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Núria Montserrat in a feature article at the ERC’s covid-19 section: Stopping coronavirus at the gate

ERC grantee Nuria Montserrat and her team create tiny kidneys which are proving to be key in the search for coronavirus drugs. The researcher is working with other international researchers and found that a trial drug could block early stages of COVID19. The ERC has created a section which is updated with the latest news about the ERC-funded research in coronavirus.

PeriCord, a bioimplant for infarcted hearts

The journal “EBioMedicine” of “The Lancet” has just published the procedure that allowed the creation, last year, of the “PeriCord”, the first human cardiac bioimplant, in which development the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) played a key role.

In May 2019, a collaboration between the ‘Germans Trias i Pujol’ Hospital, the Blood and Tissue Bank (BST) and IBEC took a step forward for heart patients combining medicine, science and engineering.

Bioengineering contributes to new advances against childhood cancer

IBEC contributes to elucidate how the rigidity of the tumor extracellular matrix affects the aggressiveness of neuroblastoma, a cancerous tumor that affects mainly children. This opens the door to generate more accurate models to predict tumor development in patients and to work in the design of new treatments.

Neuroblastoma is the most frequent malignant tumor in the first year of life. It is caused by a genetic mutation from immature nerve cells (neuroblasts) that the fetus produces as part of its development process.

Fausto, always in our thoughts

IBEC is saddened to announce the decease of Fausto Sanz, founding Group Leader of IBEC and Professor at the University of Barcelona. Professor Sanz took an active part in the creation of the Catalan Reference Center in Biomedical Engineering (CREBEC) and after in 2005, in the birth and development of IBEC as research institute.

Professor Sanz was always an enthusiast scientist and a pioneer in Catalonia in the field of electrochemistry, nanoscience, and the use of tunneling and atomic force microscopies. In memorandum of Professor Sanz, we recall this piece by Vienna Leigh.

Catalan research labs repurposed for mass COVID-19 testing service

Laboratories in three Catalan research centers, including IBEC, will be adapted as Covid-19 mass detection services.

The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) is coordinating a task force with the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), as requested by the Generalitat de Catalunya, to set up mass testing for citizens to stop the spread of the new coronavirus outbreak.

Javier Ramón, new ICREA professor at IBEC

Javier Ramón, Group Leader of the “Biosensors for Bioengineering” group at IBEC, has been appointed new Research Professor at the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, ICREA. Currently IBEC hosts 8 ICREA Professors out of 22 group leaders.

Since last April 1, Dr. Javier Ramón, Group Leader at IBEC, has become part of the ICREA Research Professors community. ICREA is a foundation funded by the Catalan Government aimed at recruiting the most extraordinary and talented international scientific researchers. With this appointment, IBEC hosts 8 ICREA Professors and 2 ICREA Academia (UB affiliated professors), one of the highest numbers among all research centres in Catalonia.