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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20260508T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20260508T120000
DTSTAMP:20260408T172403
CREATED:20260408T090300Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T090805Z
UID:133150-1778238000-1778241600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:Ibec Seminar. Eric Andrew Appel\, Ph.D. (Cantab)
DESCRIPTION:Polymer-Nanoparticle Hydrogels Enabling Innovations in Cell and Drug Deliver\nEric A. Appel\, Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at Stanford University \nDynamic biomaterials exhibit highly useful properties that are impossible with traditional materials but crucial for a wide variety of emerging applications in biomedicine. These materials typically employ enthalpy-dominated crosslinking interactions that become weaker at elevated temperatures\, leading to significant softening. Herein\, we will discuss the development of a physical hydrogel platform exploiting dynamic and multivalent interactions between biopolymers and nanoparticles that are strongly entropically driven\, providing alternative temperature dependencies than typical for materials of this type. We will discuss the implications of these crosslinking thermodynamics on the observed mechanical properties and discuss the desired mechanical properties for injectability\, including viscous flow under shear stress (shear-thinning) and rapid recovery of mechanical properties when the applied stress is relaxed (self-healing). Moreover\, the hierarchical construction of these biphasic hydrogels enables innovative approaches to formulation and delivery of a diverse array of compounds over user-defined timeframes ranging from days to months. In one example application\, we demonstrate that these unique material characteristics can be leveraged for controlled locoregional exposure of immunomodulatory cargo to greatly enhance anti-cancer immune responses. In another example\, we demonstrate that the dynamic structure of these materials can be leveraged for co-delivery of immunostimulatory cytokines and CAR-T cells to improve cancer treatments. Overall\, this talk will illustrate our recent efforts exploiting dynamic and multivalent interactions between polymers and nanoparticles to generate dynamic\, injectable hydrogel depot technologies exhibiting properties not previously observed in biomaterials and affording unique opportunities in biomedicine. \nEric A. Appel is an Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at Stanford University. He received his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge and was awarded a Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship to work with Prof. Robert Langer at MIT. Eric’s research at Stanford focuses on the development of biomimetic polymeric materials that can be used as tools to better understand fundamental biological processes and to engineer advanced healthcare solutions. His research has led to over 150 publications and 40 patents and has led to three start-up companies. Eric was awarded the IUPAC Hanwha-TotalEnergies Young Polymer Scientist Award in 2022\, the Society for Biomaterials Young Investigator Award in 2023\, and the Biomaterials Science Lectureship Award in 2023\, and the American Chemical Society Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success in 2026. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-eric-andrew-appel-ph-d-cantab/
LOCATION:Baobab room\, Floor 11\, Tower 1
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20260513T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20260513T120000
DTSTAMP:20260408T172403
CREATED:20260408T090658Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T090658Z
UID:133154-1778670000-1778673600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:Ibec Seminar. Assoc. Prof. Laura Alvarez
DESCRIPTION:Bioinspired soft-matter systems: engineering life-like behaviors\nAssoc. Prof. Laura Alvarez\, Associate Professor at the University of Bordeaux and leads the Soft BioColloids group at the Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CRPP\, CNRS) \nCells\, even in their simplest forms\, exhibit adaptive motion and task execution\, capabilities underpinned by their complex and hierarchized architecture\, and their ability to dissipate energy. Replicating such intricate behavior at the microscale offers a pathway to uncover the fundamental physical and material ingredients required for biological complexity\, while also inspiring the design of next-generation synthetic cells [1\,2]. Here\, I will demonstrate that using soft and adaptive compartments is the key to a new generation of biomimetic out-of-equilibrium systems. I will show our recent results on the fabrication of motile giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) driven out-of-equilibrium under external actuation. In contrast to the traditional active colloids [3\,4]\, active GUVs present an excellent cell-model system\, thanks to their membrane properties and their ability to enclose nano and micro-objects. We report on their run-and-tumble dynamics\, reminiscent of bacteria dynamic patterns\, mainly due to the intrinsic lipid membrane properties [5] We further investigate controlled deformations and division-like events under electric-fields and light as energy input. We show that these two external fields provide a programmable handle to steer out-of-equilibrium behaviors in these synthetic cells\, enabling membrane mechanics and shape transformations that mimic key features of cell division and protrusion formation. \n  \n[1] G.Volpe\, N. A. M. Araújo\, M. Guix\, M. Miodownik\, N.Martin\, L. Alvarez\, et.al.\, Animated Matter Roadmap (2025) \n[2] V. Willems\, P. Moreno\, J. Fojo\, L. Rodriguez-Arco\, L.Alvarez. Life-like processes in synthetic protocells under external fields. Newton (2026) \n[3] Alvarez\, L.\, Fernandez-Rodriguez\, M.A.\, Alegria\, A. et al. Reconfigurable artificial microswimmers with internal feedback. Nat. Commun. (2021) \n[4] van Kesteren\, S.\, Alvarez\, L Arrese-Igor\, S.\, Alegría\, A.\, Isa\, L\, Self-propelling colloidal finite state machines. PNAS (2024) \n[5] V. Willems\, A. Baron\, D. A. Matoz-Fernandez\, G. Wolfisberg\, E. Dufresne\, J. C. Baret\, and L. Alvarez. Soft Matter (2025). \n  \nDr. Laura Alvarez is an Associate Professor at the University of Bordeaux and leads the Soft BioColloids group at the Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CRPP\, CNRS). She completed a joint PhD between the University of Bordeaux and KU Leuven on the dynamics of colloidal liquid crystals\, followed by postdoctoral research at ETH Zurich on responsive\, light-controlled active colloidal assemblies. Her research lies at the interface of soft matter\, active matter\, and synthetic cells. She develops out-of-equilibrium bioinspired microsystems using colloids\, giant lipid vesicles\, microfluidics\, and optical or electrical actuation to study active transport\, membrane shape transformations\, and collective dynamics in minimal cell-like systems. Her work aims to understand and harness non-equilibrium processes to engineer functional\, cell-mimetic microdevices. Dr. Alvarez has also served as an ESA consultant in Soft Matter and Biophysics and is currently involved in microgravity experiments on giant lipid vesicles in collaboration with DLR through the MAPHEUS campaigns. She is an active member of the association Femmes & Sciences in France\, promoting the visibility of women in STEM and outreach in physics\, chemistry\, and space science
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-assoc-prof-laura-alvarez/
LOCATION:Room 1\, Tower R
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20260513T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20260513T150000
DTSTAMP:20260408T172403
CREATED:20260320T101141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T101141Z
UID:132912-1778680800-1778684400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:Ibec Seminar:  Dr Pascale Quilichini
DESCRIPTION:Neuronal infra-slow rhythm in the thalamic nucleus reuniens orchestrate hippocampo-prefrontal information flow during sleep\nDr Pascale Quilichini\, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes\, INSERM\, Aix-Marseille University \nThe consolidation of episodic memory during sleep relies on coordinated interactions between the hippocampus (HPC) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC)\, although these regions lack direct reciprocal connections. The thalamic nucleus reuniens (NR)\, which is bidirectionally connected to both structures\, is therefore a strong candidate for mediating this dialogue. Using simultaneous silicon-probes recordings from the HPC\, NR\, and PFC in freely sleeping rats\, we identified a previously undescribed infra-slow rhythm (ISR) in NR neuronal activity predominantly during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.\nHPC and PFC neurons were differentially entrained to distinct phases of this rhythm. Consistently\, hippocampal sharp-wave ripples (SWRs) and prefrontal spindles occurred also preferentially during slightly different ISR phases. Coupled SWR–spindle events peaked at the onset of the ON phase.\nFurthermore\, this coupling was stronger during NREM epochs dominated by ISR compared to those without ISR\, and\, most importantly\, was significantly enhanced during ISR-dominated NREM sleep following spatial learning.\nTogether\, these findings reveal a novel infra-slow population dynamic in the NR that may temporally coordinate hippocampo–prefrontal interactions during sleep\, positioning this nucleus as a key hub in this network supporting memory consolidation.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-dr-pascale-quilichini/
LOCATION:Baobab room\, Floor 11\, Tower 1
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
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