News

Biomedical materials that repel bacteria

The magazine Viceversa dedicates a special article to María Luisa González, Professor of Applied Physics at the University of Extremadura and Scientific Director of Unit 16 of NANBIOSIS: Surface Characterization and Calorimetry Unit.

One of her latest projects, PHYTECH, has developed a new surface for bone implants containing phytate, a natural product found in plant seeds that favours the regeneration of bone tissue and reduces the risk of infections in implants. Now, her research group is about to start a new European project with implant manufacturers in Austria and Lithuania, whose goal is to obtain a crystalline coating for titanium prostheses that favours cell adhesion and prevents or reduces bacterial infections.

The research trajectory of Professor González has a clear vocation towards the transfer of results to society. Her driving force in research is to improve the well-being of patients, improve the quality of materials to reduce infection problems after prosthetic and implant surgery, and also help to reduce the cost of healthcare.

Her challenge for the next five years is to know better the electrical characteristics of surfaces and how its roughness affect, at nanometer level, to prevent bacteria from adhering to them, without harming human cells.

Biomedical materials that repel bacteria

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NANBIOSIS in three projects funded by CaixaIMPULSE

La Caixa has just presented the twenty projects selected by CaixaImpulse in a call with more than 70 proposals from different research centres, hospitals and universities. CaixaImpulse is an initiative unique in Spain that aims to boost research in biotechnology and life sciences to develop projects that generate value in society.

Among the selected projects there are two coordinated by NANBIOSIS researchers: Pseudomonas aeruginosa diagnosis led by Miriam Corredor Sánchez (Unit 2 of NANBIOSIS) and ISCHEMSURG, led by Monica Mir (Unit 7 of NANBIOSIS). In addition, the project ExoLiver, in which participates Rosa Villa and the research group coordinating Unit 8 of NANBIOSIS, has been also granted.

NANBIOSIS in three projects funded by CaixaIMPULSE.

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Best oral communication at the National Congress of Young Researchers in Biomedicine

María Virumbrales, PhD candidate in the research group coordinating of Unit 13 of NANBIOSIS, has been awarded the Prize to the Best Oral Presentation in the I National Congress for Young Researchers in Biomedicine, which took place in Valencia, Spain, on the 28th-29th of November, 2016. The title of the communication was: “Tubeless microfluidic device to mimic tumor microenvironment and monitor cancer-endothelium interactions”.

The talk described an in vitro 3D model closely resembling biological tissues and blood vessels, established within a biocompatible material. This model is currently being used to recreate breast tumor microenvironment and evaluate drug efficiency within.

Best oral communication at the National Congress of Young Researchers in Biomedicine

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Lipid-based Nanovesicles for Nanomedicine

Jaume Veciana and Nora Ventosa, Scientific Directors of Unit 6 of NANBIOSIS together with other researchers from NANOMOL group, coordinator of Unit 6 of NANBIOSIS, has recently published an interesting review article in the journal Chemical Society Reviews.

This review presents the large plethora of lipid-based nanovescicles available nowadays, focusing on a new generation of non-liposomal L-NVs and showing their similarities and differences with respect to their ancestors (liposomes). Since the overspread of a nanomaterial to the market is also strongly dependent on the availability of technological-scale preparation methods, it also extensively review the current approaches exploited for L-NV production. The most cutting-edge approaches for their preparation based on compressed fluid (CF) technologies is highlighted since they show the potential to represent a game-change in the production of L-NVs, favoring their step from the bench to the market. Finally, this review briefly discusses L-NV applications in nanomedicine looking also for their future perspectives.

Article of reference: N.Grimaldi, F. da Silva, N.V. Segovia, L. Ferrer-Tasies, S. Sala, J. Veciana,^*and N. Ventosa^*, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2016, 45, 6520—6545

Lipid-based Nanovesicles for Nanomedicine

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From Chromonic Self-Assembly to Hollow Carbon Nanofibers: Efficient Materials in Supercapacitor and Vapor-Sensing Applications

Conxita Solans, Scientific Director of the Unit 12 NANBIOSIS is co-author of the research article recently published a research article in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with high surface area (820 m²/g) have been successfully prepared by a nanocasting approach using silica nanofibers obtained from chromonic liquid crystals as a template. CNFs with randomly oriented graphitic layers show outstanding electrochemical supercapacitance performance, exhibiting a specific capacitance of 327 F/g at a scan rate of 5 mV/s with a long life-cycling capability. Approximately 95% capacitance retention is observed after 1000 charge–discharge cycles. Furthermore, about 80% of capacitance is retained at higher scan rates (up to 500 mV/s) and current densities (from 1 to 10 A/g). The high capacitance of CNFs comes from their porous structure, high pore volume, and electrolyte-accessible high surface area. CNFs with ordered graphitic layers were also obtained upon heat treatment at high temperatures (>1500 °C). Although it is expected that these graphitic CNFs have increased electrical conductivity, in the present case, they exhibited lower capacitance values due to a loss in surface area during thermal treatment. High-surface-area CNFs can be used in sensing applications; in particular, they showed selective differential adsorption of volatile organic compounds such as pyridine and toluene. This behavior is attributed to the free diffusion of these volatile aromatic molecules into the pores of CNFs accompanied by interactions with sp² carbon structures and other chemical groups on the surface of the fibers.

Article of reference: ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 8 (45), 31231–31238, 2016

From Chromonic Self-Assembly to Hollow Carbon Nanofibers: Efficient Materials in Supercapacitor and Vapor-Sensing Applications

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Unit 2 of NANBIOSIS participates in the FoodSmartPhone project of Marie Sklodowska Curie.

The Nb4D group of CSIC, coordinator of Unit 2 of NANBIOSIS led by Pilar Marco has joined the consortium for the FoodSmartPhone project funded by the Marie Sklodowska Curie Research Program. The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) support training in research and professional development aimed at innovation skills.

The objective of the project is to develop a smartphone-based diagnostic and detection tool for simplified quick pre-selection of food quality and safety parameters. This is because food safety and quality tests are currently inefficient, expensive and ineffective and can not guarantee food safety for all consumers or prevent possible incidents of food fraud.

FoodSmartPhone offers an opportunity for a doctorate that covers all aspects of smartphone-based detection tools, as well as a wealth of scientific knowledge as well as innovation and transfer.

The Nb4D group will act as leader of work package For more information 1 which aims to develop new concepts of ligand binding assay. The group will host two ESRs (Early Stage Researchers) and will also organize training events and an advanced PhD course for the production of haptens and bioreceptors.

For more information

Unit 2 of NANBIOSIS participates in the FoodSmartPhone project of Marie Sklodowska Curie.

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The CIBER-BBN, partner of NANBIOSIS together with CCMIJU, incorporates two new research groups

The CIBER-BBN, partner of NANBIOSIS together with CCMIJU, has incorporated two new groups. One of them, led by José Miguel López-Higuera, is the Photonics Engineering Group of the University of Cantabria. The other is the Nanotechnology and Apoptosis Group of the Materials Science Institute of Aragon (CSIC-University of Zaragoza) led by Jesús Martínez de la Fuente. The incorporation of these groups has become official in the Governing Council of the CIBER celebrated on December, 1^st

The CIBER-BBN currently has 47 research groups, selected on the basis of their scientific excellence, working mainly within three scientific programs: 1. Bioengineering and Medical Imaging, 2. Advanced Biomaterials and Therapies and 3. Nanomedicine. The activities of the center is oriented both to the development of prevention, diagnosis and monitoring systems and to the development of technologies related to specific therapies such as regenerative medicine and nanotherapies.

Jesús Martínez de la Fuente and the NAP group

The Group of Nanotechnology and Apoptosis (NAP) focuses its research on the development of general methodologies for the functionalization of nanoparticles and surfaces always looking for biotechnological applications.

Jesús Martínez de la Fuente is the author of about 150 articles in scientific journals of the highest level and inventor of 6 international patents, all licensed. He is an associate member of the Center for Cell Engineering of the University of Glasgow and of the Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems of the Italian CNR in Naples and professor at the National Center for Translational Medicine (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China). He is also co-founder and scientific advisor of the company NANOIMMUNOTECH S.L.

José Miguel López-Higuera and the Group of Photonic Engineering

The Photonics Engineering Group focuses its work on fiber optic sensor systems and instrumentation.
Prof. López-Higuera is a Fellow of the OSA, USA; Fellow of SPIE, USA, and member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Cantabria. He is the Director of the International School of Light Sciences and Technologies that develops the fourth week of June of each year to the highest scientific and technological level in the world. He has made more than 600 academic and 17 industrial publications (patents). He has co-founded three technology-based companies.

The CIBER-BBN, partner of NANBIOSIS together with CCMIJU, incorporates two new research groups

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The Journal “Diario Médico” awards the project “Liver on a chip” participated by researchers of U8 of NANBIOSIS

The 15th edition of “Best Ideas 2016” by Diario Médico, has awarded the “Liver on a Chip” project, coordinated by Rosa Villa, Scientific Coordinator of Unit 8 of NANBIOSIS.

“Liver on a chip” is a microfluidic camera that simulates hepatic microcirculation and will serve as a tool for in vitro studies and diagnostics of cell function, pharmacology, toxicity and personalized medicine. The device could be applicable to any other biomedical research in That the vascular system has relevance (liver, kidney, cardiovascular and others).

This project was already recognized last July with the second prize of the category of innovation in research results of the second Contest of Innovation in Health of the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR)

The Journal “Diario Médico” awards the project "Liver on a chip" participated by researchers of U8 of NANBIOSIS

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NANBIOSIS at the CIBER-BBN X Annual Conference and 1st meeting of the NANBIOSIS SAB

The X Annual Conference of CIBER-BBN, held in Sevilla last 28 and 29 of November, dedicated a Session to NANBIOSIS on Monday afternoon, to which attended national and international representatives of industry and academia users of NANBIOSIS, representatives of EATRIS and members of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of NANBIOSIS, as well as the CIBER-BBN and the CCMIJU researchers.

Jaume Veciana, Scientific of NANBIOSIS and Ángela Fernández Curto, Assistant Deputy Director General for Planning of Scientific and Technological Infrastructures of Spanish Goverment presented the Unique Technical Scientific Infrastructure (ICTS) of CIBER-BBN and JUMISC for the production and characterization of biomaterials, nanomaterials and devices until their preclinical validation. Among the biomedical applications that frame the activity of NANBIOSIS are diagnostic, regenerative medicine and drug administration, as well as its next Cascade Characterization Service for the preclinical evaluation of nanomedicines.

The project “PRONANBIOSIS” funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness with a “Network of Excellence” to consolidate the unified management model of NANBIOSIS, to boost its internationalization and strategic positioning as well as to promote a complete nanomaterials characterization cascade service, was also presented and some of the” success stories “of the ICTS where explained.

Since its launch in July 2015, NANBIOSIS has received more than 250 access requests, with an average participation of about 50 competitive projects per year and annual revenues for its services of between 1 and 2 million euros. Among its users, there are more than 100 companies, especially pharmaceutical laboratories, and more than 300 research groups. In addition, its 27 units are involved in several national and European projects, such as BERENICE (nanoformulation of the active to combat Chagas disease), DRIVE (development of a device with pancreatic cells for diabetes treatment) and several public- Former INNPACTO (PHYTEC -Development of bioactive coated medical products for bone regeneration- and VITILIGO -Development of a new advanced therapy drug for the treatment of Vitiligo-), several projects Challenges Collaboration, or the Network of Excellence Pronanbiosis for the promotion and Consolidation of the ICTS, among others.

At the Conference, the NANBIOSIS Scientific Advisory Committee convened to discuss the key actions of its next Strategic Plan, such as the new Cascade Characterization Service for the preclinical evaluation of nanomedicines.

NANBIOSIS at the CIBER-BBN X Annual Conference and 1st meeting of the NANBIOSIS SAB

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“It is necessary to increase our relationship with European research groups” by José Luis Pedraz – U10 of NANBIOSIS

Last Sunday, November 27, the Newspaper of Álava published a special supplement with the title “ALAVA 2020”. It contained an article by José Luis Pedraz (Scientific Director of Unit 10 of NANBIOSIS)

According to Dr. Pedraz, group leader of the CIBER-BBN NANOBIOCEL group, in the next future, important challenges with new technologies will allow a considerable advance in the treatment of diseases of genetic origins. In this context, it is crucial to increase the number of international contacts in order to be able to access new infrastructures more competitively. The opening of new lines of research and the creation of new research infrastructure through consortiums such as CIBER-BBN or the Unique Scientific and Technologic Infrastructure (ICTS) NANBIOSIS generate an advantageous situation to attract new investments and create new companies. Pedraz continues explaining that we must increase our relations with European research groups in order to build consortia with which participate in for European research calls.

The NANOBIOCEL Group, coordinator of Unit 10 of NANBIOSIS, currently participates in two European consortiums (DRIVE Project) and (BERENICE Project) .

"It is necessary to increase our relationship with European research groups" by José Luis Pedraz - U10 of NANBIOSIS

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