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Micromotors use surface variations for docking and guiding

Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the University of Stuttgart have revealed in an article in Nature Communications today that micromotors can be guided using tiny topographical patterns on the surfaces over which they swim.

Samuel Sánchez and Mykola Tasinkevych’s ‘microswimmers’ are usually guided through fluids using specially engineered magnetic multilayer coatings, which combined with external magnetic fields, helps to control their trajectory.

La Sexta Noche, 06-02-16

la sextaIBEC group leader and ICREA research professor Samuel Sánchez was one of two scientists taking part in a studio discussion on La Sexta Noche on Saturday, in a segment about what it’s like to be a talented young scientist or entrepreneur in the financial climate of Spain today.

“Envelliment humà, on estan els límits?”

ateneuOn Wednesday evening IBEC Director Josep Samitier will be a speaker at a free public lecture organised by the Secció de Ciència i Tecnologia de l’Ateneu Barcelonès as part of the association’s “+Humans: el futur de la nostra espècie” cycle.

In “Envelliment humà, on estan els límits?” Josep and another expert, Dr. Joan Guàrdia of the Institut de Recerca Cervell, Cognició i Conducta (IR3C) and psychology professor at the University de Barcelona, will share their views on human ageing, specificially the morphological and physiological changes that appear as a result of the action of time on human beings. The public event will will take place at the Sala Verdaguer of the Ateneu Barcelonès on Wednesday 10th February at 19:00.

“Seis aplicaciones robóticas que no conocías”

elpaisglobal robotSamuel Sánchez’s nanorobots are one of the “Seis aplicaciones robóticas que no conocías” described in an article in El Pais today.

Covering the recent Global Robot Expo in Madrid, at which Samuel was a speaker, the article explains the various applications for current research into robotics, including robots for therapy and rehabilitation, recycling, search and rescue, intelligent cities, agriculture and, of course, medicine.

PhD Position in Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches

phdApplication Deadline: 15/02/2016
Ref: PD-PG
The Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for predoctoral candidate to participate in the development of light regulated drugs.

Collaboration with clinicians leads to new non-invasive monitoring of COPD

raimon febA collaboration between IBEC’s Biomedical Signal Processing and Interpretation group and two local hospitals has resulted in a new non-invasive method of evaluating the efficiency of the respiratory muscles in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Respiratory muscle dysfunction is a common problem in patients with COPD, mostly related to pulmonary hyperinflation. Diaphragm shortening and deleterious changes in the muscle force-length relationship cause a reduction in the muscles’ capacity to generate pressure, placing them at a mechanical disadvantage.

Xavier Trepat nominated for La Vanguardia’s Science Award

xtrepatlavanIBEC group leader and ICREA research professor Xavier Trepat is one of the eight candidates nominated for this year’s edition of the La Vanguardia Science Award.

For four weeks, La Vanguardia readers are invited to vote for the Spanish scientist or scientists they think have done the most important research in the past year.
The eight finalists selected by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the prize, which is organised by Grupo Godó and the Catalunya-La Pedrera Foundation, have been selected according to their scientific excellence, with the only proviso being that they are all affiliated to a Spanish organisation.

NanoMed Spain organises Nano World Cancer Day 2016

nanoworldThe IBEC-managed Spanish Nanotechnology Platform, NanoMed Spain, will be co-hosting an event as part of Nano World Cancer Day 2016 on Tuesday 2nd February, a global initiative organized for World Cancer Day.

At the conference, which will take place from 11:00-13:00 in the Aula Magna of the University of Barcelona, the latest innovations in nanomedicine for cancer will be presented and discussed, with topics ranging from early diagnosis and the controlled release of drugs to radiation therapy using nanoparticles.