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 supplemental funding for major equipment.
ROMEO was selected among 281 proposals out of 2,534 submissions in the 2024 ERC Advanced Grant competition, under the Horizon Europe programme. The total ERC funding amounted to €721 million, with only 14 grants awarded to Spanish researchers.
Pioneering Strategies to Boost Tumor Nanoparticle Delivery
Despite decades of research, less than 1% of systemically administered nanoparticles reach tumors; up to 95% are sequestered by liver macrophages. The ROMEO project aims to overcome this barrier using:
- Competitive kinetics: designing “decoy” particles that pre‐saturate macrophages, reallocating therapeutic nanoparticles toward tumors.
- Extracellular vesicle (EV) vectors: employing tumor‑derived EVs that naturally home to their tissue of origin as targeted delivery vehicles.
The research will be led at INMA (CSIC‑Unizar) and IIS Aragón with a multidisciplinary team extending across chemistry, materials, and biology, including collaborators from I3A and IQAC‑CSIC in Barcelona.
A stellar record of excellence
The expertise of Prof. Santamaría in nanomaterials is well‑recognized: over 385 publications, 26 patents, leadership in 101 research initiatives (20 European-funded), and supervision of 39 PhD theses. Within the ERC framework, his grant history includes:
- HECTOR (2011, €1.85 M): Microwave‑activated catalytic microreactors.
- CADENCE (2017, €2.45 M): Tumor‑targeted catalytic therapy via in situ activation.
- ROMEO (2025, €3.12 M): Nanostructure and EV–based tumor targeting.
With total ERC Advanced Grant funding exceeding €7.4 million, his sustained success contributes to the University of Zaragoza’s tally of 20 ERC projects (€34.8 M total) since 2009.
NANBIOSIS Unit 9: A key driver in Translational Nanomedicine
As Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS Unit 9 – Synthesis of Nanoparticles, Santamaría oversees an advanced laser‑induced pyrolysis platform producing large quantities of hybrid, biocompatible nanoparticles. This Unit supports automated synthesis, comprehensive physicochemical characterization, and preclinical testing—making it a hub for both academic and industrial R&D in nanomedicine.
Unit 9 (U9) is part of the Nanostructured Films and Particles Group at INMA (CSIC‑Unizar), located at Campus Río Ebro, Zaragoza, with capabilities in microstructural, optical, magnetic, and functional analysis of nanoparticles.
And do not forget that our last Open Call of 2025 is open until June 30. Visit here for more information.
What is NANBIOSIS?
The goal of NANBIOSIS is to provide comprehensive and integrated advanced solutions for companies and research institutions in biomedical applications. All of this is done through a single-entry point, involving the design and production of biomaterials, nanomaterials, and their nanoconjugates. This includes their characterization from physical-chemical, functional, toxicological, and biological perspectives (preclinical validation).
In order to access our Cutting-Edge Biomedical Solutions with priority access, enter our Competitive Call here.
NANBIOSIS has worked with pharmaceutical companies of all sizes in the areas of drug delivery, biomaterials and regenerative medicine. Here are a few of them:
