+34 620 10 75 37info@nanbiosis.com

Posts by Nanbiosis

You are here : Home / Articles by Nanbiosis (Page 64)

The general consul of France meets with NANBIOSIS researchers

The general consul of France in Barcelona, ​​Mr. Cyril Piquemal visited the IBB UAB facilities last July 18, to find out about the research that is being carried out and, in particular, explore possible collaborations in nano-pharmacy development projects.

During the visit, the Consul of France in Barcelona was received by Màrius Martínez, Vice President of International Relations at the UAB; Maite Paramio, Deputy Vice President; Ivan Martínez, vice president of Research; Salvador Ventura, director of the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, and Antonio Villaverde, head of the IBB Nanotechnology Unit-NANBIOSIS  U1. Protein Production Platform (PPP)

Next, the mayor visited the facilities and laboratories of the Institute and met with the researchers Esther Vázquez and Antonio Villaverde, (NANBIOSIS  U1. Protein Production Platform (PPP)), and Ugutz Unzueta and Ramón Mangues, (NANBIOSIS Unit 18  Nanotoxicology Unit)  at the Institute of Research of the ‘Hospital de la Santa Cruz and San Pablo, to find out about the research in the development of nanoparticles for metastases treatment by means of the selective elimination of tumor stem cells.

In addition, the researchers explained to the consul the case of the spin-off Nanoligent, to show a project born from the research  and whose objective is to develop the first selective drug to treat metastasis

The purpose of the meeting was to explore possible collaborations between the University and the Consulate, an entity that aims to connect research groups and venture capital funds with the Catalan biotechnology ecosystem.

• Read More

Interferometric nanoimmunosensor for label-free and real-time monitoring of Irgarol 1051 in seawater

As a result of a collaboration in the context of the EC-FP7 program OCEAN 2013, NANBIOSIS Unit 2 Custom Antibody Service (CAbS) and  Unit 4. Biodeposition and Biodetection,  the research groups coordinating this NANBIOSIS Units have recently published an article titled “Interferometric nanoimmunosensor for label-free and real-time monitoring of Irgarol 1051 in seawater” in the scientific magzine  iosensors and Bioelectronics.

The CIBER-BBN-ICN2 group  Nanobiosensors and Bioanalytical Applications, led by Prof. Laura Lechuga has developed the immunosensor that is described in the article using immunoreactive, produced in the group of  Nanobiotechnology for Diagnostics Group (Nb4D), led by Prof. Pilar Marco, with the collaboration of CAbS, for Irgarol 1051. This compound is an alguicide used as an additive in the paintings of ships. Over time, the compose is being released  into the marine environment causing a risk to the ecosystem and to the health of the population.

In the article, an interferometric nanobiosensor for the specific and label-free detection of the pollutant Irgarol 1051 directly in seawater has been settled. Due to the low molecular weight of Irgarol pollutant and its expected low concentration in seawater, the sensor is based on a competitive inhibition immunoassay. Parameters as surface biofunctionalization, concentration of the selective antibody and regeneration conditions have been carefully evaluated. The optimized immunosensor shows a limit of detection of only 3 ng/L, well below the 16 ng/L set by the EU as the maximum allowable concentration in seawater. It can properly operate during 30 assay-regeneration cycles using the same sensor biosurface and with a time-to-result of only 20 min for each cycle. Moreover, the interferometric nanosensor is able to directly detect low concentrations of Irgarol 1051 in seawater without requiring sample pre-treatments and without showing any background signal due to sea matrix effect.

Article of reference: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2018.05.044

• Read More

Nanomedicine to fight against the spread of cancer

Nanoligent, S.L., the company stablished on March 2017 by professors Dr. A. Villaverde and Dra. E. Vázquez from NANBIOSIS Unit 1, professor Dr. M. Mangués from NANBIOSIS Unit 18, and entrepreneur Dr. M. Rodríguez is highlighted in la Vanguardia.

More information here

 

• Read More

Seminal plasma influences the fertilizing potential of cryopreserved stallion sperm

Beatriz Macías García, researcher at  NANBIOSIS U23. Assisted Reproduction,  is co-author of the article “Seminal plasma influences the fertilizing potential of cryopreserved stallion sperm”, publish by the Journal Theriogenology.

 

Seminal plasma (SP) contains proteins that may influence cryosurvival and prevent capacitation-like changes due to freezing and thawing. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of adding pooled SP from “good” (GF) or “bad” (BF) freezer stallions on sperm cells’ fertilizing ability. “Good freezers” refers to stallions that usually produce ejaculates which can withstand cryopreservation, whilst “bad freezer” stallions produce ejaculates which cannot tolerate the freezing process. A heterologous zona binding assay with in vitro matured bovine oocytes was used to assess the binding ability of equine sperm cells as a possible alternative to artificial insemination trials. The effect of adding SP i) prior to cryopreservation; ii) after thawing of sperm cells selected by single layer centrifugation (SLC); iii) to capacitation medium, was evaluated. Adding SP from GF stallions prior to cryopreservation reduced the mean number of sperm cells bound to the zona pellucida (ZP) compared to control (P = 0.0003), SP-free sperm cells and group received SP from BF stallions (P ≤ 0.0001 for both). After thawing SLC-selected sperm cells treated with 5% SP showed a decrease in binding ability compared with SP-free sperm cells (P ≤ 0.0001). The binding affinity of sperm cells was higher in the group treated with SP from GF than with SP from BF stallions (P ≤ 0.05). Prolonged exposure to SP impaired the ability of stallion sperm cells to undergo capacitation and bind to ZP, regardless of the source of SP (P ≤ 0.0001). The response of equine sperm cells to SP is influenced by the ability of the sperm cells to withstand cryopreservation and is affected by the timing of exposure and the origin of SP. Customization of the protocol for individual stallions is recommended to optimize the effect.

 

The research has been carried out with the participation of the NANBIOSIS  Assisted Reproduction Lab which ofer the services of

• Read More

NANBIOSIS researcher Iñaki Ochoa, interviewed in the Heraldo de Aragón criticizes the administrative obstacles to science imposed by law.

Scientists of NANBIOSIS in the University of Zaragoza participated in the assembly held las week that put on the table the risks of applying rules in an incoherent way and without taking into account the reality of the work that researchers develop. The Spanish public contrat law prevents the University to spend more than 15,000 euros per provider per year, which complicates the purchases of material. The scientists ask that this legislation not be applied

More than three hundred researchers  have signed a manifesto in which they denounce that some provisions of the new Spanish law on public contracts prevent them from acquiring normally the material they need for their work. A law that originally aimed to fight corruption is criticizes by scientists becxause of it is causing a serious situation of inoperativeness and inefficiency. The main problem at this time is that the new regulation applies the limit of expenditure per provider of 15,000 euros per year without the need to process a public tender to the University as a whole (as to any public entity), prevoiusly this limit appliied to each research group but the  amount  is obviously insignificant for all the research groups of a University.

The professor of the Faculty of Medicine, Iñaki Ochoa,Researcher at NANBIOSIS Unit 13 advocates changing the rule that limits public contracts by not considering it “something reasonable”. As part of the Applied Mechanics and Bioengineering group of the Aragón Engineering Research Institute (I3A), he defended the need to protest to change things: “If I need a reagent to take samples in a patient that is going to be operated in a few weeks, I can wait two months until your purchase is authorized », alert. In your specific case, when working in the analysis of brain tumors, the opportunities to access surgeries are limited.

Ochoa assumes that research has always been “complicated,” both because of lack of funding and lack of resources. But in this case he believes that the new obstacles are completely excessive

For further information

• Read More

Gold/Silver/Gold Trilayer Films On Nanostructured Polycarbonate Substrates For Direct And Label‐Free Nanoplasmonic Biosensing

Laura Lechuga, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U4. Biodeposition and Biodetection Unit is coathor of the article “Gold/Silver/Gold Trilayer Films On Nanostructured Polycarbonate Substrates For Direct And Label‐Free Nanoplasmonic Biosensing” published by

Ultrasmooth gold/silver/gold trilayer nanostructured plasmonic sensors were obtained using commercial Blu-ray optical discs as nanoslits-based flexible polymer substrates. A thin gold film was used as an adhesion and nucleation layer to improve the chemical stability and reduce the surface roughness of the overlying silver film, without increasing ohmic plasmon losses. The structures were physically and optically characterized and compared with nanostructures of single gold layer. Ultrasmooth and chemically stable trilayer nanostructures with a surface roughness <0.5 nm were obtained following a simple and reproducible fabrication process. They showed a Figure of Merit (FOM) value up to 69.2 RIU-1 which is significantly higher (more than 95%) than the gold monolayer  ounterpart.
Their potential for biosensing was demonstrated by employing the trilayer sensor for the direct and refractometric (label-free) detection of CRP protein biomarker in undiluted urine achieving a LOD in the pM order.

Article: DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201800043

 

• Read More

Mimicking physiological O2 tension in the female reproductive tract improves assisted reproduction outcomes in pig

Francisco M. Sánchez-Margallo, Assistant Director of NANBIOSIS and Scientific Coordinator o NANBIOSIS U23. Assisted Reproduction,  is co-author of the article “Mimicking physiological O2 tension in the female reproductive tract improves assisted reproduction outcomes in pig”, publish by the Journal Molecular human reproduction

The research has been carried out with the participation of the NANBIOSIS  Assisted Reproduction Lab that has  a 120 m2 laboratory, small animal surgery, clinical analysis support, etc. and it is featured with two intracitoplasmatic micromanipulation equipment of the latest generation with IMSI, Laser and Oosight system, embryo biopsy systems, vision systems of the mitotic spindle, with flow cabinets with stereo-microscopes and heated plates, incubators with different gasses systems, equipment and cryopreservation freeze gamete and embryo, among others

STUDY QUESTION:

Is O2 tension in the pig oviduct and uterus affected by the estrous cycle stage and the animal’s age, and can the outcome of in vitro embryo development be improved by mimicking these physiological values?

SUMMARY ANSWER:

O2 tension within the pig reproductive organs is affected by the animal’s age, and values close to those measured in vivo have a positive impact on embryo development and quality when used during IVF and embryo culture (EC).

Article of reference: doi: 10.1093/molehr/gay008

• Read More

Manuel Doblaré, Unit 13 of NANBIOSIS, SEMNI Award O. C. Zienkiewicz

The Spanish Society of Numerical Methods in Engineering (SEMNI) has awarded the SEMNI O. C. Zienkiewicz prize to Professor Dr. Manuel Doblaré.

The SEMNI O. C. Zienkiewicz Award is the highest award given by this company and recognizes, in this case, both the undisputed scientific curriculum of prof. Doblaré as his permanent contribution to the good functioning of this society, of which he has been a founding member and member of its executive committee until 2007, having also organized the Congress of Numerical Methods in Zaragoza in 1996.

The prize will be given during the Congress of Numerical Methods to be held in Guimarães from July 1 to 3, 2019. The Congress on Numerical Methods in Engineering takes place biennially and is jointly organized by the Spanish Society on Numerical Methods in Engineering (SEMNI, Spain) and the “Portuguese Association of Theoretical, Applied and Computational Mechanics” (APMTAC, Portugal)

• Read More

JUMISC, partner of NANBIOSIS has hosted PICCOLO Project Face-to-Face Meeting.

During two days meeting, the PICCOLO consortium 4th face to face meeting has taken place. Project partners reviewed the current state of the development, results, deliverables and future actions.

Inspired in the experimental setting up of the JUMISC, one of the most interesting topics in this meeting was the pre-clinical discussion about the validation plan of the PICCOLO prototypes. The PICCOLO consortium analysed both laboratory and pre-clinical trials that will start at the end of this year. Some detailed protocols and preliminary results of the experimental models for these trials were presented as results of a close collaboration between clinical and technological partners.

It has been a great chance to share know-how between clinicians, technological partners and pre-clinical researchers.

Image of the meeting participants at the face to face meeting in the JUMISC, partner of NANBIOSIS.

• Read More

Jesús Santamaría, interviewed in the Cadena Ser Radio, denounces the bureaucratic barriers that hinder research.

Jesús Santamaría, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS Unit 9, Synthesis of Nanoparticles Unit, denounces the bureaucratic obstacles of the Law of Contracts, which are paralyzing the investigations whenever it is necessary to buy material or hire personnel.  His research against cancer, which received one of the most powerful European funding of more than two million euros, is stranded because of this rule, which requires to take out any purchase over 15,000 euros. “You can not do research like that,” Santamaría said. “In other countries there are no obstacles and we have to compete with them”

With the entry into force on March 9 of Law 9/2017 of November 8, scientists encounter importan important problems to use not only their basic budgets but also to use funds obtained in open and competitive calls, so they have money available to investigate that can not be spent.

This situation of Spanish research has been reviewed internationally, for example in an article published by the prestigious journal Science: Accounting rules hobble Spanish institutes 

Until now, spending limits were applied per researcher, project and year. (that is, public tenders or having to submit several budgets). Now the limit is computed at the institutional level. This makes it impossible, in practice, to execute budgets, given that once the border of 15,000 euros per institution is exceeded, the direct contract it is not possible but it is needed to undertake the procedures of a contest which can take months.

But all of this does not happen outside Spain, not even in Europe, even though this law is an adaptation of a European Directive. In the rest of the European Union, Science has been prevented from going through this “funnel”. Santamaria calls for a stronger reaction from the scientific community towards the administration.

These obstacles and their results in the R+D were explained in an article published in El Diario.es on April 4, titled “Why does the government make it difficult to carry out scientific research spending?”: “This measure, which may make some sense for laboratories Hospitals that carry out routine analyzes in a standardized manner are meaningless when we talk about independent research groups that work in very diverse areas within the same center, and that lack the administrative personnel necessary to manage this new form of bidding. make impossible, for example, the execution of expenses in other countries, something as common as the payment to a laboratory in North America for the performance of a chemical or genetic analysis: according to this law the foreign laboratory would have to be submitted to the contest. of billing of this type of services are tiny enough so that a laboratory i International, which is extremely busy with the processing of their samples and the calibration and maintenance of their equipment, bother to start the long and complex path of opting for a public tender so that a Spanish researcher can pay for the analysis of their samples. “

• Read More