{"id":59076,"date":"2016-12-23T10:47:44","date_gmt":"2016-12-23T09:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ibecbarcelona.eu\/?page_id=59076"},"modified":"2026-01-16T14:44:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T13:44:28","slug":"biosensors-for-bioengineering","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ibecbarcelona.eu\/ca\/biosensors","title":{"rendered":"Biosensors for bioengineering"},"content":{"rendered":"
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About<\/h2>\n
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The Biosensors for bioengineering group is a senior group under ICREA’s Tenure Track scheme.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Organs-on-a-chip (OOC) refers to a technology that involves creating microscale devices that mimic the structure and function of human organs. These “chips” are typically composed of living cells arranged on a microfluidic platform, allowing researchers to simulate the complex interactions and physiological responses within a specific organ.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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The goal of Organs-on-a-chip (OOC) technology is to provide a more accurate and representative model of human organs compared to traditional in vitro cell cultures or animal testing. By replicating the microenvironment of organs and incorporating various cell types, organs-on-a-chip can help researchers study the effects of drugs, toxins, and diseases in a more realistic and controlled manner. <\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Each organ-on-a-chip device is designed to replicate the unique characteristics of a particular organ, such as the liver, pancreas or skeletal muscle. These miniature systems enable researchers to observe and analyze how different substances and conditions affect cellular behavior, tissue function, and overall organ responses. The technology holds promise for drug development, disease modeling, and toxicology studies, offering a more ethical and efficient alternative to traditional methods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our research on OOC development has clear goals. We want OOC platforms to be easy to use and more automation to set up cell cultures. This will help more people use them, making experiments quicker and more reliable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re working on creating a simple platform for growing microtissues in 3D. This makes OOC research easier to use in the real world, moving from lab tests to practical applications. We also want to improve the user experience by making OOC platforms more friendly, compatible, and ready for use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As OOC research moves from labs to real-world use, we want to help users deal with biological challenges. We’re developing an easy-to-use 3D tissue platform and a simple bioreactor that works with sensing technology. This helps users focus on solving biological problems, validating models, and finding potential medicines. We’re also adding sensors to make the bioreactor even more effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our efforts make it easier for researchers to study how organs interact. Our second goal focuses on studying more complex disease models. This helps us understand diseases better and find ways to treat them. We believe that OOCs help in three main ways: understanding diseases, making better medicines faster, and supporting personalized research using cells from individual patients. OOCs can be a solution for studying rare diseases where other methods are not available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our third goal is to standardize OOC platforms, making them work together better. This involves creating common rules and standards for everyone to follow. This makes collaboration and sharing information easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, our lab is working towards making OOCs suitable for high-throughput screening. This means making them simpler and adding good models for studying diseases. In short, we’re making OOC development more user-friendly, accessible, and technologically advanced. This simplification helps in biological research and finding new medical solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A platform combining biomimetic features and multi-organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology is created, incorporating skeletal muscle and pancreatic cells. This innovative system aims to investigate the influence of exercise on insulin secretion. The engineered skeletal muscle and pancreatic tissues are equipped with optical biosensing technology, enabling real-time monitoring of myokine secretion triggered by muscle contractions and its impact on insulin production in beta-cells. The results obtained from this device demonstrate that myotube contractions directly induce insulin secretion. This integrated platform facilitates enhanced drug assays and offers a novel model for exploring the deterioration of pancreas functionality associated with diabetes mellitus. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>

Staff<\/h2>\n
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