U12. Nanostructured liquid characterization unit
U12. Nanostructured liquid characterization unit
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- Scientific Director: Prof. Carlos Rodríguez cranqb@cid.csic.es
- Scientific Coordinator: Jordi Esquena jemqci@iqac.csic.es
- Entities: Colloid and Interfacial Chemistry Group (QCI) at the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC) & Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
- Address: Jordi Girona, 18-26, 088034, Barcelona, Spain
- Phone: +34 934 006 159
- Web: QCI – IQAC- CSIC
Description
Our Unit 12 is located at the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), in Barcelona and it is coordinated by the Colloidal and Interfacial Chemistry Group, led by Dr. Carlos Rodríguez. This Unit is focused on the characterization of nanostructures in liquids and liquid/liquid interfaces, such as micelles, liposomes, micro- and nano-emulsions, and nanoparticles. The unit features state-of-the-art instrumentation for the determination of various parameters such as size distribution and zeta potential (surface charge), critical micelle concentration (CMC), solubilization capacity, osmolarity, surface and interfacial tension, wettability, refractive index, turbidity, colloidal stability, density, viscosity and other rheological parameters (shear and elastic moduli, critical yield stress, etc.)
The Unit 12 has implemented and mantein the ISO9001 certification for standard quality control system.
Services
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- U12-S01. Characterization of colloidal dispersions by Dynamic and Static Light Scattering (DLS and SLS) and Light Diffraction (Remote) OUTSTANDING
- U12-S02. Measuring NP aggregation properties and surface area (Remote) OUTSTANDING
- U12-S03. Determination of the phase behavior of surfactant and polymers systems (Remote) OUTSTANDING
- U12-S04. Rheology, viscometry and densimetry (Remote) OUTSTANDING
- U12-S05. Surface and interfacial tensiometry (Remote) OUTSTANDING
- U12-S06. Surface hydrophobicity characterization (Remote) OUTSTANDING
- U12-S07. Evaluation of colloidal stability (Remote) OUTSTANDING
- U12-S08. Characterization of materials by high resolution optical microscopy with spectral analysis and scanning electron microscopy (Remote) OUTSTANDING
FOR THOSE SERVICES IDENTIFIED AS OUTSTANDING, AT LEAST 20% OF THEIR CAPACITY IS OPEN UNDER COMPETITIVE ACCESS. SEE ANNEX 1 OF ACCESS PROTOCOL FOR DETAILS ON % OF OPENNESS FOR EACH SERVICE
Equipments
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- U12-E01. 3D cross-correlation dynamic light scattering (DLS) spectrometer
- U12-E02. CytoViva Hyperspectral Imaging System (HSI)
- U12-E03. AR-G2 Rheometer
- U12-E05. Mastersizer 2000 Light Diffractometer
- U12-E06. S3 Micro SAXS/WAXS Small and Wide Angle X-Ray Spectrometer
- U12-E07. SITE Spinning Drop Interfacial Tensiometer
- U12-E08. Contact angle goniometer and drop shape analyzer
- U12-E09. Sigma 701 force tensiometer (Biolin Scientific) for the measurement of surface and interfacial tensions, wettability and critical micelar concentration
- U12-E10. Optilab rEX Differential Refractometer
- U12-E11. Densitometer DMA 4500M (Anton Paar)
- U12-E12. BX51TRF6 Olympus Optical Microscope
- U12-E13. Turbiscan-lab-backscattering-stability-analyzer-formulaction
- U12-E14. Avanti J30I ultracentrifuge (Beckman Coulter)
- U12-E15. SEM TM-1000 (Hitachi)
- U12-E17. Zetasizer NanoZ (Malvern Instruments)
- U12-E18. Viscosimeter RVDV-II P (Brookfield)
- U12-E20. Osmometer Type 15 (Löser Messtechnik)
- U12-E21. Fluorimeter Cary Eclipse (Varian)
- U12-E22. SEM Hitachi TM4000Plus II for morphological and dimensional characterization of solid samples
Active projects
| Title | Fundin: Organism | Call: Funding source | Role | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAF2017-90810-REDI |  | Strategic Promotion and coordinated management of Nanbiosis: Pronanbiosis II | Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) | Acciones de dinamización «REDES DE EXCELENCIA» -ICTS 2017 | Partner |
| PICCOLO-732111 | | Multimodal highly-sensitive PhotonICs endoscope for improve in vivo COLOn Cancer diagnosis and clinical decision support | European Commission-H2020 | H2020-ICT-2016-1 | Partner |
| 0624_2IQBIONEURO_6_E | | Promotion of an R&I network in biological chemistry for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases | European Union Interreg : European Territorial Co-operation | POCTEP Interreg España-Portugal | Partner |
Other projects
| Ref | Title | Funding Organism | Unit Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTQ2014-52687-C3-1-P | Design and applications of new biocompatible micro / nanogels obtained by advanced condensation methods (MICRONANOGELES) | MINECO | Participant |
| 2014SGR1655 | Grants for consolidated Research Groups of Catalonia | Generalitat de Catalunya | Participant |
| FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN - 606713 | Biopolymer Based FOOd Delivery Systems (BIBAFOODS) | Unión Europea | Participant |
| Plan de Actuación 2015 | Agreement of ACC1Ó with the UAB, the PRUAB, the CSIC and the CVC for the promotion of the technological transfer | Generalitat de Catalunya | Participant |
| TECSPR14-2-0033 | Theranostic Magnetic Nanoparticles For Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: Magnetic Properties and Controlled Release of Anticancer Drugs (TheraMagNano) | Unión Europea | Participant |
| TECSPR14-2-0044 | Novel antimicrobial hydrogels for contact lenses (HYDROLENSES) | Unión Europea | Participant |
| Acción COST CM1101 | Joint Meeting of WG 3 and WG 4. Workshop "Nano-biocolloidal materials and non-equilibrium self-assembly" | Unión europea | Participant |
| Ref.: 308810 076/2015 | DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE FORMULATIONS FOR THE DELIVERY OF ACTIVITIES INTO THE SKIN (ES) | ALMIRALL | Participant |
Publications
- Fornaguera C., Caldero G., Solans C.. Electrolytes as a tuning parameter to control nano-emulsion and nanoparticle size. RSC Advances. 2016;6(63):58203-58211.
- Caldero G., Montes R., Llinas M., Garcia-Celma M.J., Porras M., Solans C.. Studies on the formation of polymeric nano-emulsions obtained via low-energy emulsification and their use as templates for drug delivery nanoparticle dispersions. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces. 2016;145:922-931.
- Fornaguera C., Feiner-Gracia N., Caldero G., Garcia-Celma M.J., Solans C.. PLGA nanoparticles from nano-emulsion templating as imaging agents: Versatile technology to obtain nanoparticles loaded with fluorescent dyes. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces. 2016;147:201-209.
- Magana J.R., Kolen’Ko Y.V., Deepak F.L., Solans C., Shrestha R.G., Hill J.P. et al. From Chromonic Self-Assembly to Hollow Carbon Nanofibers: Efficient Materials in Supercapacitor and Vapor-Sensing Applications. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 2016;8(45):31231-31238.
- Perez-Carrillo L.A., Vilchez S., Mosa J., Aparicio M., Castro Y., Duran A. et al. Synthesis and properties of TiO2-P2O5 and SiO2-TiO2-P2O5 porous hybrids obtained by templating in highly concentrated emulsions. Ceramics International. 2016;42(16):18965-18973.
News U12
08 Mar
The revolutionary path of research in NANBIOSIS and advice on Woman’s Day 2024
Our interview series delve into the journeys of 7 female researchers, their challenges, and the call for gender equality in science, inspiring the next generation. March 8th 2024, NANBIOSIS (Spain) Kicking off on 11F “International Day of Women and Girls in Science” 2024, and spanning all the way until Woman’s Day 2024, our interview series has aimed to highlight the life, career and opinions of some of the brilliant minds within our network. Today is time to wrap it up, and for this reason we present you a summary of each of them and a chance to take a deeper[...]
01 Mar
Women in NANBIOSIS part 5: Susana Vílchez and her insights on water-in-water emulsions and gender equality in Science
Dr. Vílchez, our esteemed colloidal chemistry researcher, discusses her focus on water-in-water emulsions and microcoacervates. She highlights gender biases in science and advocates for inclusivity and recognition of women’s contributions. This is part of a series of interviews to several female researchers within the context of International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2024 and Woman’s Day 2024. For more interviews, visit our news section here. March 2024, IQAC-CSIC, Barcelona (Spain) Dr. Susana Vílchez, an esteemed researcher in colloidal chemistry, and the technical and quality manager of Unit 12 of NANBIOSIS, offers a profound insight into her research endeavors[...]
06 Feb
‘Magic Bullets’ Against Cancer: Unveiling the Potential of DNA Nanoparticles
DNA nanoparticles to selectively target tumor tissues through precise control of the synergies between transported drugs. February 2024, IQAC-CSIC/CIBER-BBN, Barcelona. The team led by Drs. Carme Fàbrega and Ramón Eritja, in close collaboration with 3 units of the NANBIOSIS ICTS, has developed a new strategy to improve the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of anticancer drugs. They have chemically linked several cytotoxic drugs, currently used in the treatment of various types of tumors, to DNA nanostructures. These structures selectively target cancerous tissues through folate receptors. This tactic allows precise control of drug concentration and exploits their combined effect. The results[...]
25 Sep
Carlos Rodriguez-Abreu (NANBIOSIS U12) keynote speaker at the European Colloid and Interface Society ECIS 2023
Carlos Rodriguez-Abreu, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS U12 Nanostructured liquid characterization unit gave a Keynote presentation entitled “Chromonic liquid crystal emulsions” at the European Colloid and Interface Society ECIS 2023 conference held in Naples, Italy (September 3-8, 2023) . Chromonic liquid crystals (CLC) can be used as templates for material synthesis and, since some CLC are nontoxic and water-based, they are also interesting for biological and medical applications. The presentation included a summary of experimental results on internally structured emulsions made of CLC encapsulated in droplets, that feature various complex morphologies. Photothermal, sensing and imaging applications are envisaged.[...]
15 Nov
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[...]
27 Jul
1st Nanomedicine Forum of CIBER-BBN/NANBIOSIS and CSIC Nanomed Conection
During the days 30 of June and 1st of July took place in Barcelona, in the auditorium of the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), the 1st Forum on Nanomedicine gathering scientists from the CSIC net Nanomed Conection and from the CIBER-BBN and its ICTS NANBIOSIS. This forum brought toguether researchers from the most eminent national research centers in nanomedicine, that during the two days meeting presented their works and findings and discussed the impact of nanomedicine in the fields of drug delivery, diagnosis and therapy. The workshop was open by the Director of IQAC-CSIC, Jesús Joglar, the Scientific Coordinator[...]
03 May
OPEN SUBMISSION FOR JOURNAL SPECIAL ISSUE ON OLIGONUCLEOTIDE BASED THERAPIES
Dr. Ramon Eritja, Scientific Director of NANBIOSIS unit 29 of Oligonucleotide Synthesis Platform (OSP) and Dr. Santiago Grijalvo researcher at NANBIOSIS unit 12 of Nanostructured liquid characterization, from CIBER-BBN and IQAC-CSIC, together with Dr. Andreia F. Jorge, from Coimbra Chemistry Centre (CQC), acting as guest editors of journal Pharmaceutics, of MDPI Publisher, welcome authors to submit their articles on special issues on Recent Trends in Oligonucleotide Based Therapies. In the past few decades, significant efforts have been made towards the clinical application of oligonucleotides. However, the potential of the therapeutic applications of RNA-based strategies have recently been spotlighted after the first approval of mRNA vaccines in response to COVID-19[...]
02 May
Wide representation of NANBIOSIS research in NALS 2022 and best Oral Presentation to Eloi Parladé
During the last 27-29 April, the 3rd International Conference on Nanomaterials Applied to Life Sciences 2022 (NALS 2022) has taken place in the Excellence Campus of Universidad de Cantabria in Santander (Spain), organized by the University of Cantabria and Institute Valdecilla-IDIVAL. NALS 2022 has been a multidisciplinary conference series sharing new results and ideas in the fields of biosensors, lab on a chip, drug delivery nanopharmacy. nanobiotechnology, intelligent nanomaterials, magnetic materials, nanotoxicity, antimicrobials, novel applications of 3d bioprinting and nanoimaging. NANBIOSIS has been represented at this edition by members of several of its units, among them we must highlight the set of four ora[...]
