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Posts by Nanbiosis

High quality antibodies for very challenging projects

Researchers of Nb4D group – Unit 2 of the ICTS NANBIOSIS (led by Pilar Marco, from CIBER-BBN and the IQAC-CSIC) have participated in Expoquimia 2021, the International Chemistry Meeting, which took place from 14 to September 17 at the Fira de Barcelona.

The researchers presented their work in several projects: the FoodSmartPhone project (MSCA-ITN-720325 action), the QS4CF (RTI2018-096278-B-C21), the QS-Motion (TV32018-201825-30-31) and on the PoC4CoV project (PIE-202050E090; PTI Salud Global, CSIC).

Research at the FoodSmartPhone(MSCA-ITN-720325 action) is focus on developing devices for the monitoring of contaminants of interest in food safety through the use of mobile phones. The production of the necessary antibodies for the detection of antibiotics and pesticides has been carried out by NANBIOSIS U2 Custom Antibody Service (CAbS). These are very specific monoclonal antibodies against pesticides, used by researchers Klaudia Kopper and Julian Guercetti to bind them to the functionalized surface and implemented in plasmonic detection sensors for antibiotics in milk and electrochemical biosensors for the detection of pesticides in cereals.

The scientific activity within the QS4CF (RTI2018-096278-B-C21) and QS-Motion (TV32018-201825-30-31) is focused on the Quorum Sensing communication system as an strategy to develop more efficient and specific diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches to diagnose and treat P. aeruginosa and S. aureus infections.

The PoC4CoV project (PTI Salud Global, CSIC) seeks a comprehensive approach to diagnose COVID-19 developing devices to detect genetic material and proteins of the SARS-CoV2 virus, but also the response of the host against the infection. High quality antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins (spike and nucleocapsid) have been produced by CAbS at NANBIOSIS

The camera flash is able to excite the functionalized surface of the chip and generate the specific response to the contaminant. This signal is picked up by the mobile through a Bluetooth connection and quantified.

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The European Researcher’s Night with NANBIOSIS’ scientists.

The European Researchers’s Nigth is a public event dedicated to the dissemination of science that is held every year in more than 300 cities in 30 countries of Europe at the same time, organized on the last Friday and Saturday of September.

This year face-to-face activities are progrmmed in different locations of Catalonian cities and also the “Nit de la Recerca” YouTube channel offers more than 20 noves microxerrades led by researchers from Catalonia.

Two NANBIOSIS’ researchers have joined this event to explain their research:

Julian GuercettiNb4D Group – NANBIOSIS U2 CAbS, from IQAC-CSIC and CIBER-BBN, will give two Face-to-face micro-talks entitled “Tell me who you hang out with and I’ll tell you … what antibodies you have!” and “Small solutions for a big pandemic

Jordi EsquenaNANBIOSIS U12 Nanostructured liquid characterization unit from IQAC-CSIC and CIBER-BBN with “Play as you know? How “kill” the virus

The European Researchers’s Nigth is a project founded by the European Commission (Horizon 2020 project EuNightCat-954506) with the aim of familiarizing the public with the research developed in Europe.

Further information:

ICMAB-CSIC

IQAC-CSIC

MSCA and Citizens page

lanitdelarecerca.cat

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Microfluidic devices: The process of development

The development of microfluidic devices is very significant for in-vitro diagnostic devices, biomarkers and organ-on-a-chip applications.

The techniques, the materials and the equipment used for the fabrication of these devices, are as important as the strategy followed to obtain them. And at the Nanotechnology unit of NANBIOSIS U7– (MicrofabSpace and Microscopy Characterization Facilities of IBEC), we own the tools, the know-how and the expertise to accomplish such a goal. We regularly guide the process of design, in collaboration with the final user, we customize the technology needed to get the product and complete the fabrication of the microfluidic device, drawing up like this, a full plan addressed to the final application.

In this video, detailed explanations are provided of all the steps required for the fabrication of a microfluidic device. We go over the whole process, starting by the design of the device, the fundamentals of the Photo Lithography and Soft Lithography processes, to end up with a functional device ready for experiments.

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European Biosensor Symposium digital seminars, co-organized by Pilar Marco

Pilar Marco, the Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U2 , Custom Antibody Service (CAbS), and leader of the group Nanobiotechnology for Diagnostics (Nb4D) from CIBER-BBN and IQAC-CSIC, coorganises the European Biosensor Symposium digital seminar series.

The aim of these seminar series is to continue with the purpose of the European Biosensor Symposium, held in March 2021, to allow especially juior reseachers to present their research, exchange ideas and built networds.

The seminars are scheduled on the third Tuesday of every month at 18:00 CET, via zoom. Each of the seminars is organized by a host focussing on a specific topic:

  • Interferometric sensors“, hosted Claudia Pacholski, University of Potsdam, 15th June
  • Emerging biosensor technologies“, hosted by Yi Sun, DTU Health Tech, 17th August
  • Raman – Based Biosensors“, hosted by Dana Cialla May, LEibniz Institute of Photonic Tecnology. 21th September
  • Emerging trends in Bioelectronics“, hosted by Larysa Baraban, Helmholtz Center Dresden, 19th October
  • Nanobodies for Biosensing” hosted by J.Pablo Salvador, CIBER-BBN, 16th November
  • Microbial Biosensors” hosted by Galina Pankratova, DTU Health Tech, 21th December

Each seminar with one invited speaker, three graduate student speaker and up to five graduate student poster presenters.

Registration is free writting an e-mail to the corresponding hots of each session.

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Filtered Air Shower for Animal Housing

Cáceres, September 10th, 2021

In the framework of the project “Updating the Infrastructures and implementation of a LIMS document control and management system to enhance the capacities of the Distributed ICTS NANBIOSIS Units managed by the CCMIJU (AILIMS-NANBIOSIS)  a filtered air shower for Animal Housing has been bought with strictly controlled environmental parameters, to prevent possible cross-contamination and the entry of pathogens and viral particles, since during  entry and exit of personnel to this area, contamination by the mentioned particles has been detected, so the air shower is an effective solution to eliminate them and protect the controlled environment.

AILIMS has been co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) within the framework of the Pluriregional Operational Program of Spain (POPE) of Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (ICTS) 2014-2020 and the acquisition of the shower is part of the first action of the following two, financed with FEDER Funds:

-Within Unit 22 or Animal Facility, the Installation and development of an environmental treatment-control system of the housing rooms, an Improvement and adaptation of the spaces for experimental models, the Acquisition, installation and development of a two-door ultra- filtered air shower and the Acquisition, installation and development of a post-procedural recovery chamber.

– For the rest of the NANBIOSIS Units managed by the CCMIJU, Acquisition, installation and development of a LIMS Software.

The actions and their budget are here detailed: (VI) PROJECT REFERENCE: ICTS-2019-14-46), together with the FEDER co-funded rate.

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New leaflets available of new equipment at NANBIOSIS Unit 16

We are delighted to announce the publication of our new brochures which reflects the new equiments and capabilities incorporated to NANBIOSIS U16 Surface Characterization and Calorimetry Unit.

The equipment is available has been incorporated to the Unit thanks to European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) allocated by the Goberment of Spain for the development of ICTSs, specifically through the Project FICTS-1420-14-09.

Further information: NANBIOSIS News

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New strategies with nanoparticles to fight the most aggressive breast cancer

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 20 and 59, and despite the fact that its diagnosis and treatment have improved greatly in recent years, relapses and resistance to treatment leave some young patients without a therapeutic option. .

Tumor stem cells, from which the rest of cancer cells derive and are the cause of the most aggressive cancers, are especially resistant to conventional cancer treatments. In this line, researchers from the CIBER-BBN of the Drug Delivery & Targeting group and NANBIOSIS U20 at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR),, have developed a new therapeutic system where citral, an effective compound against tumor stem cells, is carried in nanoparticles biodegradable.

This study, published in the journal Nanomedicine under the direction of the CIBER-BBN group leader at VHIR Dr. Ibane Abasolo, details the process of incorporation of citral into nanoparticles (Pluronic F127 polymeric micelles), which stabilize the drug and they make it even more effective against tumor stem cells in experimental models of breast cancer. The work has had the technological support of Unit 20 of the singular scientific technical infrastructure (ICTS) Nanbiosis.

According to Marwa M Abu-Serie, an Egyptian researcher who has carried out the work during her stay at the VHIR, “we have verified that the combination of these polymeric citral micelles with paclitaxel, a first-line drug used in chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer is beneficial and could prevent recurrences ”.

Conventional cancer treatments, such as paclitaxel, tend to kill tumor cells that grow faster and not so much tumor stem cells, which grow slowly. The combination of citral micelles with paclitaxel has shown, in cell cultures, that it is capable of acting together both on tumor stem cells and on the rest, avoiding the increase that usually occurs in the proportion of tumor stem cells when treatment it is performed exclusively with cytostatic drugs such as paclitaxel.

The director of this work at the CIBER-BBN, Ibane Abasolo, considers that a hopeful path opens up to “improve the management of the most aggressive breast cancers, by being able to combine standard chemotherapy with nanoformulations”.

Therefore, citral nanoencapsulation allows not only a direct effect on tumor stem cells but also synergism with existing chemotherapeutics, paving the way towards the complete eradication of cancer, although “more studies will be needed to delve into the cellular mechanisms and molecular techniques of such synergy and to further validate the results of cell culture in appropriate animal models ”, considers the researcher.

Article of reference:

Marwa M Abu-Serie, Fernanda Andrade, Patricia Cámara-Sánchez, Joaquín Seras-Franzoso, Diana Rafael, Zamira V Díaz-Riascos, Petra Gener, Ibane Abasolo, Simó Schwartz Jr Pluronic F127 micelles improve the stability and enhance the anticancer stem cell efficacy of citral in breast cancerPMID: 34160295 [DOI]

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Annual CIBER-BBN and NANBIOSIS Conference 2021 – SAVE THE DATE

On 15-16 noviembre 2021 will be hold the annual Conference of CIBER-BBN and NANBIOSIS

CIBER-BBN´s Annual Conference is the most awaited yearly event for our research community to gather and discuss over past year´s achievements as well as to be updated about emerging key technologies. Under this light, this year´s edition includes presentations of internal collaborative projects, three plenary talks given by acknowledged experts in the fields of Biosignal Analysis, Hybrid Nanomaterials and Drug Delivery and a session dedicated to COVID-19 and the most recent advances in the fight against it as for detection, prevention and therapy.

Due to this year´s exceptional circumstances, XIV CIBER-BBN Conference will be held on-line.

Access to broadcasted talks and subsequent debate is free following registration to the event at https://jornadasanuales.ciber-bbn.es

Program and registration

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Characterization of encapsulated porcine cardiosphere-derived cells for cardiac regeneration.

Researchers of NANBIOSIS U10 Drug Formulation unit of CIBER-BBN and UPV/EHU and NANBIOSIS U14 Cell Therapy unit and U24 Medical imaging unit at CCMIJU have participated in a research that proposes the use of encapsulated cardiosphere-derived cells (CDC), obtained from heart tissue, as regenerative cell therapy.

The encapsulation of the cells has been carried out in NANBIOSIS Unit 10, as well as the characterization of the cells (both encapsulated and unencapsulated) for their application in regenerative medicine (cardiac regeneration); and unit 14 of NANBIOSIS has obtained the cell model used for the study “ – Explains Kaoutar Ziani Akrirout, research scientists of CIBER-BBN and NANBIOSIS Unit 10.

These cells are multipotent stem cells, which secrete growth factors capable of promoting revascularization and healing of infarcted tissue. However, the use of this therapy faces a great challenge, which is the survival and retention of these cells after their implantation in the infarcted area, since the heart is a tissue that is constantly contracting and expanding, which leads to the loss of these cells, as they are carried along by the bloodstream.

To solve the low retention of cells, members of the NanoBioCel research team, from the CIBER-BBN and attached to the Bioaraba Health Research Institute (IIS Bioaraba), in collaboration with researchers from the IIS Aragón and the CIBERCV, propose the encapsulation of the CDC of porcine origin within a three-dimensional alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate matrix as a therapy for cardiac regeneration, since, thanks to this, the encapsulated cells will be able to remain adhered to the tissue for longer, giving them time to exercise their function. The final objective will be to verify its efficacy in swine infarction models.

The team has verified that the phenotypic characteristics, the gene expression profile, the ability to differentiate to other cell lines and the release of growth factors from these cells are not altered by the encapsulation process, essential aspects given that their preservation it is essential for cardiac regeneration. In addition, this procedure keeps them viable for a month, which would favor the possible regeneration of the tissue.

On the other hand, that a sustained release of growth factors is maintained in these cells suggests that the implantation of encapsulated CDCs will promote the formation of new blood vessels and, consequently, the regeneration of infarcted cardiac tissue.

The researchers suggest that encapsulated CDCs could be a highly interesting therapeutic alternative in the field of cardiac regenerative medicine.

Article of reference

Ziani K, Espona-Noguera A, Crisóstomo V, Casado JG, Sanchez-Margallo FM, Saenz-Del-Burgo L, Ciriza J, Pedraz JL. Characterization of encapsulated porcine cardiosphere-derived cells embedded in 3D alginate matrices. Int J Pharm. 2021 Apr 15;599:120454.[DOI

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Inkjet printing technology is driving innovation of sensors for point-of-care devices

Miguel Zea, researcher at GAB Group –  Nanbiosis U8 Micro– Nano Technology Unit  will defend hir PhD thesis on Friday 23 of July, at 11 am, at the Graus Room of the Faculty of Sciences and Biosciences of the UAB about “Inkjet printing technology is driving the innovation of sensors for point-of-care devices”

Thesis directors: Gemma Gabriel and Eloi Ramon

Further information and registration for the event, onñine, here

Abstract

The ‘Inkjet printing’ technology is called to be the next generation of flexible electronics capable of performing functions that were only accessible with state-of-the-art microfabrication technologies. This is due, in part, to the versatility of digital, non-contact patterning techniques but also to the substantial investment in research and development for inkjet printing of functional materials in recent years. Inkjet printing is an additive manufacturing technology based on the contact-less deposition of micro-droplets of a functional material with micrometer precision on the desired substrate area, through a digital design. Moreover, inkjet printing is capable of modifying the printing pattern in real time. Consequently, design changes can be introduced without any additional costs, allowing to create personalized designs with unique features. Nowadays, industrial inkjet printing has reached high standards of flexible, robust, and reliable performances.

The consensus is that inkjet printing will facilitate the production of flexible electronics in a cost-effective, on circular-economy, and reducing waste manner, enabling the development of currently unavailable wearable and disposable devices. This is the point at which Point-of-Care testing devices (PoCT) enter in the equation due to their importance in medical trails. These devices are defined as medical diagnostic testing at or near the patient. PoCT devices rely on a fast and accurate measurement based on sensors that provide the physician with a set of important data to make a diagnosis. However, major limitations of state-of-the-art PoCT devices include cost, disposability, biodegradability, and reliability. Inkjet printing technology offers solutions to address these problems where its great promises are low-cost, non-contact, rapid prototyping, material varieties, and wide range of substrates. Moreover, in the last 15 years, this technology has already shown its potential in the fabrication of reliable and quantitative sensors which form the essential components of PoCT devices. However, our understanding of the technology and its capabilities are still in a promising or potential stage, and further expertise needs to be acquired to facilitate the development of complete fully printed PoCT devices.

Identifying these problems and possible solutions, this thesis focuses on showing the potential of inkjet printing to develop sensors on flexible plastic substrates and porous paper, challenging technology to its current limit. The first part addresses the formulation, printing, and characterization of new functional inks that allow us to obtain new conductive inks to be used in the area of sensing analytes of interest. On flexible plastic, two potentiometric pH sensors have been developed. The first shows the importance of the intrinsic roughness property of a new platinum ink based on nanoparticles to provide mechanical stability to iridium oxide, a pH-sensitive material, grown electrochemically on it. For this purpose, a pH sensor was developed using the new Pt ink and the stability over a year of this iridium oxide layer was studied, which showed a clear improvement in its performance. The second pH sensor goes one step further and is, to date, the first pH sensor entirely fabricated by inkjet printing. To meet this objective, a new polymeric ink was formulated composed of a mixture of polypyrrole and pH-sensitive polyaniline. This ink was printed on a previously printed gold microelectrode and, to finally obtain a fully printed pH sensor, the fabrication was completed with a printed silver/silver chloride pseudo-reference electrode. The second part addresses the challenge of printing a sensor on a more eco-sustainable substrate such as paper, an important factor for disposable PoCs. On any paper substrate, the difficulty in printing is greater due to the porosity, delicacy, and hydrophilicity of this material. In a first work, the challenge of printing conductive functional inks such as gold or silver, and dielectric inks such as SU8 on the substrate in an efficient and easy-to-reproduce way to obtain an electrochemical sensor is addressed. The printing of a new hydrophobic ink that allows to selectively block the area of the paper where the printing of the conductive inks that make up the electrochemical sensor will be required is proposed and studied. Finally, in a second work, a cortisol immunosensor was implemented on these sensors printed on a paper substrate and its response was characterized and compared with other reported sensors, demonstrating the good performance of this technology in the detection of biological target molecules in biological samples.

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