About
We are chemists, physicists, mathematicians, engineers, biologists who work alongside to design bionic units that mimic specific biological functions and/or introduce operations that do not exist in Nature. We apply a constructionist approach where we mimic biological complexity in the form of design principles to produce functional units from simple building blocks and their interactions. We called such an approach: Molecular Bionics.
We are engaged in several activities involving the synthesis and characterisation of novel hierarchal materials whose properties are the result of the holistic combination of its components:
Molecular Engineering
We combine synthetic and supramolecular chemistry to tune inter/intramolecular interactions and self-assembly processes to form dynamic soft materials whose molecular, supramolecular and mesoscale structures are tuned and fit for the final application (pictured right: molecular engineering of nanoscopic structures starting from molecule passing to polymers and finally to supra molecular structures).
Physical Biology
Our materials are designed to interact with living systems and thus its biological activity is studied in high detail. We have developed and established new methodologies to study living systems and how synthetic materials interact with them combining holistically physical and life sciences (Physical Biology).
Synthetic Biology
Both know-hows are applied to study biological organisation and complexity creating synthetic surrogates that act as models, as well as to engineer novel sophisticated ways to interact with living organisms.
Somanautics
In analogy to medical bionics, where engineering and physical science converge to the design of replacement and/or enhancement of malfunctioning body parts, we take inspiration from viruses, trafficking vesicles and exosomes to apply molecular engineering to create nanoscopic carriers that can navigate the human body (Somanautics) with the final aim to improve drug delivery or create new diagnostic tools.
Visit our external website to find out more.
Staff
Giuseppe Battaglia
ibecbarcelona.euProjects
| INTERNATIONAL GRANTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| CheSSTag · Chemotactic Super-Selective Targeting of Gliomas (2020-2023) | European Comission / ERC-CoG | G. Battaglia |
| NATIONAL PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| BrainPePN · Nanomedicinas de precisión que penetran el cerebro (2021-2024) | MICIU / Retos investigación: Proyectos I+D | G. Battaglia |
| FUNDRAISING PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| A por la COVID-19 (2021-2022) | IBEC / Faster Future 2020 | G. Battaglia |
Publications
Equipment
- State-of-the-art facilities for cell culture including 5 class A cell cabinets: one dedicated for LPS and RNAse free cell culture and one dedicated for infected tissues
- Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS)
- Confocal microscope to perform live cell 4D imaging
- Thermocycler
- Real-time PCR
- Automated Western Blot
- Gel Permeation Chromatography
- High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
- Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography equipped with fluorescence, UV/Vis and Infrared and light scattering detectors
- Dynamic light scattering unit
- Nanoparticle tracking analysis
- UV and Fluorescence spectroscopy
- Automated liquid handling units
- Nanoparticle production units
Collaborations
- Xavier Salvatella
IRB Barcelona - Francesca Peiro
Physics-University of Barcelona - Kostas Kostarellos
Life Science- University of Manchester/ICN2 - Giorgio Volpe
Chemistry-UCL - Simona Parrinello
Cancer Institute -UCL - Finn Werner
Structural Biology -UCL - Nick Lane
Evolutionary Biology -UCL - Darren Hargraves
Pediatric Neuro-Oncology -UCL - Timothy McHugh
Clinical Microbiology =UCL - Sebastian Brander
Neurology -UCL - Joan Abbott
Physiology -King’s College London - Molly Stevens
Bioengineering -Imperial College London - Stefano Angioletti-Uberti
Materials Science -Imperial College London - Ricardo Sapienza
Physics -Imperial College London - Daan Frenkel
Chemisty-University of Cambridge - Charlotte Williams
Chemistry -University of Oxford - Francesco Gervasio
Pharmacology -University of Geneve/UCL, UK - Francesco Stellacci
Bionegineering -EPFL Switzerland - Tambet Tessalu
Cancer Biology -University of Tartu (Estonia)/ Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute - Darrel Irvine
Bioengineering -MIT - Xiaohe Tian
Life Sciences University of Anhui - Yupeng Tian
Chemistry University of Anhui - Lei Luo
Pharmacy -Southwest University, China - Kai Luo
HuaXi hospital Sichuan University - Darren Hargrave
Great Ormond Street Hospital, UCLH London - Sebastian Brander
Queen Square National Centre for Neurology, UCLH London
News
Selectivitat de rang: un nou concepte per administrar de manera eficient fàrmacs mitjançant nanopartícules.
En un nou estudi publicat a la revista científica Nature Communications, investigadors descriuen un nou concepte anomenat “selectivitat de rang”.Explica per què les nanopartícules biomimètiques només s’uneixen als receptors quan la seva densitat està dins d’un rang precís.
Bioenginyeria per a vèncer les infeccions bacterianes més resistents i mortals
Un equip internacional, en el qual participen investigadors de l’Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC), duu a terme un estudi que obre la porta a una nova teràpia capaç d’eliminar de manera ràpida i eficaç les infeccions de bacteris intracel·lulars, les més resistents a la maquinària immunològica. Aquesta teràpia, basada en vesícules sintètiques, reduiria considerablement la dosi i durada dels tractaments antimicrobians, disminuint així el perill a generar resistència als antibiòtics per part de patògens com el que provoca la tuberculosi.
Una nova teràpia “més ràpida i segura” contra la tuberculosi
Un equip de científics internacionals liderat per l’Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC) ha desenvolupat una teràpia “més ràpida, eficaç i segura” per eliminar infeccions de bacteris intracel·lulars causants de malalties com la tuberculosi. Entre els científics que participen en l’estudi es troben l’investigador principal Giuseppe Battaglia i l’investigador Loris Rizzello de l’IBEC.
Un investigador de lIBEC desenvolupa un model per a la nanomedicina de precisió
Investigadors de l’Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC) han proposat un model que ofereix informació important sobre com les nanopartícules interactuen amb cèl·lules, virus, bacteris o proteïnes, entre d’altres. El model té en compte els diferents factors que determinen l’afinitat de les nanopartícules amb cèl·lules, virus, bacteris o proteïnes, el que és clau per elaborar fàrmacs a mida per a cada pacient.
Jobs
Senior researcher at the Molecular Bionics Research Group (SRR_GB)
Ref: SRR_GB // Deadline: 16/01/2023
PhD Student at the Molecular Bionics Research Group
Application Deadline: 17/10/2021Ref: PhD_IB The Molecular Bionics group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for PhD student to work on the development of targeted nanotherapeutics for drug delivery with a focus on infectious diseases and cancer. The project will be jointly supervised by Dr. Iris L. Batalha (La Caixa Junior Leader Fellow) and Prof. Giuseppe Battaglia. We are looking for a Chemistry/ Bioengineering/ Biotechnology graduate to work on an interdisciplinary project at the interface of chemistry and biology. The project will include the synthesis and functionalisation of polymers and assembly into nanoparticle delivery systems, protein expression and purification, generation of peptide ligands by phage display, and evaluation of targeted nanoparticles in vitro for applications in the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer.