Sarah Moreira 
The innovative device contains a 3D bioprinted channel with structures that mimic intestinal villi and reproduce the compartments of the intestinal mucosa. For the first time, electrodes have been incorporated into the system to monitor the formation of the intestinal barrier in real time. The device is highly versatile and has potential applications in disease modelling and drug screening.
The event, held on 21 and 22 May, brought together experts in biology, engineering and medicine to discuss the latest advances in research into the blood-brain barrier and its role in brain disorders. This is the first edition of the symposium organised by IBEC.
The IBEC senior researchers were two of the winners of the fourth edition of the call for applications. Through this initiative, BIST recognises and supports scientist mothers working to reach a leading position and advance the research in their fields.
This is a molecule that is directly linked to the expression of the cellular prion protein found on the surface of nerve cells. The study, led by the IBEC, opens the door to the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease in asymptomatic stages in blood samples, favouring its diagnosis and treatment.
Last Friday IBEC hosted an exclusive talk with distinguished bestselling author Siddhartha Mukherjee. At the event, which was attended by more than 120 people, Mukherjee presented his latest book “The Harmony of Cells” and shared an interesting talk about the latest advances in advanced therapies with IBEC researchers.
The third edition of the EMBL-IBEC conference organised by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) focused on emerging and advanced therapies, bringing together around 150 international experts in the field of bioengineering last week at the PRBB in Barcelona.
IBEC ICREA Professor Xavier Trepat has been awarded the Lilly Foundation Award in the category of preclinical research. With this accolade, the Fundación Lilly acknowledges Trepat’s work, distinguished by the application of techniques and concepts from physics to the health sciences.
IBEC researcher Pere Roca-Cusachs has been awarded the “ICREA Academia” distinction by the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA). The leader of IBEC’s Cellular and Molecular Mechanobiology group received the award in the Life & Medical Sciences category.
Two studies led by IBEC have successfully mimicked the transdifferentiation process of the neuroblastoma vasculature in in vitro models. These models, one in 2D and the other on a microfluidic chip, provide platforms for identifying new biomarkers and designing effective therapies against this type of cancer.
