Sarah Moreira, Author at Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia

November 23, 2023

Benedetta Bolognesi awarded a prestigious European ERC Consolidator Grant

The researcher at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia has been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant. This prestigious European funding supports excellent scientists and scholars who are consolidating their independent research teams to pursue their most promising scientific ideas. The €2 million grant over 5 years will allow Bolognesi and her team to develop a new method for identifying mutations that lead to the formation of amyloids—aggregates of proteins that contribute to a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

November 21, 2023

Luminescent Nanoparticle-based Implants for Pain and Epilepsy Treatment

The IBEC is set to lead the coordination of the PHOTOTHERAPORT project, which will be developed with funding from the European Innovation Council’s Pathfinder Open programme. The project focuses on the development of luminescent implants and light-activated drugs for innovative neuromodulation therapies. PHOTOTHERAPORT will comprise an international consortium of 8 institutions and will receive €3 million over 3 years for the preclinical study of these implants.

November 24, 2023November 20, 2023

IBEC organized the conference “The Future of Personalized Medicine” as part of the Complementary Plan for Biotechnology Applied to Health

Last Friday, the conference took place in Barcelona, bringing together over 100 attendees from the biomedical research field in Spain. Representatives from the Department of Health and Research and Universities of the Catalan Government were also present.

November 6, 2023November 6, 2023

Samuel Sanchez receives the Constantes y Vitales Award

IBEC researcher Samuel Sánchez has been honored with the 2023 Constantes y Vitales Award in the “Young Talent in Biomedical Research” category for his work on designing self-propelled nanorobots capable of delivering drugs within the human body. This initiative, presented by LaSexta and AXA Foundation, aims to foster biomedical research in Spain and spotlight the contributions of its scientists.

October 25, 2023

Researchers induce brain activation using infrared light-controlled drugs

A pioneering study led by IBEC in collaboration with ICFO has unveiled a method to control brain activity in living organisms using drugs activated by infrared light. This cutting-edge technique activates a specific neurotransmitter receptor using light that can penetrate deep into tissue and offers unparalleled pharmacological and spatiotemporal precision in three dimensions. The findings open new frontiers for neurobiology research and the development of light-based noninvasive neuromodulation therapies.

January 8, 2024October 5, 2023

Bioengineering for future medicine in the 16th IBEC Symposium

IBEC’s 16th annual Symposium focused on ‘Bioengineering for Future and Precision Medicine,’ one of IBEC’s three key application areas. Approximately 300 people attended the event, including local and international researchers. It provided a multidisciplinary environment where experts from other institutions and the IBEC community had the opportunity to present their projects and exchange knowledge.

November 15, 2023October 2, 2023

IBEC showcases its technological capabilities to foster new partnerships at BIOSPAIN

IBEC showcases its technological capabilities to foster new partnerships at BIOSPAIN. IBEC representatives actively participated in the BIOSPAIN conference, seizing the opportunity to highlight the institute’s advancements in science and technology. Over the three days of the event, they presented various aspects, ranging from basic research to the coordination of state plans and technology transfer conducted at IBEC. BIOSPAIN, a premier congress in Europe, brings together more than 850 innovative entities specializing in health, sustainable agri-food practices, and solutions against climate change.

March 5, 2025September 29, 2023

An artificial muscle to study Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Developed by the IBEC, this system is created using patient cells and represents the first 3D muscle model capable of replicating the damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The next phase of this project involves the development of an organ-on-a-chip platform, enabling more efficient preclinical studies of potential drugs and enhanced monitoring of muscle damage. Funding for this research has been provided by Duchenne Parent Project Spain, a non-profit association led by families with children affected by this form of dystrophy.

September 26, 2023

IBEC renews the Educational Quality Seal

The Pedagogical Innovation Council of Barcelona has renewed the IBEC Educational Quality Seal, which was first awarded in 2016. This recognition acknowledges the institute’s commitment to promoting continuous improvement by ensuring the pedagogical quality of its scientific education proposals.

September 21, 2023

Cough sound analyzed to identify the severity of COVID-19 patients

A research team led by IBEC and Hospital del Mar has conducted a study to analyze cough sounds recorded by smartphones in patients with COVID-19. The results reveal cough characteristics that could offer a quick, easy, and cost-effective method for identifying the severity of the disease in patients, whether at home or in any healthcare setting. This work also paves the way for utilizing this model in the ongoing monitoring of patients with persistent COVID-19 and other respiratory pathologies.