)
  • Giannotti M.I., Abasolo I., Oliva M., Andrade F., Garcia-Aranda N., Melgarejo M. et al. Highly Versatile Polyelectrolyte Complexes for Improving the Enzyme Replacement Therapy of Lysosomal Storage Disorders. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 2016;8(39):25741-25752.

News U1

22 Apr

NANBIOSIS joins pioneering research on the permeability of epithelia for new Drug Delivery

NANBIOSIS Unit 1 supports study on c-CPE protein to modulate epithelial permeability, enabling safer, targeted drug delivery. Barcelona, april 2025. Researchers from the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB) at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and other institutions have published a new study in Molecular Pharmaceutics demonstrating the dual behavior of a fragment of a bacterial toxin in modulating epithelial permeability. Thus providing with a key factor for improving drug delivery through epithelial barriers. The study, titled “Trans-Mediated, Cis-Inhibited Paradoxical Activity of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin (c-CPE) in Modulating Epithelial Permeability” (DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c01205), explores how the c-CPE domain of Clostridium[...]

15 Apr

NANBIOSIS contributes to innovative protein granules for new biomedical applications

Researchers from NANBIOSIS co-author a new study showcasing an innovative approach to protein-based biomaterials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine. Barcelona, april 2025. A recent publication in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules highlights the cutting-edge work of scientists from Unit 1 (Protein Production Platform, PPP) and Unit 18 (Nanotoxicology Unit) of NANBIOSIS, under the leadership of Prof. Antonio Villaverde and Prof. Ramón Mangues, respectively. The study, entitled “Surpassing protein specificity in biomimetics of bacterial amyloids” (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139635), explores the development of artificial protein granules with promising applications in biomedicine. A Novel Approach to Biomimetic Materials The research introduces a[...]

31 Mar

Breakthrough Nanotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: Innovative Research Involving NANBIOSIS

Breakthrough nanotherapy targets MSS colorectal cancer, inducing pyroptosis and immune activation. NANBIOSIS Units 1 and Unit 18 played a key role. Barcelona, march 2024. For this World Colorectal Cancer Day, researchers from Dr. Mangues’ group (CB06/01/1031), in which NANBIOSIS Unit 18 is integrated, have published just last month a groundbreaking study on a novel targeted nanotherapy for colorectal cancer. Conducted in collaboration with three CIBER research groups across two thematic areas (BBN and ER), this research highlights the potential of CXCR4-targeted nanotoxic therapy to combat microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer, a subtype known for its resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors[...]

10 Dec

NANBIOSIS Unit invited to PEGS, the Protein & Antibody Engineering Summit

NANBIOSIS’s Protein Production Platform showcased innovations in protein engineering at PEGS Europe 2024, featuring talks, posters, and session moderation. Barcelona, november 2024. Last month, the NBT group and Unit 1 of NANBIOSIS (Protein Production Platform, PPP), from CIBER-BBN and IBB-UAB, was invited once again to participate in the prestigious PEGS Europe conference. PEGS Europe, a prestigous conference This year, the 16th PEGS Europe conference was held in Barcelona from November 5th to 7th. PEGS, or the Protein & Antibody Engineering Summit, is organized by the Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI) and is renowned for its focus on protein engineering and its[...]

18 Nov

The Protein Production Platform (PPP) at the UAB Innovation Fair

The PPP advances antimicrobial peptide research, forging partnerships to combat antibiotic resistance and prevent medical device-related infections. Barcelona, october 2024. During Antibiotic Awareness Week, we spotlight the Protein Production Platform (PPP) at NANBIOSIS Unit 1 for its pivotal role in combating antimicrobial resistance. At the recent UAB Innovation Fair, the PPP showcased its cutting-edge technologies and established collaborations with experts in bacterial biofilms and nanomaterials. Together, they aim to develop innovative antimicrobial peptides as alternatives to traditional antibiotics, targeting nosocomial infections linked to medical devices. These efforts underscore the critical importance of advancing research and partnerships to address one of[...]

10 Oct

Knowdlege growth: A chart-guide for cloning, production, purification, and characterization of recombinant proteins from prokaryotic systems

The Nanobiotechnology Group and NANBIOSIS PPP have created a poster-guide for recombinant protein cloning, production, and purification in prokaryotic systems. Barcelona, october 2024. The Nanobiotechnology Group, led by Prof. Villaverde, in collaboration with the NANBIOSIS Unit 1, Protein Production Platform (PPP), directed by Dr. Ferrer-Miralles, has created an in-depth guide in the form of a poster that compiles key strategies for cloning, production, purification, and characterization of recombinant proteins expressed in prokaryotic systems. Drawing from their vast experience in the field, they have meticulously outlined techniques and best practices to address common challenges and optimize every stage of the process.[...]

09 Oct

Harnessing Nanotechnology in protein research: Insights from Dr. Neus Ferrer on new ways of fighting antimicrobial resistance

Dr. Neus Ferrer explores nanotechnology in protein research to combat antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative solutions using lysins and other recombinant proteins. Barcelona, October 2024. In celebration of Nanotechnology Day, we take a closer look at the cutting-edge work of Dr. Neus Ferrer, director of the Unit 1, Protein Production Platform (PPP), at NANBIOSIS. Specializing in recombinant protein synthesis, Dr. Ferrer’s research tackles critical challenges in healthcare, particularly antimicrobial resistance, often referred to as the “new pandemic”. Through advanced nanotechnology approaches, her team in develops innovative solutions that could revolutionize treatment options in biomedicine and beyond. The interview begins… Interviewer:[...]

04 Apr

Protein-only Materials offer a new hope in colorectal cancer treatment

Breakthrough colorectal cancer treatment unveiled by NANBIOSIS Units promises enhanced precision & efficacy in targeted cancer therapies. March 2024, UAB/Institut de Recerca Sant Pau/CIBER-BBN (Barcelona) As we leave World Colorectal Cancer Day 2024 behind, marked on March 31st, there have been significant highlights in cancer treatment, a field in which targeted therapies are playing a crucial role. In this context, researchers from the Nanobiotechnology team, at the Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, led by Prof. Antonio Villaverde, in collaboration with the Oncogenesis and Antitumor Drugs team led by Prof. Ramón Mangues at Institut d[...]

U1-Protein Production Platform - PPP
Read More

U3. Synthesis of Peptides Unit

U3. Synthesis of Peptides Unit

  • Scientific Director: Dr. Miriam Royo miriam.royo@iqac.csic.es
  • Entities: Institute of Avanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC) & Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
  • Address: Jordi Girona, 18-26, 088034, Barcelona, Spain
  • Phone: +34 934 006 100
  • Web: IQAC- CSIC
IQAC CSIC

Order request

This Unit is coordinated by the Multivalent Systems for Nanomedicine goup at IQAC-CSIC and has the equipment necessary to provide services of synthesis of peptides at different scales (mg to g), purification, characterization, and post-synthesis modification, such as, conjugation to proteins and fluorescent. It counts with laboratories for synthesis and other to carry out modification of the peptides during and post synthesis labels. Also counts with a laboratory equipped with several preparative and analytical chromatography systems for purification and characterization. This facility benefits from the wide experience of Dr. Fernando Albericio an Dra. Miriam Royo in the design and synthesis of peptides with specific biological activity and the introduction of modifications necessary for these peptides to be bound to therapeutic nanoconjugates and other molecules, either to take advantage of the pharmacological activity of the peptide itself or to facilitate the introduction of nanoconjugates or other molecules into the cells in order to reach the therapeutic target. Its location allows the access to the rest of services of the IQAC-CSIC.

Active projects

Title Fundin: Organism Call: Funding source Role
ICTS-2017-10-CIBER-2 Acquisition and istallation of infrastrucuture to complemntUnis 3-Synthesis of Peptides, U18-Nanotoxicology y U20-In vivoExperiment Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) Programa Operativo FEDER de Crecimiento Inteligente 2014-2020 (POCInt) Coordinator
GA: 720942 SMART FUNCTIONAL GLA-NANOFORMULATION FOR FABRY DISEASE – Smart-4-Fabry Unión Europea (Comisión Europea) H2020-NMBP-2016-2017 Coordinator
SAF2017-90810-REDI Strategic Promotion and coordinated management of Nanbiosis: Pronanbiosis II Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) Acciones de dinamización «REDES DE EXCELENCIA»
-ICTS 2017
Coordinator

Other projects

Ref Title Funding Organism Unit Role
SAF2015-67476-R Immunochemical Strategies of Diagnosis and Therapy based on Quorum Sensing (ImmunoQS) Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Participant
RTC-2014-2207-1 TERARMET: Development of therapies for the treatment of rare congenital metabolic diseases MINECO Participant

Publications

2016

  • Cabrera I., Abasolo I., Corchero J.L., Elizondo E., Gil P.R., Moreno E. et al. α-Galactosidase-A Loaded-Nanoliposomes with Enhanced Enzymatic Activity and Intracellular Penetration. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2016;5(7):829-840.
  • Giannotti M.I., Abasolo I., Oliva M., Andrade F., Garcia-Aranda N., Melgarejo M. et al. Highly Versatile Polyelectrolyte Complexes for Improving the Enzyme Replacement Therapy of Lysosomal Storage Disorders. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 2016;8(39):25741-25752.

News U3

29 Jan

A Breakthrough Therapy for Fabry Disease: nanoGLA Demonstrates Promising Results

Fabry disease therapy nanoGLA, developed by NANBIOSIS and our partners, shows superior efficacy in preclinical trials, targeting systemic and brain symptoms. Barcelona, january 2025. An international research team led by the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) and CIBER-BBN, in collaboration with the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), has developed a groundbreaking nanotechnology-based therapy called nanoGLA for the treatment of Fabry disease. The innovative solution has shown remarkable efficacy in preclinical studies and has been published in the open-access journal Science Advances (see below for reference links). What is Fabry disease? Fabry disease is a rare genetic[...]

09 Oct

Nanotechnology to slow down the growth of glioblastomas

Directors of Unit 20 and Unit 3, Ibane Abasolo and Miriam Royo, show us the ReachGlio project, which uses nanomedicines to slow glioblastoma growth by targeting tumors in the brain, improving drug delivery through nanoparticles. Barcelona, october 2024. Each year, on October 9th, Nanotechnology Day is celebrated, a discipline dedicated to understanding and utilizing matter at a nanometric scale for purposes such as industrial or medical applications. Nanotechnology plays a fundamental role in many research lines developed at the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC) and the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). “Our goal is to propose one or more clinical trials in[...]

08 Nov

Impactful research with NANBIOSIS participation in the Poster Tour of CIBER-BBN & CIBEREHD Annual Conference.

2023 CIBER-BBN Annual meeting has taken place at Santemar Hotel, in Santander during November 6-7. This year the format of our annual conferences has been changed towards a collective event scheme between the CIBER-BBN and CIBEREHD thematic areas. On Monday 6 the scientific sessions werecommon for EHD and BBN, with appealing contents for the mixed audience. On Tuesday 7 EHD and BBN sessions will specific for each area in separate rooms (with common coffee break). Posters of both areas were on display in the exhibit hall throughout the entirety of the Annual Meeting. Moreover, at the “Posters & beers” session (Monday[...]

20 Jan

New nanoarchitectonics of RGD peptide developed using quatsomes as robust tool in tissue engineering.

Researchers of three groups of CIBER-BBN at CSIC and IBEC, have created a versatile platform based on hierarchically nanostructured RGD peptide using quatsomes, with proved enhanced cell adhesion. These findings, which arose within the framework of the intramural project of CIBER-BBN “Molecular Biointerfaces for cell guidance” (DynaMo4Vasc), open new possibilities for tissue engineering. The participation of two NANBIOSIS units were acknowledged in the publication of the research results: the synthesis of RGD derivatives were performed at NANBIOSIS U3 “Synthesis of peptides unit” of CIBER-BBN at IQAC−CSIC.  And the design and characterization of quatsomes were done at U6 of NANBIOSIS “Biomateria[...]

15 Nov

Happy Day of Chemistry! The role of Chemistry in a sustainable research in health

Today, November 15 is a day of celebration for us, the Day of the Chemistry in Spain! Chemistry is the science that studies matter, how it is composed, its properties and how its structures are transformed and, as matter is everything, including living beings and ourselves, we can say that chemistry is omnipresent and transversal in all areas surrounding us. Chemistry is everywhere, we ourselves are chemistry and our health and our life is chemistry. “Everything around us is chemistry in the environment, foods, what we use and what we touch every day. Our own body is a sophisticated complex[...]

27 Jul

1st Nanomedicine Forum of CIBER-BBN/NANBIOSIS and CSIC Nanomed Conection

During the days 30 of June and 1st of July took place in Barcelona, in the auditorium of the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), the 1st Forum on Nanomedicine gathering scientists from the CSIC net Nanomed Conection and from the CIBER-BBN and its ICTS NANBIOSIS. This forum brought toguether researchers from the most eminent national research centers in nanomedicine, that during the two days meeting presented their works and findings and discussed the impact of nanomedicine in the fields of drug delivery, diagnosis and therapy. The workshop was open by the Director of IQAC-CSIC,  Jesús Joglar, the  Scientific Coordinator[...]

28 Feb

Fabry Desease in the Rare Disease Day: A New Hope

WHY DO CELEBRATE TODAY THE INTERNATIONAL #RareDiseaseDay? 29 of February is a ‘rare’ date and February, a month with a ‘rare’ number of days, has become a month to raise awareness about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives.  Since 2008 thousands of events happen every year all around the world and around the last day of February with the aim of improving equity and reducing stigmatization for people who live with more than 6,000 rare diseases. WHAT ARE RARE DISEASES Rare diseases are pathologies or disorders that affect a small part of the population (less than 5 per 10,000 inhabitants) and[...]

03 Feb

Multivalent self-assembled platforms for the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs

Twenty years ago, the 4 February was declared World Cancer Day with the global challenge of cancer would not be forgotten. Since then, huge progress has been made to understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. NANBIOSIS as an ICTS (Singular Scientific and Technical infrastructures) for biomedical research plays a very important role in the fight against cancer. Dr. Miriam Royo, who leads NANBIOSIS unit 3 of Synthesis of Peptide, explains one of the projects in which the ICTS is involved in relation with cancer therapy. The improvement of solubility and stability of clinically approved chemotherapeutic drugs still represent a big[...]

U3-Synthesis of Peptides Unit
Read More

U18. Nanotoxicology Unit

Ciber bbn

U18. Nanotoxicology Unit

    • Scientific Director: Prof. Ramón Mangues rmangues@santpau.cat
    • Scientific Coordinator: Dra.Isolda Casanova ICasanova@santpau.cat
    • Entities: Institut de Recerca. Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau 
    • Address: Hospital Santa Pau. c/Sant Antoni M. Claret, 167, 08025, Barcelona
    • Phone: +34 935 537 918
    • Web: WEB
  SAN-PAU
Order request

Description

This Unit is located in the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, in Barcelona, and is coordinated by Dr. Ramón Mangues, PI of the Oncogenesis and Antitumor Drug Group. The main objective of the Nanotoxicology Unit is to assess the toxicity of new drugs, nanoparticles or nanotechnology-based biomaterials in in vitro and in vivo systems, with the goal of optimizing lead compounds and identifying those with the highest probability of success in the preclinical programme due to their greater safety and tolerability or reduced toxicity. The Unit has rooms equipped for cell culture, for cryopreservation of samples and cell lines, and for sample preparation and analysis and animal facilities for in vivo experimentation.

Equipment: The Unit has access to flow cytometers, sorters, confocal microscope and other equipment of the Platforms available at the Hospital Research Institute as well as housing facilities for small rodents (rat and mouse).

Active projects

TitleFundin: OrganismCall: Funding source Role
ICTS-2017-10-CIBER-2Acquisition and istallation of infrastrucuture to complemntUnis 3-Synthesis of Peptides, U18-Nanotoxicology y U20-In vivoExperimentMinisterio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO)Programa Operativo FEDER de Crecimiento Inteligente 2014-2020 (POCInt)Coordinator
SAF2017-90810-REDIStrategic Promotion and coordinated management of Nanbiosis: Pronanbiosis IIAgencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)Acciones de dinamización «REDES DE EXCELENCIA» -ICTS 2017Coordinator

Other projects

RefTitleFunding OrganismUnit Role
PI15/00378Intelligent nanoconjugates for targeted therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIWorking package
PIE15/00028Targeted nanocongugates for the selective elimination of stem cells in disseminated cancerInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIWorking package
PI15/00272Design of intelligent nanoconjugates for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIParticipant
CP15/00163Maria Virtudes Céspedes Navarro Contracts Miguel Servet Type IInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIWorking package
CD14/00055Contract SARA BORRELLInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIWorking package
Marato 416/C/2030TV32013-132031Genotoxic nanoparticles targeting colorectal cancer stem cellsMarato TV3Participant

Publications

2016

  • Cespedes M.V., Guillen M.J., Lopez-Casas P.P., Sarno F., Gallardo A., Alamo P. et al. Lurbinectedin induces depletion of tumor-associated macrophages, an essential component of its in vivo synergism with gem;citabine, in pancreatic adenocarcinoma mouse models. DMM Disease Models and Mechanisms. 2016;9(12):1461-1471.
  • Rueda F., Cespedes M.V., Sanchez-Chardi A., Seras-Franzoso J., Pesarrodona M., Ferrer-Miralles N. et al. Structural and functional features of self-assembling protein nanoparticles produced in endotoxin-free Escherichia coli. Microbial Cell Factories. 2016;15(1):-.
  • Céspedes MV, Unzueta U, Álamo P, Gallardo A, Sala R, Casanova I et al. Cancer-specific uptake of a liganded protein nanocarrier targeting aggressive CXCR4+ colorectal cancer models.Nanomedicine : nanotechnology, biology, and medicine. 2016;12(7):-.
  • Cespedes M.V., Fernandez Y., Unzueta U., Mendoza R., Seras-Franzoso J., Sanchez-Chardi A. et al. Bacterial mimetics of endocrine secretory granules as immobilized in vivo depots for functional protein drugs. Scientific Reports. 2016;6:-.
  • Vazquez E., Mangues R., Villaverde A.. Functional recruitment for drug delivery through protein-based nanotechnologies. Nanomedicine. 2016;11(11):1333-1336.
  • Serna N., Cespedes M.V., Saccardo P., Xu Z., Unzueta U., Alamo P. et al. Rational engineering of single-chain polypeptides into protein-only, BBB-targeted nanoparticles. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine. 2016;12(5):1241-1251.
  • Cano-Garrido O, Céspedes MV, Unzueta U, Saccardo P, Roldán M, Sánchez-Chardi A et al. CXCR4(+)-targeted protein nanoparticles produced in the food-grade bacterium Lactococcus lactis.Nanomedicine (London, England). 2016;11(18):-.
  • Rueda F., Gasser B., Sanchez-Chardi A., Roldan M., Villegas S., Puxbaum V. et al. Functional inclusion bodies produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Microbial Cell Factories. 2016;15(1):-.
  • Pesarrodona M., Fernandez Y., Foradada L., Sanchez-Chardi A., Conchillo-Sole O., Unzueta U. et al. Conformational and functional variants of CD44-targeted protein nanoparticles bio-produced in bacteria. Biofabrication. 2016;8(2):-.

News U18

15 Apr

NANBIOSIS contributes to innovative protein granules for new biomedical applications

Researchers from NANBIOSIS co-author a new study showcasing an innovative approach to protein-based biomaterials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine. Barcelona, april 2025. A recent publication in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules highlights the cutting-edge work of scientists from Unit 1 (Protein Production Platform, PPP) and Unit 18 (Nanotoxicology Unit) of NANBIOSIS, under the leadership of Prof. Antonio Villaverde and Prof. Ramón Mangues, respectively. The study, entitled “Surpassing protein specificity in biomimetics of bacterial amyloids” (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139635), explores the development of artificial protein granules with promising applications in biomedicine. A Novel Approach to Biomimetic Materials The research introduces a[...]

31 Mar

Breakthrough Nanotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: Innovative Research Involving NANBIOSIS

Breakthrough nanotherapy targets MSS colorectal cancer, inducing pyroptosis and immune activation. NANBIOSIS Units 1 and Unit 18 played a key role. Barcelona, march 2024. For this World Colorectal Cancer Day, researchers from Dr. Mangues’ group (CB06/01/1031), in which NANBIOSIS Unit 18 is integrated, have published just last month a groundbreaking study on a novel targeted nanotherapy for colorectal cancer. Conducted in collaboration with three CIBER research groups across two thematic areas (BBN and ER), this research highlights the potential of CXCR4-targeted nanotoxic therapy to combat microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer, a subtype known for its resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors[...]

04 Apr

Protein-only Materials offer a new hope in colorectal cancer treatment

Breakthrough colorectal cancer treatment unveiled by NANBIOSIS Units promises enhanced precision & efficacy in targeted cancer therapies. March 2024, UAB/Institut de Recerca Sant Pau/CIBER-BBN (Barcelona) As we leave World Colorectal Cancer Day 2024 behind, marked on March 31st, there have been significant highlights in cancer treatment, a field in which targeted therapies are playing a crucial role. In this context, researchers from the Nanobiotechnology team, at the Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, led by Prof. Antonio Villaverde, in collaboration with the Oncogenesis and Antitumor Drugs team led by Prof. Ramón Mangues at Institut d[...]

05 Mar

New immunization research for SARS-CoV-2 with the collaboration of NANBIOSIS

This novel immunization platform, recently published in ACS, triggers potent antivirus response, promising efficient and cost-effective vaccination. March 2024, UAB/Vall d’Hebron Research Institute/CIBER-BBN (Barcelona) The battle against infectious diseases demands innovative solutions. The world is especially aware of this fact after facing threats such as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In a very recent publication in ACS Materials Letters, researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and Hospital de Sant Pau, both within the CIBER-BBN, have achieved a significant milestone in vaccine development. Their study, conducted in partnership with international teams as well as NANBIOSIS, has introduced a novel immunization approac[...]

06 Feb

‘Magic Bullets’ Against Cancer: Unveiling the Potential of DNA Nanoparticles

DNA nanoparticles to selectively target tumor tissues through precise control of the synergies between transported drugs. February 2024, IQAC-CSIC/CIBER-BBN, Barcelona. The team led by Drs. Carme Fàbrega and Ramón Eritja, in close collaboration with 3 units of the NANBIOSIS ICTS, has developed a new strategy to improve the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of anticancer drugs. They have chemically linked several cytotoxic drugs, currently used in the treatment of various types of tumors, to DNA nanostructures. These structures selectively target cancerous tissues through folate receptors. This tactic allows precise control of drug concentration and exploits their combined effect. The results[...]

20 Dec

Good News! Protein Nanoparticles with a New Ligand Select and Destroy Tumor-associated Fibroblasts”

With the participation of two units of NANBIOSIS ICTS and the expertise of the scientists managing these units The study, fruit of the collaboration between the Nanotechnology group of the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB-UAB), led by Prof. Antonio Villaverde, and the Oncogenesis and Antitumor Drugs group of the Sant Pau Research Institute, led by Dr. Ramon Mangues, both members of CIBER-BBN, has made significant progress by identifying the natural ligand PDGFD as an effective tool to target protein nanoparticles to tumor-associated fibroblasts that overexpress the PDGFR-β receptor. Given the relevance of the discovery, this technology has been intellectually[...]

08 Nov

Impactful research with NANBIOSIS participation in the Poster Tour of CIBER-BBN & CIBEREHD Annual Conference.

2023 CIBER-BBN Annual meeting has taken place at Santemar Hotel, in Santander during November 6-7. This year the format of our annual conferences has been changed towards a collective event scheme between the CIBER-BBN and CIBEREHD thematic areas. On Monday 6 the scientific sessions werecommon for EHD and BBN, with appealing contents for the mixed audience. On Tuesday 7 EHD and BBN sessions will specific for each area in separate rooms (with common coffee break). Posters of both areas were on display in the exhibit hall throughout the entirety of the Annual Meeting. Moreover, at the “Posters & beers” session (Monday[...]

28 Sep

Nanoligent raised €2.8 M and completed Seed round financing with support of i&i Biotech Fund

September 27th 2022 – Nanoligent SL, a Spanish biotech company specialized in the development of cancer treatments based on unique protein conjugates, today announces the completion of a Seed financing round of total € 2.8 M. The final closing of the Seed round consists of € 1 M investment by i&i Biotech Fund I (i&i Bio), an early-stage Life Science fund with teams in Luxemburg and Prague which is backed by the European Investment Fund. i&i Bio joined previous Nanoligent investors, Italian Angels for Growth, the largest network of business angels in Italy, and AVANTECA Partners, a Swiss privately held[...]

U18-Nanotoxicology Unit
Read More

U20. Functional Validation & Preclinical Research (FVPR)

Ciber bbn

U20. Functional Validation & Preclinical Research (FVPR)

U20. logo FVPP CIBBIM-Nanomedicina Vall d'HebronVall d´Hebrón_U20,U18

Order request

Description

Located at the Valld’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) in Barcelona, U20 In vivo Experimental Platform has three different sections, a Molecular Imaging section for in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro imaging studies (fluorescence, bioluminescence and X-rays), a preclinical animal model section and a preclinical histology section. All three sections are included within the Functional Validation & Preclinical Research (FVPR) of CIBBIM-Nanomedicine.

This unit is led by Dr. Ibane Abasolo (Head of FVPR). Its mission is to offer products and services for the preclinical proof-of-concept validation of therapeutic compounds and biomarkers with potential clinical applications. One of the distinguishing features of this unit is that basic preclinical studies including toxicology, histopathology and efficacy treatments are complemented with non-invasive optical imaging technologies. In vivo bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging allows monitoring of living mice longitudinally, offering real time insight into treatment efficacy, whole-body biodistribution and target mechanisms. Although in Spain there are other institutions with similar equipment, this is the only case in which imaging services can be combined with specifically devoted animal models.

U20. Services & Rates

Active projects

Title Fundin: Organism Call: Funding source Role
ICTS-2017-10-CIBER-2 Acquisition and istallation of infrastrucuture to complemnt Unis 3-Synthesis of Peptides, U18-Nanotoxicology y U20-In vivo Experiment Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) Programa Operativo FEDER de Crecimiento Inteligente 2014-2020 (POCInt) Coordinator
GA: 720942 SMART FUNCTIONAL GLA-NANOFORMULATION FOR FABRY DISEASE – Smart-4-Fabry Unión Europea (Comisión Europea) H2020-NMBP-2016-2017 Coordinator
SAF2017-90810-REDI Strategic Promotion and coordinated
management of Nanbiosis: Pronanbiosis II
Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) Acciones de dinamización «REDES DE EXCELENCIA»
-ICTS 2017
Coordinator

Other projects

Ref Title Funding Organism Unit Role
RTC-2014-2207-1 TERARMET: Development of therapies for the treatment of rare congenital metabolic diseases MINECO Participant

Publications

2016

  • Giannotti M.I., Abasolo I., Oliva M., Andrade F., Garcia-Aranda N., Melgarejo M. et al. Highly Versatile Polyelectrolyte Complexes for Improving the Enzyme Replacement Therapy of Lysosomal Storage Disorders. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 2016;8(39):25741-25752.
  • Pesarrodona M., Fernandez Y., Foradada L., Sanchez-Chardi A., Conchillo-Sole O., Unzueta U. et al. Conformational and functional variants of CD44-targeted protein nanoparticles bio-produced in bacteria. Biofabrication. 2016;8(2):-.
  • Cabrera I., Abasolo I., Corchero J.L., Elizondo E., Gil P.R., Moreno E. et al. α-Galactosidase-A Loaded-Nanoliposomes with Enhanced Enzymatic Activity and Intracellular Penetration. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2016;5(7):829-840.
  • Cespedes M.V., Fernandez Y., Unzueta U., Mendoza R., Seras-Franzoso J., Sanchez-Chardi A. et al. Bacterial mimetics of endocrine secretory granules as immobilized in vivo depots for functional protein drugs. Scientific Reports. 2016;6:-.

News U20

04 Feb

New Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: Hyperthermic Therapy with Magnetic Nanoparticles

Vall d’Hebron develops magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia to enhance pancreatic cancer treatment, now advancing to clinical trials. Barcelona, january 2025. A clinical trial targeting patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer has been approved following a study led by the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). A preclinical study led by the Clinical Biochemistry, Drug Targeting, and Therapy (CB-DDT) group at Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), which Unit 20 of NANBIOSIS is integrated, has proposed the use of magnetic nanoparticles and hyperthermia to enhance the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The goal is to penetrate the desmoplastic stroma—the dense tissue surrounding these tumors—which acts[...]

29 Jan

A Breakthrough Therapy for Fabry Disease: nanoGLA Demonstrates Promising Results

Fabry disease therapy nanoGLA, developed by NANBIOSIS and our partners, shows superior efficacy in preclinical trials, targeting systemic and brain symptoms. Barcelona, january 2025. An international research team led by the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) and CIBER-BBN, in collaboration with the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), has developed a groundbreaking nanotechnology-based therapy called nanoGLA for the treatment of Fabry disease. The innovative solution has shown remarkable efficacy in preclinical studies and has been published in the open-access journal Science Advances (see below for reference links). What is Fabry disease? Fabry disease is a rare genetic[...]

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[...]

09 Oct

Nanotechnology to slow down the growth of glioblastomas

Directors of Unit 20 and Unit 3, Ibane Abasolo and Miriam Royo, show us the ReachGlio project, which uses nanomedicines to slow glioblastoma growth by targeting tumors in the brain, improving drug delivery through nanoparticles. Barcelona, october 2024. Each year, on October 9th, Nanotechnology Day is celebrated, a discipline dedicated to understanding and utilizing matter at a nanometric scale for purposes such as industrial or medical applications. Nanotechnology plays a fundamental role in many research lines developed at the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC) and the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). “Our goal is to propose one or more clinical trials in[...]

16 May

Temperature-sensitive hydrogels: A pioneering therapeutic approach for ovarian cancer

A new project with the participation of NANBIOSIS Unit 20 pioneers thermosensitive hydrogels for localized ovarian cancer treatment, minimizing side effects and enhancing efficacy. May 2024, VHIR/FVPR/CIBER-BBN (Barcelona). As the world recently commemorated Ovarian Cancer Day, from NANBIOSIS we proudly highlight the groundbreaking work of our collaborators in the fight against this deadly disease. Ovarian cancer stands as the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with Europe bearing the brunt of its impact, recording over 44,000 fatalities annually. In a bid to revolutionize treatment paradigms and enhance patient outcomes, researchers at the Clinical Biochemistry, Drug Delivery and Therapy (CB-DDT) Group,[...]

01 Mar

Reaching for the unreachable: New efforts to treat Lysosomal Storage Diseases

NANBIOSIS researchers pioneer novel treatments for Lysosomal Storage Diseases utilizing extracellular vesicles and liposomes, offering hope to patients. 1 March 2024, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute/ICMAB-CSIC (Barcelona) Lysosomal Storage Diseases (LSDs) encompass a group of rare disorders caused by mutations in lysosomal proteins. These mutations can lead to dysfunctional proteins responsible for breaking down cellular materials, resulting in the accumulation of deposits. Such accumulations can manifest in various neurological symptoms, ranging from progressive neurodegeneration to severe cognitive impairment. Often emerging in childhood, LSDs tragically culminate in premature death for many patients. Currently, up to 14 subtypes of LSDs can be treated[...]

27 Feb

New upcoming events: The active role of NANBIOSIS in awareness of rare diseases

For Rare Disease Day, we raise awareness through 2 events: 1 in Barcelona (Feb 28) & another in Madrid (Feb 29). Collaboration & research in focus. 28-29 February 2024, Rare Disease Day 2024 NANBIOSIS is actively involved in promoting awareness and understanding of rare diseases, Due to their lower incidence, these conditions are often face neglect in medical research and industrial treatment. To spotlight this crucial issue, NANBIOSIS is pleased to announce its participation in two significant events coinciding with Rare Disease Day celebrations. These events will address various aspects of rare and minority diseases research and treatment. Event 1:[...]

12 Feb

Polymeric Micelles Delivering Hope: A Revolutionary Strategy to Fight Cancer

NANBIOSIS researchers reach intracellular targets with encapsulated antibodies. February 2024, IQAC-CSIC/CIBER-BBN, Barcelona (Spain) and Santiago (Chile) Dr. Abasolo and her team have developed an innovative strategy to combat intracellular oncogenes, notably KRAS, implicated in various deadly cancers. By encapsulating therapeutic antibodies within polymeric micelles, they have successfully facilitated the entry of these antibodies into cancer cells, targeting internal markers. This breakthrough, achieved through international collaboration, represents a significant advancement in cancer treatment and holds promise for addressing other diseases with intracellular targets. These findings provide hope for improved therapies and outcomes in cancer and beyond. Every individual is said to[...]

U20-In Vivo Experimental Unit
Read More