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1st Open call 2023 for preferential access to the ICTS NANBIOSIS

NANBIOSIS opens in February the 1st competitive open call 2023 for its “Cutting-Edge Biomedical Solutions” and services.

NANBIOSIS is a Research Infrastructure for Biomedicine made up of the Platforms of the Center for Centro de Ivesntigación Biomedica en Red (CIBER- in the area of Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine -CIBER-BBN), the Preclinical Infrastructure and the Development of Minimally Invasive Technologies, of the Jesús Usón Minimally Invasive Surgery Center (CCMIJU) and the Nanoimaging unit of the Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga-Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA-BIONAND Platform).

NANBIOSIS as part of the Spanish Map of ICTS (an acronym for “Scientific and Technical Unique Infrastructures” in Spanish), approved by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, is open to all interested national and international users who may come either from the public or the private sector, and who can apply for access under the “Competitive Open Access” or “Access on Demand” modalities.

The 20% of the NANBIOSIS Units’ capacity will be granted on the Competitive Open Access modality and will be prioritized according to criteria of scientific and technical quality and singularity of the proposals.

There will be 2 calls per year for open and competitive access that will allow the prioritisation of the best service proposals. Here you have the details of the first call: https://www.nanbiosis.es/call/

The call will open on February 1 and applications can be submitted throughout the whole month (due date February 28th). Access application forms submitted after that date will be processed as “access on demand” applications.

Proposals granted in the open and competitive access modality must meet, at least, one of the circumstances listed in the access application form (“order request“), in order to demmonstrate their scientifc and technical quality or singularity.

Thus, for example, applications related to R&D projects funded through national or European calls are eligible, as well as the need to carry out one of the NANBIOSIS “Cutting-Edge Biomedical Solutions” that implies the interaction of several Units, among others.

NANBIOSIS Cutting-edge Biomedical Solutions
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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 “Biomaterial Processing and Nanostructuring Unit” of CIBER-BBN at ICMAB-CSIC.

Tissue Engineering and cell adhesion

Tissue engineering pursues the development of functional and easy biological substitutes that allow restoring damaged organ or tissue or maintaining their normal function. The newer approach is the combination of appropriate cells and growth factors with a scaffold that supports the tissue or organ.

The scaffold is crucial since it must provide the conditions and the environment for the adequate cell regulation (adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation), as well as the adequate delivery of bioactive factors (growth and adhesion), so that cells form the new tissue with its proper structure and function.

Cell adhesion (the interaction of the cells with its surroundings) is an important phenomenon for the development of appropriate scaffolds for tissue engineering, as it can ultimately determine cell fate. Thus, the study of the factors that govern cell adhesion and its optimization is essential.

The tripeptide Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) is the most common peptide responsible for cell adhesion. Although the studies of its surface density and spacing at nanoscale have already shown a significant influence on cell adhesion, the impact of its hierarchical nanostructure is still unexplored.

Quatsomes

Quatsomes are non-liposomal nanovesicles which have been shown to be very homogeneous and stable in different media and which can be easily tuned with a wide range of chemical functionalities.

The Nanomol Group (from CIBER-BBN and ICMAB-CSIC) has been working during the last years with these nanoparticles showing their suitability for applications in nanomedicine, (as nanocarriers and nanocontainers to encapsulate drugs and protein cargoes, or as fluorescent dyes for therapy and diagnostics). This expertise led the researcher to explore the integration of quatsomes with relevant molecules and their use once anchored to a surface.

RGD Nanoarchitecnonics

Nanoarchitectonics is a novel concept that refers to multicomponent systems organized through the supramolecular union of nanometer structures where the main players are not the individual nanoparticles but their interactions, giving rise to new functionalities.

The team of researchers developed a versatile platform based on quatsomes as an effective nanoscopic building block to achieve hierarchical nanostructures of the RGD peptide which were further anchored to gold substrate. In comparison with substrates featuring a homogeneous distribution of RGD peptides, the resulting hierarchical nanoarchitectonic surfaces dramatically enhanced cell adhesion.

These findings open many possible pathways for the understanding of cell behaviour and improve the performance of clinical applications like implants and tissue engineering.

Article of reference:

Marc Martínez-Miguel, Miquel Castellote-Borrell, Mariana Köber, Adriana R. Kyvik, Judit Tomsen-Melero, Guillem Vargas-Nadal, Jose Muñoz, Daniel Pulido, Edgar Cristóbal-Lecina, Solène Passemard, Miriam Royo, Marta Mas-Torrent, Jaume Veciana, Marina I. Giannotti, Judith Guasch, Nora Ventosa, and Imma Ratera. “Hierarchical Quatsome-RGD Nanoarchitectonic Surfaces for Enhanced Integrin-Mediated Cell Adhesion” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2022, 14, 42, 48179–48193 Publication Date:October 17, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c10497

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New Time-Lapse Incubator for assisted reproduction research

The ICTS NANBIOSIS has expanded its capabilities with the installation and commissioning of a new equipment Time-Lapse Incubator in the CCMIJU’s Assisted Reproduction Lab.

The acquisition of the Time-Lapse Incubator is part of the project “Embryonic Genetics in Assisted Reproduction” (GENERA), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the framework of Spain’s Plurirregional Operational Program for Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS) 2014 -2020 and by Consejería de Economía, Ciencia y Agenda Cultural of  Junta de Extremadura.

The objective of GENERA includes the purchase of lab equipment to expand services in the field of embryonic genetics as well as creating, editing and making traceability of embryos with high genetic value.

The first lab equipment acquired is the EPPENDORF PiezoXpert Piezoelectric-assisted micromanipulator that supports the creation and possible embryo editing, allowing easy penetration into cells for subsequent microinjection or micromanipulation.

The second one is the Time-Lapse Incubator that enables observation of embryos for accurate assessments and minimizing embryo culture stress.

The purchase of this lab equipment will offer the possibility of developing next-generation embryos, being able to face specific studies of the highest reproductive level and offering studies demanded by companies in the sector.

The project has an eligible budget of €98,000, of which the ERDF co-financing rate (80%) amounts to 78,400 and the national contribution to €21,600. It is expected to be completed in June 2023.

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New European Project NABIHEAL in biomaterials for complex wound healing

The Horizon Europe project NABIHEAL, coordinated by the Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), was launched on 11-12 January 2023 in Barcelona with the first meeting of the international consortium, formed by 14 partners from 7 countries, including research centers, universities, and private companies. 

This project will apply one the “Cutting Edge Biomedical Solutions” of NANBIOSIS for the preparation of different nanoestructures with antimicrobial properties, required for the development of the final multifunctional wound healing biomaterials. This case will gather the expertise of two NANBIOSIS unit: NANBIOSIS U6 will produce and characterize these nanoestructures with antimicrobial properties, which will be tested in NANBIOSIS U16.

NABIHEAL stands for “Antimicrobial Nanostructured Biomaterials for Complex Wound Healing” and is funded under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme with a total budget of nearly 5 million euros over four years. NABIHEAL aims at solving two unmet medical needs in complex wound healing: on the one hand, affordable treatments for wound infections and prevention of complications during wound healing, and on the other, a strategy to optimize the composition and efficacy of wound dressings.

The kickoff meeting, held at the CSIC Researcher’s Residence in Barcelona, was opened by the project coordinator, Nora Ventosa, from CIBER and ICMAB-CSIC, and by institutional and political representatives, including Riccardo Rurali, Vice-Director of ICMAB-CSIC; Ramon Martínez Mañez, Scientific Director of CIBER-BBN; Jordi Aguasca, Director of Technological Transformation and Disruption Unit, ACCIÓ; and Xavier Aldeguer, General Director of Society of Knowledge, Transfer & Territory of the Catalan Government. The meeting provided the opportunity to interact in person with all the consortium partners and establish the first collaborative activities to ensure timely delivery of the project milestones.

Complex wound healing as a global health problem

The NABIHEAL project will advance on the synthesis of advanced nanostructured biomaterials as an alternative to the commonly used silver-based materials. “The project will work to produce multifunctional materials for the treatment of complex wound healing, which has become a global health problem. For example, in developed countries, it affects the quality of life of more than 2% of the total population,” affirms Nora Ventosa, coordinator of the project.

Complex wounds, such as chronic wounds, are highly susceptible to microbial infection and biofilm formation, and thus difficult to treat. The most common antimicrobial products to treat these infections are based on silver. However, they have several economic, environmental and safety drawbacks. The biomaterials developed within the NABIHEAL project will offer a safer, more sustainable and more cost-effective alternative.

The project aims to obtain innovative multifunctional wound healing biomaterials using affordable EU-based manufacturing technologies. In the long term, NABIHEAL could become a game-changing alternative to silver in wound healing dressings.

An International Consortium

The goals of the project will be tackled by an interdisciplinary consortium from 7 countries, combining expertise in different areas, such as synthesis and characterization of biomaterials, biocompatibility and safety, regulatory aspects and ethics, or wound healing product development and scale-up. “We are excited to launch this project, in which 8 academic institutions and 6 private companies will join forces to face the challenging problem of complex wound treatment,” adds Prof. Ventosa.  

In addition to the Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB), as coordinator, the international consortium is formed by the following centers and companies: from Spain, the Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) at the University of Extremadura and the University of Cantabria, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Nanomol Technologies S.L. (NT), Bioiberica S.A.U (BIO), Histocell S.L (HCELL), the University of Granada (UGR), and Asphalion (ASPH); from Germany, MyBiotech GmbH (MyB) and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin (CH); from Croatia, the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health (IMI); from Denmark, the Aarhus University (AU); from Israel, the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (IT); from Austria, BioNanoNet Forschungsgesellschaft mbH (BNN); and from Slovenia, the University of Maribor (UM).

More information:

Prof. Nora Ventosa, Project Coordinator, CIBER, ICMAB-CSIC ventosa@icmab.es

Caitlin Ahern, Communication, BioNanoNet caitlin.ahern@bnn.at

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“Preparation and characterization of SOFT Materials” Technical Seminar

Amable Bernabé, Tecnical Coordinator of NANBIOSIS U6: Biomaterial Processing and Nanostructuring Unit of CIBER-BBN and ICMAB-CSIC is giving a seminar on Preparation and Characterization of SOFT Materials.

The seminar will tame place on Monday, 28 November 2020, at 12 PM at ICMAB in the Carles Miravitlles Seminar Hall,

” I will make a brief explanation about the equipment for the characterisation of particulate materials, type of samples that can be analysed, reports, etc… I will also talk about the equipment for processing materials with C” -explains Amable Bernabé.

 Amable Bernabé joined the ICMAB-CSIC in 2004 as a research assistant working at the Spectroscopic Service. Two years after, in 2006, he was promoted to technical coordinator of the CIBER-BBN and ICMAB-CSIC research group Nanomol , and in 2008, he started as the technical manager of the Soft Materials characterization lab. Since 2009, he was appointed a permanent research technician at CSIC. Since the creation of the NANBIOSIS and its aproval as ICTS (Scientific and Tecnical Unique Infraestructure by the Spanish Government, Amable is the Tecnical Coordinator of the unit 6 of NANBIOSIS. His research interest is focused on the study and characterization of the physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials, particularly on particle size and shape, particle concentration, Z-Potential and stability studies.

Description of the SOFT Service: The SOFT Materials Service is scientific and technical service of the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (CSIC) and the Unit 6 of the ICTS-NANBIOSIS. The mission of this facility is the large-scale production and characterization of molecular biomaterials of therapeutic or biomedical interest, with controlled micro-, nano- and supramolecular structure. This unit is composed of the equipment and the experienced personnel to develop and apply efficient, robust and green technologies based on the use of supercritical fluids, such as compressed CO2

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Three articles acknoledging NANBIOSIS contribution awarded at the Bioaraba Research and Innovation Conference

Researchers of NANBIOSIS U10 “Drug Formulation” – NanoBiocel research group from CIBER-BBN and UPV/EHU receives 3 awards in the category of Best International Articles at the annual Bioaraba Research and Innovation Conference.

On 4 November, the Bioaraba Health Research Institute held its XXIII Research and Innovation Conference in Vitoria. This important annual forum held in the city brings together professionals from the health system of Alava, the Rioja region of Alava, the Mental Health Network of Alava, the University of the Basque Country and also professionals from companies in R&D&I in health.

On this occasion, the NanoBioCel research group of the CIBER BBN and the ICTS Nanbiosis through the U10 Drug Formulation, won the 3 prizes in the category of Research and Innovation in the category of Best International Article. The first prize went to the article: Mesenchymal stromal cells encapsulated in licensing hydrogels exert delocalized systemic protection against ulcerative colitis via subcutaneous xenotransplantation. Written by Ainhoa Gonzalez-Pujana, Ana Beloqui, José Javier Aguirre, Manoli Igartua, Edorta Santos-Vizcaino, Rosa Maria Hernandez, published in the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics in 2022. The second prize went to the article Nanodiamond Integration into Niosomes as an Emerging and Efficient Gene Therapy Nanoplatform for Central Nervous System Diseases whose authors are: Nuseibah AL Qtaish, Idoia Gallego, Alejandro J. Paredes,Ilia Villate, Cristina Soto-Sánchez, Gema Martínez, Myriam Sainz-Ramos, Tania B. López, Eduardo Fernández, Gustavo Puras, José Luis Pedraz. And the third prize went to the review: Cell microencapsulation technologies for sustained drug delivery: Latest advancesin efficacy and biosafety whose authors are: Tania B. López, Edorta Santos, José Luis Pedraz, Gorka Orive, Rosa María Hernández.

Articles of refernce:

Ainhoa Gonzalez-Pujana, Ana Beloqui, José Javier Aguirre, Manoli Igartua, Edorta Santos-Vizcaino, Rosa Maria Hernandez, “Mesenchymal stromal cells encapsulated in licensing hydrogels exert delocalized systemic protection against ulcerative colitis via subcutaneous xenotransplantation“, European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Volume 172,
2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpb.2022.01.007

Nuseibah AL Qtaish, Idoia Gallego, Alejandro J. Paredes, Ilia Villate-Beitia, Cristina Soto-Sánchez, Gema Martínez-Navarrete, Myriam Sainz-Ramos, Tania B. Lopez-Mendez, Eduardo Fernández, Gustavo Puras, José Luis Pedraz. “Nanodiamond Integration into Niosomes as an Emerging and Efficient Gene Therapy Nanoplatform for Central Nervous System Diseases” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2022, 14, 11, 13665–13677 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c02182

Tania B. Lopez-Mendez, Edorta Santos-Vizcaino, Jose Luis Pedraz, Gorka Orive, Rosa Maria Hernandez, “Cell microencapsulation technologies for sustained drug delivery: Latest advances in efficacy and biosafety,
Journal of Controlled Release”, Journal of Controlled Release, Volume 335, 10 July 2021, Pages 619-636 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.06.006


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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 factory with an infinite number of chemical processes taking place on a perfect and synchronized manner”- points Pilar Marco, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U2 Custom Antibody Service (CAbS) from CIBER-BBN at IQAC-CSIC.

The crucial role of chemistry in everyday life is also evidence in the development of current technology and the economy. According the VCI Prognos Study, the Global growth forecast for Industrial Sectors, places the chemical industry in the fist position. As far as national picture, the INE Statistics on R+D Activities 2020 -last publish report-, chemical and pharmaceutical industry employs the 22,2 % of research staff recruited and the investment and expenditure on the chemical and pharmaceutical industry represents the 23,6% R+D and Innovation -above the motor vehicles industry.

Thanks to chemical and pharmaceutical research,

medicines, vaccines and health products have made great strides in fighting diseases and improving quality of life. Thanks to chemical and pharmaceutical medicine research, in few years, it will be possible, for example, to count on smart implants delivering personalised drugs only where cancer or infections are detected or biosensors circulating in our body to find diseases only one week after infection.

At the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia, four NANBIOSIS units of CIBER-BBN use chemistry to deliver new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches that improve the quality of life of the society.

One of the research lines of the Nb4D group-U2 CabS at IQAC-CSIC (led by Pilar Marco and Nuria Pascual) focuses on the chemical signals that bacteria emit to communicate with each other and thus develop virulence mechanisms. Their knowledge will allow the development of new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies to mitigate the serious problem of antimicrobial resistance.

NANBIOSIS U3 Synthesis of Peptides Unit– MS4N group, led by Miriam Royo, explores the use of diverse types of chemical multivalent platforms (oligomers, dendrimers, polymers, micelles and lipid nanovesicles) for the development of drug delivery systems for cancer treatment, protein delivery systems for the treatment of lysosomal diseases and macromolecular compounds that have intrinsically therapeutic properties with application to central nervous system diseases.

Chemistry plays an essential role in helping society achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In 2015 the United Nations created a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. This framework, comprising 17 aspirational goals known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Chemistry is key to achieve the SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being with the development of new technologies that will provide a deeper understaunding of human health, making posible better, cheeper and faster medical diagnosis and treatmens.

In this sense, Carlos Rodriguez Abreu, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS Unit for the characterization of nanostructured liquids (U12) explains: “The goals of sustainable development are producing a shift towards surfactants not based on petroleum derivatives, but derived from other raw materials that are more biocompatible and that allow a circular economy that is less aggressive with the environment. Quality control is necessary with regard to the properties of the products that contain surfactants, such as the droplet size in emulsions, the particle size in suspensions, their colloidal stability over time, among others. Additionally, products must be precisely formulated to optimize the use of raw materials and obtain the desired properties. In this context, the NANBIOSIS U12, acredited with ISO 9001:2015 by AENOR, offers a wide range of advanced analysis techniques for the determination of different colloidal properties such as droplet size and particle size, colloidal stability, viscosity, surface tension, pore size distribution, and determination of phase behavior and structure for the tailor-made formulation of surfactant and colloid systems for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

The Nucleic Acid Chemistry group at IQAC-CSIC – NANBIOSIS U29 Oligonucleotide Synthesis Platform (OSP) is developing new compounds based in DNA and RNA to detect and treat diseases participating in several projects with several research and industrial partners such as La Marato de TV3 (Covid), Oligofastx, Caminan2, Osteoatx. These new drugs use the natural mechanisms for gene regulation to treat undruggable diseases such Muscular dystrophy and others. Importantly special attention is made to design novel synthetic protocols to produce less organic waste what contributes to the sustainable development. 

We wish to all the family of chemistry professionals new projects and inspiration to achive humans Good Health & Well-Being and keep the world moving!

And Happy Chemistry Day, too, for all the chemistry enthusiasts!

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MATERPLAT 2022 General Assembly and Puzzle X

Today, the MATERPLAT 2022 General Assembly has taken place at the DFactory Barcelona facilities, in collaboration with Leitat and Airbus. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the event has been held again 100% face-to-face.

The MATERPLAT Technical Secretariat has presented the activities carried out during this period of the platform (2021 and 2022) and the guidelines that MATERPLAT will follow in the next period 2023-2024.

In addition, Amaya Igartua (EUMAT) has presented the new 2030 Materials Roadmap, developed throughout 2022, coordinated by EUMAT, EMIRI, SUSCHEM Europe and MANUFUTURE, in which NANBIOSIS will continue to participate through its Coordinator, in the direcction of the Health Innovation Group.

David Domingo (Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation) has presented the Puzzle X Ventures initiative, the first venture builder dedicated to creating real solutions in the industry based on frontier materials from universities and research centers, which will be held at Fira Barcelona between on November 15 and 17 in parallel to the Smart City Expo World Congress.

PUZZLE X is the world’s first frontier technology and materials center in Barcelona, as well as the first place of collision of ideas, innovation and solutions for cutting-edge technology of materials towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .

Puzzle X , in collaboration with the Materials Research Society (MRS), have organized a poster contest for PhD students and postdocs. The authors of the three best posters will be awarded the title of “Future Leaders” by MRS in 2023 : https://www.puzzlex.io/2022/future-leader-poster-session

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Researchers of two NANBIOSIS units success in the Third Millennium Awards

Researchers of two NANBIOSIS units success in the Third Millennium Awards: the Young Research Talent award to Julia Ramirez (NANBIOSIS U27) and the Research and Future Award to the NFP group (NANBIOSIS U9)

Last November 8, four initiatives received the highest award in the eighth edition of the HERALDO contest Third Millennium Awards which represent the recognition of the Aragonese community from the youngest to the most consolidated trajectories in knowledge transfer, innovation, and scientific dissemination.

The Paraninfo of the University of Zaragoza hosted this event in which researchers CIBER-BBN – NANBIOSIS were recognised this year:

The Films and Nanostructured Particles (NFP) group of INMA and CIBER-BBN, directed by Jesús Santamaría and coordinating NANBIOSIS U9 “Synthesis of Nanoparticles Unit“, was recognised with the Research and Future Award: Manufacturing drugs inside tumors.

Julia Ramírez, from the BSiCoS group of the I3A and CIBER-BBN, coordinator of unit 27 “High Performance Computing Unit” of NANBIOSIS, received the “Young Research Talent” award for her work in the biomedical signal processing.

The Third Millennium Awards’ objective is to recognize the work of people, research centers and groups, institutions and companies in Aragon in three main axes:

Innovation:  Technological Innovation Award

Divulgation:  Best Science and Technology Dissemination Initiative

Research:

– Young Research Talent Awards

– Transfer of Science and University to Business Award

– Research and future award

Julia Ramirez

During her doctorate at Unizar (2017), she developed a methodology to quantify morphological variations in the electrocardiogram (ECG). This quantification led to the T-wave morphology restoration (TMR) index, which was shown to be a stronger predictor of sudden cardiac death than standard clinical indices.

After her doctorate, she moved to work at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in London. This was a key point in her research career because she broadened her knowledge in engineering, gaining experience in genetics and bioinformatics. During those years, she obtained two highly competitive European Postdoctoral Fellowships: a WHRI-Academy Cofund (2017) and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie (2018). In recognition of her work, in April 2020, QMUL promoted her to Lecturer in Genetics and Cardiovascular Data Science.

Since January of this year, Julia Ramírez has been back in Zaragoza thanks to a María Zambrano International Talent Attraction Scholarship, giving up the highly competitive Category 2 Talent Attraction of the Community of Madrid, which she had also been awarded. In total, the researcher from Zaragoza has contributed to her field of research with 32 peer-reviewed publications in different disciplines, including bioengineering, cardiology and genetics (13 of her as first author).

In her speech recognized “being in a happy moment”, for being back in Zaragoza, “being away is not always easy” and also for collecting an award for her work that always motivates her to continue forward in a career as the researcher, long and complicated.

The Films and Nanostructured Particles (NFP) group:

«This initiative is the work of many people. It has been a fantastic trip”, said Jesús Santamaría, Principal researcher of the NFP Group

The NFP of the Group was created in 2007 by researchers from different backgrounds, with the aim of concentrating efforts in the development and application of nanostructured materials with an emphasis on nanoparticles, nanoporous interfaces and hybrid systems. Its members have made pioneering developments in the synthesis of nanomaterials and their application in fields ranging from medicine to energy and the environment.

The award recognised the group’s work in the cancer research throughout the project CADENCE (Catalytic Dual-Function Devices Against Cancer), that aims to find a new way to fight this disease, avoiding the problems associated with conventional chemotherapy and its devastating side effects. Three fundamental problems had to be solved. First, developing suitable catalysts (catalytic nanoparticles) capable of operating inside a tumour and manufacturing toxic molecules there. Alternatively, nanoparticles can operate in other ways (by heating remotely) and also produce tumour death. It is also necessary to selectively deliver these catalysts to the tumour, avoiding their accumulation in other organs. Finally, these catalysts must be selectively activated inside the tumour. The answers obtained to each of these problems have opened new paths in the fight against cancer: Catalysts capable of manufacturing toxic substances from within the tumour are used, minimising their diffusion through the body.

This research was funded for five years through an ERC Advanced Grant project endowed with 2.5 million euros. The ERC Advanced Grants are the most prestigious European projects, awarded by the European Research Council in a highly competitive international competition.

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Applications of data-driven dynamics to oncology and neuromodulation

On the 17th of November, CIBER-BBN group TME lab – NANBIOSIS U13 Tissue & Scaffold Characterization Unit. organises the Conference “Applications of data-driven dynamics to oncology and neuromodulation” by Dr. Michael Ortiz.

Michael Ortiz a Frank and Ora Lee Marble Professor Emeritus of Aronautics and Mechanical Engineering at California Institute of Technology. Prior to his arrival at Caltech in 1995, he was Professor of Engineering at Brown University.

Since 2020 he also holds positions as Research Chair in the Institute of Applied Mathematics, University of Bonn and as Adjunct Professor and Timoshenko Distinguished Fellow in the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics and Astronautics of Stanford University. 

As main awards, he has received the

  • Rodney Hill Prize, International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) 2008.
  • Timoshenko Medal, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2015.
  • Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain, 2019.
  • John von Neumann Medal, US Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM), 2019
  • Elected Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE). 2013
  • Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS). 2007
  • Corresponding Member, Spanish Academy of Engineering. 1999
  • Doctor “Honoris Causa” from the Polytechnique University of Madrid 2019

The event will take place at 12:00 in the Meeting Room of the Betancourt Building in the Campus Rio Ebro, Zaragoza

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