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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240517T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240517T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240408T072307Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240410T115407Z
UID:116794-1715940000-1715943600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Erika Ferrari
DESCRIPTION:Beating Organs-on-Chip: leveraging on motion to mimic human organ physiological/diseased states in vitro\nErika Ferrari\, Commercial Science Leader\, BiomimX Srl \nBeating Organs-on-Chip are in vitro miniaturized models developed within the uBeat® platform\, which integrates microfluidics\, 3D human cell culture and controlled mechanical stimulation to recapitulate\,\nwith unprecedented precision and predictability\, clinically relevant models reflective of human pathophysiology and complex diseases. Every tissue in the body is subject motion and this motion can be mimicked within the uBeat® platformplatforms\, which provides 3D microtissues with controlled mechanical stimulation (e.g.\, stretching or compression) resulting in more reliable\, responsive\, and predictive in vitro model models to investigate new therapies. BiomimX lead model is uHeart Visone\, Tox Sciences\, 2023; +4 additional cardiac publications )\, a functional beating heart on a chip for cardiotoxicity and safety testing. uHeart was recently qualified with 12 drugs as a predictor of functional cardiotoxicity\, showing 83.3% sensitivity\, 100% specificity\, a nd 91.6% accuracy. BiomimX pipeline consists of predictive physiological and pathological models\, engineered solely through mechanical stimulation\, without the need for introducing exogenous compounds (e.g.\, cytokines) into the cell culture chamber. uKnee the first in vitro model of human osteoarthritis; Occhetta\, Nature Biomed Eng\, 2019 ) has successfully supported a recent IND application. Other key models include uScar cardiac fibrosis; Visone\, Adv Healthcare Mat\, 202 2023)\, uGut a barrier model of the intestinal epithelium & endothelium; Ballerini\, Nature Biomed Eng\, under review )\, uLung and uLiver Heart a multiorgan platform used to study the off-target cardiotoxicity of liver-metabolized drugs; Ferrari\, Adv Mat Tech\, 2023 ).
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-erika-ferrari/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240524T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240524T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240507T151701Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240513T084437Z
UID:117479-1716544800-1716548400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Sergi Garcia-Manyes
DESCRIPTION:Single molecule insights into cellular mechanotransduction\nSergi Garcia-Manyes\, Single Molecule Mechanobiology laboratory\, The Francis Crick Institute and King’s College London \n  \nCellular mechanostransduction relies on the conversion of mechanical cues into chemical signals\, which propagate from the focal adhesion hub through the cytoskeleton to ultimately reach the nucleus through the Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC)\, and switch on specific force-dependent transcriptional programmes. However\, how cellular mechanotransduction is regulated by the nanomechanical properties of the underpinning force-bearing proteins remains largely unknown. Here we first used a newly developed single-molecule magnetic tweezers combined with UV-light to demonstrate that oxidation of a previously cryptic methionine in the talin mechanosensor impairs vinculin binding. When translating the single-molecule findings into the cellular context\, we found a loss in talin/vinculin co-localisation at focal adhesions of NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts when exposed to µM concentrations of H2O2 and a decrease in the nuclear localisation of the YAP transcription factor (TF). In this vein\, how the nuclear shuttling of mechanosensitive TFs is regulated by their mechanical properties remains also unclear.  By using a combination of single-molecule mechanics and single-cell optogenetics\, we discovered that proteins with locally soft regions in the vicinity of the nuclear-localization sequence exhibit higher nuclear-import rates. Inspired by these findings\, we designed a short and easy-to-express unstructured peptide tag that accelerates the nuclear-import rate of stiff protein cargos. Altogether\, our cross-scale experiments provide a single molecule perspective onto cellular mechanotransduction. \n  \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-sergi-garcia-manyes/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240531T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240531T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240517T085223Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240517T085303Z
UID:117772-1717149600-1717156800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Wenting Zhao
DESCRIPTION:Engineering the Nanoscale Membrane Topography in Cells\nWenting Zhao\, School of Chemistry\, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology\, Nanyang Technological University\, Singapore and Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science (IDMxS)\, Singapore  \nAbstract. \nCell membranes serve as a central platform to host a variety of proteins essential for cellular activities such as cell signaling\, morphogenesis\, and membrane trafficking. At the same time\, the membranes also undergo drastic morphological changes in a number of essential processes\, such as endocytosis\, intracellular trafficking\, and cytokinesis\, etc. An intriguing yet challenging question to answer is whether and how the shapes of the membrane impact the dynamics of membrane proteins or the periphery proteins interacting with the membrane. However\, membrane shape changes often happen at sub-micro to the nanoscale\, which is approaching the limit of conventional microscopy imaging resolution and difficult to examine quantitatively. In this work\, we will introduce our efforts in employing vertically aligned nanostructures to generate defined membrane topography in live cells and in vitro. We will discuss our findings on the membrane curvature-guided accumulation of membrane proteins\, including oncogenic Ras proteins and viral proteins\, as well as the membrane-associated protein condensation. In addition to plasma membrane\, we also explore the nanoscale topography guidance on nuclear membrane and its implication in differentiating malignant cancer cells. We envision more new insights would be revealed by bridging advanced nanotechnology to nanoscale dynamics at cell surfaces. \n\nShort Bio \nDr. Wenting Zhao is currently an assistant professor in the School of Chemistry\, Chemical Engineering\, and Biotechnology at Nanyang Technological University\, Singapore. She received her Ph.D. degree in Bioengineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology\, and completed her postdoc training at Stanford University. Her research group aims to reveal the nanoscale interplay between membrane morphology and protein assembly using advance nanofabrication and nanomaterials. Specific focuses of her studies are on the nanoscale topography-guided protein clustering and complex assembly\, and their impacts on disease progression\, such as cancer progression\, viral replication\, and immune activation. \nGroup website: www.wtzhaolab.com.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-wenting-zhao/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240605T160000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240605T170000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240522T090926Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240527T134609Z
UID:117890-1717603200-1717606800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Irene Lázaro
DESCRIPTION:Enhanced regeneration through in vivo cell reprogramming: lessons from the first decade of research and a success story in the mouse heart\nIrene de Lázaro\, PhD1\,2\,3 \n1 Department of Biomedical Engineering\, NYU Tandon School of Engineering\, New York University \n2 Cardiovascular Research Center\, NYU School of Medicine and NYU Langone Health \n3 Harvard John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences\, Harvard University \n  \nOur lab designs and deploys bioengineering strategies – including gene therapies and nanomedicines – to reprogram cell identity\, differentiation and/or cellular responses in living organisms with the ultimate goal of helping tissues regenerate better. In this seminar\, I will share the lessons learned after the first decade of in vivo cellular reprogramming research. Moreover\, I will present our most recent data that demonstrates that on and off expression of stemness-related transcription factors induces partial reprogramming of cardiac myocytes to a rejuvenated state. In an age-dependent mouse model of heart failure\, reprogramming the biological age of cardiac myocytes to a youthful state resulted in significant improvement of cardiac function. \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-irene-lazaro/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240612T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240612T113000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240422T080133Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240513T092457Z
UID:117198-1718186400-1718191800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Jan Lammerding
DESCRIPTION:Nuclear mechanobiology – from striated muscle disease to ultrarapid cellular mechanosensing\nJan Lammerding\, PhD\, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology & Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering\, Cornell University\, Ithaca\, NY\, USA \nAbstract. The nucleus is the characteristic feature of eukaryotic cells and houses the genomic information of the cell. The Lammerding laboratory is investigating how physical forces acting on the nucleus can challenge the integrity of the nucleus\, alter its structure\, and cause genomic\, transcriptomic\, and other functional changes. In this seminar\, I will discuss our findings that highlight the importance of the nuclear envelope proteins lamins A/C in mediating nuclear stability and mechanotransduction in mechanically stressed cells and tissues\, and how lamin mutations result in reduced nuclear stability and increased nuclear damage in striated muscle cells\, which may explain the muscle-specific defects in many diseases caused by lamin mutations (laminopathies). Our data demonstrate that reducing cytoskeletal forces on the fragile lamin A/C mutant nuclei by disrupting the Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex is sufficient to reduce nuclear damage in striated muscle tissue and to improve cardiac function and survival in multiple mouse models of lamin A/C related striated muscle disease. Furthermore\, by combining cyclic strain application with precision nuclear run-on sequencing (PRO-seq)\, a novel transcriptome sequencing technique that\, unlike traditional RNA sequencing\, enriches for nascent RNA transcripts and simultaneously provides a base-pair resolution map of active RNA polymerases\, and Omni-ATAC\, an improved chromatin accessibility assay\, we recently established an experimental pipeline to detect rapid\, genome-wide changes in chromatin organization and transcription in response to cyclic mechanical strain. Our studies indicate that cyclic strain application results in the transcription of numerous mechanoresponsive genes within less than 2 minutes\, which is faster than the expected time for typical mechanoresponsive cytoplasmic signaling pathways to reach the nucleus\, and that the mechanoresponsive genes are already poised for gene transcription. These findings point to an exciting\, previously unrecognized role of the nucleus in regulating the activation of mechanoresponsive genes.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-jan-lammerding/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240705T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240705T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240618T140841Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240618T140841Z
UID:118701-1720173600-1720180800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Shahid Uddin
DESCRIPTION:Developability assessment of biologics and formulation of novel molecules\nShahid Uddin\, PhD\, MBA\, Senior Director of Drug Product\, Formulation & Stability within the CMC department at Immunocore\, UK \nIt’s vital to ensure appropriate assessment of molecules at the early research phase is carried out to risk mitigate movement into the development phase. This ensures the best risk of success with minimal usage of resources and finances. This presentation will highlight the procedures for assessing developability and also showcases the challenges associated with administering low-concentration biologics.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-shahid-uddin/
LOCATION:IBEC\, floor 11\, Tower I\, Baldiri Reixac 4-8\, 08028 Barcelona\, Spain
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240717T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240717T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240620T104046Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240712T061459Z
UID:118724-1721228400-1721228400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Sabina Quader
DESCRIPTION:Nanomedicine to Tackle Unmet Medical Needs in CNS Disorders\nSabina Quader\, Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM)\, Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion\, Kawasaki\, Kanagawa 210-0821 Japan \nThe brain is undoubtedly the body’s most essential and intricate organ\, and brain disorders are closely tied to this intricacy. Categorized as “CNS diseases\,” a wide range of brain-related conditions – including Alzheimer’s\, dementia\, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis\, stroke\, brain tumors\, and more – present daunting challenges. Regrettably\, many of these diseases currently lack adequate treatment\, underscoring the urgent need for innovative and multidimensional efforts to combat these persistent problems. In this regard\, nanomedicine shows tremendous potential for diagnosing and treating many life-threatening diseases\, including cardiovascular and genetic disorders\, CNS diseases\, and cancers1. The field of nanomedicine is constantly revolutionizing healthcare with innovative approaches to tackling severe health issues. However\, it is also crucial to actively translate these novel approaches more effectively. In our laboratory at the Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM)\, we aim to effectively bridge innovation and translation. Our nanomedicine platform is based on polymeric micelles that are constructed from poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(amino acids) (PEG-PAA) copolymers and have already demonstrated significant promise through their clinical translation potential2. The PEG-PAA copolymers are highly biocompatible and have the unique ability to engineer versatile\, dynamic covalent chemistry-based approaches to link the cargo with the carriers; this feature ultimately improves spatiotemporal control over drug release kinetics\, which is one of the critical properties of drug-loaded nanocarriers\, along with size and surface properties. In this presentation\, optimal design features of nanomedicine will be discussed\, focusing on treating CNS diseases\, mainly brain cancers3\,4. An overview of our Japan-Spain international collaborative research focused on drug delivery to hypothalamic neurons for tackling obesity will also be presented5. \nReferences– \n\nQuader and K. Kataoka*\, Mol Ther\, 25 (2017) 1501.\nCabral\, K. Miyata\, K. Osada\, K. Kataoka*\, Chem. Rev.\, 118 (2018) 6844.\nKinoh\, S. Quader\, H. Shibasaki\, X. Liu\, A. Maity\, T. Yamasoba\, H. Cabral*\, K. Kataoka*\,ACS Nano\, 14 (2020) 10127.\nQuader*\, X. Liu\, K. Toh\, Y.-L. Su\, A. R. Maity\, A. Tao\, W. K. D. Paraiso\, Y. Mochida\, H. Kinoh\, H. Cabral\, K. Kataoka*\, Biomaterials\, 267 (2021)120463.\nJ Garcia-Chica\, WK D Paraiso\, S Zagmutt\, A Fosch\, A Reguera\, X Ariza\, S Alzina\, L Sanchez-Garcia\, S Fukushima\, K Toh\, N Casals\, D Serra\, L Herrero\, J Garcia\, K Kataoka\, X Ariza\, S Quader*\, R Rodriguez-Rodriguez*\, Nanomedicine targeting brain lipid metabolism as a feasible approach for controlling the energy balance\,  Sci. 11 (2023) 2336-2346\n\n\nDr. Quader did her Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from Griffith University\, Brisbane\, Australia 2007. Following her Ph.D.\, she started working as a Research Chemist at Research Directions Pty Ltd\, Brisbane\, Australia. In 2010\, she joined Professor Kazunori Kataoka’s world-renowned biomaterial research laboratory at the Materials Engineering Department of Tokyo University with a Japanese government -funded prestigious JSPS postdoctoral fellowship. After completing two years of JSPS fellowship\, she continued her work at the same laboratory for another two years as Project Researcher. Since 2015\, she has been an integral part of the Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM)\, Kawasaki\, Japan\, as a Senior Research Scientist and\, as of 2023\, as a Deputy Principal Research Scientist. Dr. Quader’s area of expertise lies in developing stimuli-sensitive nanomaterials tailored for targeted drug delivery to address challenging diseases. Dr. Quader is currently a principal investigator in multiple projects and overseeing international research activities at iCONM as Chief Coordinator of Global Partnership. One of her international collaborative research endeavors\, “COnCorD\,” was one of the three bilateral projects awarded by the Spanish State Agency for Research (AEI) and the Japanese Medical Research Agency (AMED) as a result of an invitation for joint project proposals from early-stage researchers in Japan and Spain in the “Nanomedicine” research area.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-sabina-quader/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240719T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240719T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240604T101628Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240604T101628Z
UID:118268-1721383200-1721386800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Carlos Moreno Yruela
DESCRIPTION:Semi-synthetic nucleosomes to stabilize and image enzyme-chromatin interactions\nCarlos Moreno Yruela\, Researcher in Chemical Biology\, EPFL\, Switzerland \nChromatin structure regulates gene expression and is tightly controlled by histone post-translational modifications. SIRT7 is a histone lysine deacylase found to maintain oncogenic gene expression profiles supporting tumor growth and \nmetastasis. Interestingly\, the activity of SIRT7 is fully dependent on binding to nucleosomes within chromatin. This feature has limited the development of inhibitors and chemical probes to further dissect its role in cancer progression. Here\, we develop nucleosome-based tools for structural characterization and high-throughput screening. Thanks to 2- and 3-fragment native chemical ligation methods\, we introduced synthetic peptides into the structure of histone H3\, to install either mechanism-based thiourea crosslinkers or fluorescence quenchers at the positions of known SIRT7 substrates. First\, mechanism-based crosslinking nucleosomes allowed us to stabilize the interaction of SIRT7 with its nucleosome substrates and obtain structures by cryoEM. The different complexes revealed a multivalent and non-canonical nucleosome binding mechanism\, and specific residues responsible for targeting different substrates within the nucleosome. Second\, nucleosomes with acyllysine fluorescence quenchers and a neighboring fluorophore proved to be SIRT7-activated fluorogenic substrates and will be used for high-throughput screening and single-molecule biophysical characterization. All in all\, we developed a strategy to stabilize enzyme-chromatin interactions for detailed structural studies\, as well as a platform for the development of translatable SIRT7-targeting cancer therapeutics. \n\nCarlos studied Chemistry at the University of Zaragoza and obtained his M.Sc. in Drug Discovery from the University of Surrey (UK). He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from the University of Copenhagen in 2019\, on the development of assays and chemical probes for histone deacetylases in the laboratory of Prof. Christian Adam Olsen. He stayed 3 more years in Copenhagen as postdoctoral fellow\, working on the newly found lactyl-lysine modification of histones. In 2022\, Carlos moved to EPFL Lausanne (Switzerland) thanks to a postdoctoral grant from the Independent Danish Research Council\, where he uses protein semi-synthesis to generate complex in vitro systems for translatable biophysical studies and anticancer drug development. Carlos is now an independent postdoctoral fellow of the Swiss National Science Foundation.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-carlos-moreno-yruela/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240913T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240913T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240909T074915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240909T074915Z
UID:120320-1726236000-1726245000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Prof Marcelle Machluf
DESCRIPTION:Harnessing the power of stem cell therapy in an off-the-shelf nano-delivery platform for treating brain disorders\nProf Marcelle Machluf\, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering\, Technion\, Haifa\, Israel \nMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained the most attention in cell therapy\, owing to their ability to traverse physiological barriers\, and target different sites of inflammation including neurological deseases and primary and metastatic tumors\, while exhibiting relative allogeneic safety. However\, once transplanted\, MSCs undergo changes that alter their targeting capabilities and increase their immunogenicity\, only permitting them to exert a short hit-and-run effect. We hypothesised that overcoming these challenges can be realised by combining the safety and inflamatory targeting capabilities of MSCs in an inanimate platform that can withstand limiting host influences. The foundations for this combination are laid by a novel class of nano-vesicles (200 nm)\, termed nano-ghosts (NGs)\, equipped with the membrane proteins of MSCs and can be engineered to express additional exogenous ones. The developed -cGMP compliant- technology for the production of NGs from the whole MSC membranes\, allow us to load them with a diverse payloads and/or engineer them to express ligands that can combat brain tumors and neuroinflamatory deseas such as MS.  Their abundance of natural targeting mechanisms allows the NGs\, injected i.v.\, to bypass the BBB and penetrate the entire tumor bulk or inflamatory site\, and rapidly deploy their payload directly into the targeted cells leading to unprecedented tumor growth inhibition and increased animals’ survival in intracranial glioma model. Surprising data also demonstrate that the NGs by themselves can modulate inflammation via cell-cell interaction and significaly reduce MS symtomes in EAE mice without any payload\, paving the way for their use in other neuroinflamatory deseas such as Alzhimer and Parkinson. Thus\, our results\, so far\, clearly demonstrate the translational potential of NGs\, both as targeted delivery platform as well as a novel immunomodulatory biologic  for brain diseass. \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-prof-marcelle-machluf/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240918T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20240918T130000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20240620T104256Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240719T064603Z
UID:118726-1726660800-1726664400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Maria João Amorim
DESCRIPTION:Advances in understanding and manipulating influenza A virus liquid inclusions\nMaria João Amorim\, PhD\, Group Leader\, Cell Biology of Viral Infection Lab\, Católica Biomedical Research Centre\, Universidade Católica Portuguesa\, and Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência\, Portugal \nMany viruses form biomolecular condensates de novo as part of their replication programmes. Influenza A virus is an important human pathogen that has the genome divided into eight different RNA segments. Interestingly\, each infectious particle contains no more than eight RNA segments and one of each type. Here\, we show that during infection influenza forms liquid condensates named viral inclusions where the eight RNA segments accumulate. Viral inclusions are formed with a single RNA type\, suggesting that these structures are formed before the genomic complex assembles and raises the hypothesis that these are specialized sites for the formation of influenza epidemic and pandemic genomic complexes. We will exchange views on why being liquid could constitute an interesting framework for understanding how influenza genomic complex forms. After\, we will expose advances on how viral inclusions are formed and provide proof of the concept that condensate hardening blocks viral infection in cellula and in vivo. Since native or engineered transitions affect condensate behavior\, phase transitions may offer novel antiviral opportunities for influenza\, as well as for many other viruses that utilize biomolecular condensates during their lifecycle. Finally\, we will show that our efforts to reconstitute in vitro influenza A virus inclusions give rise to a network of interactions built specifically during infection but\, despite being dynamic\, are not liquid but rather a gel-like state. We debate several hypothesis on why we have been unable for far to attain a liquid like character.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-maria-joao-amorim/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241115T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241115T113000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20241002T150616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241002T150616Z
UID:120574-1731664800-1731670200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Slav Bagriantsev
DESCRIPTION:3D architecture and mechanism of touch detection in the Pacinian corpuscle \nSlav Bagriantsev\, Associate Professor of Cellular & Molecular Physiology\, Yale School of Medicine\, USA \nPacinian corpuscles are specialized mechanoreceptor end-organs that detect transient touch and high-frequency vibration in the skin and viscera of many vertebrates. Corpuscles have a complex cellular organization\, which includes a mechanoreceptor afferent surrounded by lamellar Schwann cells (LSCs) and several layers of outer core cells. How these components contribute to the sensory tuning of Pacinian corpuscles is unclear. We used Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) to determine the detailed 3D architecture of an entire Pacinian corpuscle\, including all corpuscular components\, and utilized electrophysiology to reveal the contribution of each component to touch detection. In the prevailing model\, the multilayered outer core serves as a mechanical filter that limits static and low-frequency stimuli from reaching the afferent terminal—the presumed sole site of touch detection in corpuscles. We show that the outer core is dispensable for the sensory tuning of Pacinian corpuscles to transient touch and high-frequency vibration; instead\, these properties arise from the inner core. We show that LSCs express mechanically gated ion channels and form a gap junction-coupled syncytium around the afferent terminal. By acting as additional touch sensors\, LSCs potentiate mechanosensitivity of the terminal\, which detects touch via fast inactivating ion channels. We present a new model\, in which the functional tuning of Pacinian corpuscles is enabled by an interplay between mechanosensitive LSCs and the afferent terminal in the inner core.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-slav-bagriantsev/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241119T143000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241119T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20241030T083108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241030T083216Z
UID:121137-1732026600-1732033800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Benoît Ladoux
DESCRIPTION:Mechanical imprints of cell fate and cell competition\nBenoît Ladoux\, Institut Jacques Monot (IJM) Paris \nEpithelia are communities of cells with close intercellular communications and of highly ordered coordination in their motion.\nMechanical properties of epithelial tissues are important for our understanding of many vital biological processes\, including homeostasis\, morphogenesis\, and metastasis and are tightly regulated by cell-cell interactions. I will present examples highlighting the importance of mechanical forces during cell extrusion and cell competition. In the first part\, I will focus on how cell extrusion and the fate of extruding cells from epithelial tissues can be determined by mechanical stresses. In the second part\, I will show how cell competition\, a mechanism by which the expansion of one cell population leads to the elimination of another\, can be governed by the transmission of intercellular forces. Throughout the talk\, I’ll discuss the close links between mechanics and cell biology\, as well as possible analogies between physical and biological systems.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-benoit-ladoux/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241128T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241128T133000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20241004T071403Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241119T092340Z
UID:120576-1732795200-1732800600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Raül Andero Galí
DESCRIPTION:Translating fear mechanisms between humans and mice\nRaül Andero Galí\, PhD\, ICREA Research Professor at the Institute of Neurosciences of the Autonomous University of Barcelona \nSex-specific mechanisms in fear memory and extinction may explain certain neuropsychiatric disorders like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In male mice\, chemogenetic silencing of centromedial amygdala (CeM)-Tac2 fibers in the lateral posterior part of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis (BNSTpl) impaired fear memory\, while optogenetic excitation enhanced inhibitory postsynaptic currents. In vivo calcium imaging in freely moving mice revealed a sex-dimorphic fear memory engram in the BNSTpl. In humans\, the TAC3R single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs2765) reduced CeM-BNST connectivity and impaired fear memory in men but not women. In a different study\, female mice subjected to acute stress exhibited fear extinction impairments linked to hypothalamic Pacap and Pac1R upregulation. Similar fear extinction deficits were observed in women with PTSD carriers of the PAC1R SNP (rs2267735). Together\, these studies highlight sex-differences in neural circuits regulating fear memory\, which may influence vulnerability to PTSD. \nPlease contact Silvia Pittolo if you would like to meet the speaker: spittolo@ibecbarcelona.eu
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-raul-andero-gali/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241217T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20241217T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20241204T092845Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241204T092845Z
UID:122171-1734447600-1734451200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Prof. Yuval Ebenstein
DESCRIPTION:Beyond NGS: A toolbox for single-molecule epigenetic analysis of DNA\nProf. Yuval Ebenstein\, Department of Physical Chemistry\, Department of Biomedical Engineering\, Founder\, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tel Aviv University\, Israel. \nDNA sequencing (NGS) is revolutionizing all fields of biological research. Still\, it fails to extract the full range of information associated with genetic material and cannot resolve important variations between genomes. The information content of the genome extends beyond the base sequence in the form of chemical modifications such as DNA methylation or chromosomal association with DNA-binding proteins (chromatin). For the last decade\, my lab has been developing tools for genomic analysis at the single-cell and single-molecule levels. I will show how the physical extension of long DNA molecules in nanofluidic channels reveals this information in the form of a linear\, optical\, or electrical “barcode\,” like beads threaded on a string\, where each bead represents a distinct type of observable.  I’ll present a biochemical and physical toolbox for mapping epigenetic modifications in the genome and demonstrate its application in clinical cancer research. Finally\, I will talk about a DNA chip developed in the lab and the adventure of building a startup based on this technology. \n  \nShort Bio:\nProf. Yuval Ebenstein is a scientist and entrepreneur with years of experience in translational research. Yuval is head of the NanoBioPhotonix Lab and the founder of the Tel Aviv University Entrepreneurship Center. In his lab\, Yuval combines Chemistry\, Physics\, Biology\, and bioinformatics in order to study the human genome. His lab explores genomes utilizing tools and reagents from the realm of nano-technology\, zooming in on single cells\, single chromosomes\, and single molecules. Yuval is the winner of two ERC awards for developing genomic technologies and is the founder of JaxBio\, a liquid biopsy methylation-based diagnostics startup. 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-prof-yuval-ebenstein/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250114T143000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250114T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250108T081619Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250108T081619Z
UID:122688-1736865000-1736872200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Sylvain Gabriele
DESCRIPTION:Mechanobiology of epithelial cells: curvature\, confinement and memory\nSylvain Gabriele\, University of Mons \nThe directed migration of epithelial cell collectives through coordinated movements is fundamental to numerous physiological and pathological processes. While these dynamics are often studied in large\, confluent monolayers\, many migration phenomena involve the movement of small\, polarized epithelial clusters and their interactions with external geometries. Additionally\, epithelial monolayers must adapt to variations in local curvature during processes like tissue folding and morphogenesis\, which are critical for development and homeostasis. Despite their significance\, spatial confinement and curvature-induced adaptations remain poorly understood due to challenges in reproducing these conditions in vitro. We will first introduce a photopolymerization technique using optical photomasks to fabricate wavy hydrogels\, allowing precise exploration of how concave and convex curvatures influence the mechanical properties of epithelial monolayers and induce nuclear deformations. Our findings highlight the pivotal roles of active cellular mechanics and nuclear mechano adaptation in regulating epithelial responses to substrate curvature. In the second part\, we will employ well-defined in vitro systems based on micropatterned adhesive stripes to examine the migration of individual cells and small epithelial clusters with controlled geometries. We will demonstrate the critical role of geometry in defining the migration behaviors of cells and clusters\, offering a framework to uncover the rules governing their interactions with physical boundaries. Notably\, we will present evidence that migrating cells retain a “mechanical memory” of past morphological states\, enabling enhanced navigation through confined environments. This long-term memory of confinement\, mediated by actin cortex remodeling\, provides new insights into how cells adapt to dynamic microenvironments and navigate complex spaces. \nPlease contact Manuel Salmeron Sanchez if you would like to meet the speaker: msalmeron@ibecbarcelona.eu
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-sylvain-gabriele/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250214T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250214T130000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250131T083800Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250212T080738Z
UID:123429-1739534400-1739538000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Prof. Joo H. Kang and Prof. Jinmyoung Joo
DESCRIPTION:Microfluidic Approaches for Infection Treatment and Vascularized Tissue Regeneration\nJoo H. Kang\, Ph.D.\, Associate Professor Department of Biomedical Engineering\, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology  \nExtracorporeal blood treatments for severe bacteremic sepsis have shown limited success\, primarily due to the lack of effective strategies to remove various pathogenic materials from the bloodstreams. This presentation will focus on two of the most recent approaches addressing this challenge. The first utilizes red blood cell (RBC) membrane-coated superparamagnetic nanoclusters (RBC-SPNCs) that target a broad spectrum of bacteria and viruses in infected whole blood. In a swine sepsis model\, these RBC-SPNCs demonstrated rapid capture and magnetic separation of various pathogens\, even at high blood flow rates. Treatment of swine infected with multidrug-resistant E. coli significantly alleviated severe bacteremia-induced organ dysfunction within 12 hours\, suggesting potential therapeutic utility in large animal models and possibly in human sepsis treatment. The second approach enables efficient bacterial removal by leveraging RBC deformability\, which induces their axial migration and promotes bacterial margination\, thereby enhancing capture efficiency within the microscale flow path of the extracorporeal device. \nToward the end of the presentation\, we will discuss fully vascularized implants created using autologous blood plasma through a microfluidic device. Our results show that implanting theses vascularized scaffolds onto cutaneous wound sites significantly facilitated wound healing in a rodent model\, resulting in increased collagen deposition\, higher hair follicle numbers\, and improved wound closure rates. The microvascular structures we implanted were anastomosed with the host’s blood vessels\, enabling rapid deployment of neutrophils to the wound site and promoting the polarization of M2 macrophages\, which further facilitated the wound healing process. \n  \nEngineering functional nanoparticles for translational and precision medicine\nJinmyoung Joo\, Associate Professor Department of Biomedical Engineering\, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology \nNanotechnology is of great importance to molecular biology and medicine because life processes are maintained by the action of a series of biological molecular nanomachines in the cell machinery. Recent advances in nanotechnology offer great potential applications in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics\, and the development of a novel toolkit is critical to understand the inner world of complex biological nanosystems at cell\, tissue and whole-body level. In particular\, the unique combinations of material properties that can be achieved with nanomaterials provide new opportunities in biomedical applications\, in which a number of functional nanomaterials have been investigated and become a new interdisciplinary frontier between biomedical science and materials engineering. \nIn this talk\, self-destructing hybrid nanoparticles based on porous inorganic scaffolds and lipids will be discussed. The material allows a modular approach to the design of imaging or therapeutic agents\, which includes features such as: intrinsic photoluminescence; singlet oxygen sensitization; capacity for a wide range of payloads such as magnetic nanoparticles\, large proteins\, or oligonucleotides; tunable degradation rates; and large external surface to provide multivalent targeting. Luminescent nanoparticles offer a non-toxic alternative to heavy metal-based quantum dots\, and they have been shown to be biodegradable and to safely image tumors and organs in live animals. The addition of a targeting ligand that selectively interacts with tissues can improve the efficacy of imaging and drug delivery. These effects can be further enhanced if the nanoparticle contains more than one copy of the targeting ligand\, enabling multivalent interactions with the targeted tissue. The use of the feasible functionality and biodegradable characteristics of the nanoparticles for in vitro and in vivo imaging and drug delivery systems will be highlighted.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-prof-joo-h-kang-and-prof-jinmyoung-joo/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250220T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250220T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250210T143451Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250211T093159Z
UID:123814-1740045600-1740049200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar: Dr Stefano Angioletti Uberti
DESCRIPTION:Multivalent interactions: Old concept\, new tricks\nDr Stefano Angioletti Uberti\, Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London \nArguably\,multivalency has been used since the 1970s as a mechanism to increase the binding strength while using weak ligand-receptor pairs. While this (somewhat naive) view as a general approach to increase binding strength must be taken with a pinch of salt but\, it also downplays the importance of multilvalent interactions for selectivity. In fact\, multivalent interactions become crucial to obtain binding selectivity in scenarios where targets vs non-target entitites (cells\, viruses\, …) do not differ by the presence or lack of a specific receptor\, but by receptors’ spatial distribution. In this seminar\, I will describe some of our most recent research into this topic\, focusing on two intriguing cases: the use of multivalent binding to enhance targeting in drug-delivery\, and its (potential) role as a general mechanism to regulate how cells “sense” and react to their environment.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-dr-stefano-angioletty-uberti/
LOCATION:Torres I\, Floor -1\, Room 3
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250321T000000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250321T130000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250228T080838Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250306T072815Z
UID:124480-1742515200-1742562000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar. Science and poetry
DESCRIPTION:El pròxim 21 de març\, coincidint amb el Dia Internacional de la Poesia\, l’IBEC ha programat una sessió poètica especial conduïda per Mireia Casanyes. Aquesta activitat forma part de Ciència Radical\, un programa cultural creat en col·laboració amb el CCCB\, que busca explorar les connexions entre ciència\, humanitats i arts per repensar la realitat que ens envolta. El seminari s’inscriu també dins la residència poètica de Mireia Casanyes a l’IBEC.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-science-and-poetry/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250328T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250328T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250313T084503Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250327T140437Z
UID:124724-1743152400-1743170400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:Workshop 2. NET-AI: AI fundamentals and use cases in healthcare
DESCRIPTION:In this second workshop of the AI for Bioengineering thematic network (NET-AI)\, an introduction\, both theoretical and practical\, to the fundamental concepts and main algorithms of artificial intelligence applied to bioengineering will be given. To this end\, a first seminar will introduce the fundamental concepts of AI. This will be followed by a practical programming activity in Python\, in which attendees will be able to bring their laptop to practice the implementation of simple AI models. Finally\, a second seminar will offer a more specific vision of AI use cases in the healthcare field for decision-making. \n  \nSchedule programme \n09:00 – Registration and Welcome \n09:15 – Santiago Marco\, IBEC group “Signal and Information Processing for Sensing Systems”\, “AI fundamentals” \n10: 15 – Coffee Break \n10:45 – Moritz Marquardt\, University of Stuttgart\, AI practical activity (own computer required) \n12:15 – Short break \n12:30 – Plenary: Alexandre Perera\, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)\,“From Ontology-Based Classifiers for Rare Conditions to Transformer-Based Models for Type 2 Diabetes – Opportunities and Risks” \n13:30 – Final remarks and closing \nTo register\, click here. \nHealth Data Science: From Ontology-Based Classifiers for Rare Conditions to Transformer-Based Models for Type 2 Diabetes – Opportunities and Risks\nAlexandre Perera \nHealth data science is transforming disease prediction and diagnosis through advanced AI models. This talk explores two key frontiers: ontology-based classifiers for rare diseases and transformer-based models for type 2 diabetes prediction. Ontology-based methods\, such as those leveraging the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)\, enhance diagnostic precision in rare conditions by mapping patient-reported symptoms to expert-curated knowledge bases (Manzini et al.\, 2022). Initiatives like Share4Rare promote citizen science and collaborative rare disease research\, fostering data sharing and patient engagement (Radu et al.\, 2021). Additionally\, expert models aid in the early identification of inherited kidney diseases\, integrating clinical expertise with machine learning (Fayos de Arizon et al.\, 2023) For prevalent conditions like type 2 diabetes\, deep learning models excel in trajectory prediction using longitudinal health records. Attention-based encoders and deep clustering approaches have demonstrated high accuracy in forecasting disease progression and personalizing treatment strategies (Manzini et al.\, 2022\, 2025). However\, the integration of AI in clinical decision-making presents both opportunities and risks\, including model bias\, explainability challenges\, and ethical concerns regarding data privacy. This discussion highlights the transformative potential of AI-driven disease prediction while addressing the need for robust validation\, transparency\, and responsible deployment in healthcare.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/net-ai-workshop-1-advances-in-biomedical-imaging-for-knowledge-extraction/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250404T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250404T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250328T065928Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250328T065956Z
UID:124990-1743764400-1743764400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:Ibec Seminar. Emma Puighermanal Puigvert
DESCRIPTION:Clearing the Haze: Cannabinoids in Brain Research and Therapy\nDra. Emma Puighermanal Puigvert\, Group Leader at the Neuroscience Institute\, Autonomous University of Barcelona\, Bellaterra\, Spain \nCannabinoids—compounds found in the cannabis plant—are powerful modulators of brain function that interact with the brain’s endocannabinoid system\, a key player in processes like memory\, mood\, and neural communication. Two of the best known cannabinoids\, THC and CBD\, have gained increasing attention for their exciting therapeutic potential\, and in the case of CBD\, complete lack of psychoactive effects. Understanding how these compounds affect neuronal processes is key to optimizing their medical use while minimizing side effects. In this talk\, Dr. Puighermanal will take us inside the neural circuits to explore how cannabinoids act at the cellular and molecular level. She will reveal how repeated THC exposure reshapes gene expression and synaptic function in memory-related brain circuits\, and how this can explain some of its cognitive effects. Shifting gears\, she will then present compelling evidence for CBD’s disease-modifying action in mouse models of Leigh syndrome—a severe pediatric mitochondrial disorder with no approved treatments to date. From decoding memory modulation to uncovering novel therapeutic pathways\, this research sheds new light on the brain’s response to cannabinoids—and what it could mean for future medicine.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-emma-puighermanal-puigvert/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250516T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250516T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250512T064805Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250512T065637Z
UID:125629-1747389600-1747393200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion: Ángela Martínez-Mateos  and Alice Perucca
DESCRIPTION:DnaA as a key regulator of ribonucleotide reductase genes in P. aeruginosa.\nÁngela Martínez-Mateos\, Bacterial Infections and Antimicrobial Therapies Group \nPseudomonas aeruginosa is a highly adaptable opportunistic pathogen that exhibits both acquired and innate antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Due to its survival capabilities in various environments\, discovering new therapeutic strategies is essential. Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs)\, essential enzymes for dNTP synthesis\, have become promising targets for fighting P. aeruginosa infections. There are three main RNR classes (I\, II\, III)\, each distinguished by how their radical is generated\, the metal required\, cofactor type\, structure\, and oxygen needs. P. aeruginosa encodes all three RNR classes in its genome and understanding them is crucial for comprehending its metabolic adaptability under different growth conditions\, such as planktonic\, during infection\, or biofilm formation. \nOur laboratory previously discovered that class Ia (nrdAB) is regulated by AlgR\, a positive transcriptional regulator that controls mucoidy in P. aeruginosa\, and by NrdR\, the master negative regulator of RNR that regulates all three classes. However\, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the regulatory network of the class Ia RNR\, and we don’t fully understand which transcriptional regulators are involved in the fine-tuning of gene regulation for the different RNR classes. \nThis project aims to identify new transcriptional regulators through genomic\, transcriptomic\, and proteomic approaches. It has been suggested that DnaA\, among other transcriptional regulators\, could be involved in the regulation of these pathways. Comprehensive studies of these regulators are necessary to elucidate the complex regulatory networks and hierarchical organization of these factors. Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing effective strategies to combat P. aeruginosa infections \n  \nEngineering the tumour ecosystem on a chip: a new tool to test cancer immunotherapies\nAlice Perucca\, Integrative Cell and Tissue Dynamics group \nImmunotherapy has emerged as a revolutionary approach in cancer treatment\, offering the potential for durable responses and improved patient survival. However\, a significant proportion of patients fail to respond to these therapies\, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of the factors that govern treatment success. The tumour microenvironment\, a complex ecosystem comprising various cell types and extracellular components\, plays a critical role in shaping anti-tumour immune responses and influencing immunotherapy efficacy. Understanding the intricate interplay between tumour cells\, stromal components\, and immune cells within this microenvironment is essential for identifying the mechanisms underlying treatment resistance and developing strategies to overcome it. This project focuses on the development of a novel microfluidic “cancer-on-chip” device\, a promising approach to model and study these intricated interactions in vitro. The device recapitulates key aspects of the tumour microenvironment\, including spatial organization and cellular interactions\, including cells of the immune system. By recreating an in vivo-like environment\, this platform provides insights into immune cell behaviour in the tumour ecosystem and facilitates the screening of novel immunotherapeutic strategies.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-angela-martinez-mateos-and-alice-perucca/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250613T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250613T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250317T094309Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250317T094634Z
UID:124832-1749808800-1749812400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar. Prof. Brendan Kennedy
DESCRIPTION:Optical coherence elastography: imaging cell and tissue mechanics on the micro-scale\nProfessor Brendan Kennedy. Department of Electrical\, Electronic and Computer Engineering\, School of Engineering\, The University of Western Australia. Group Leader\, BRITElab\, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research\, Western Australia. Institute of Physics\, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun\, Poland \nAbstract: As the importance of mechanical properties in the origin and progression of disease becomes ever clearer\, new elastography tools are required to map cell and tissue mechanics on the micro-scale. Elastography has been developed over a wide range of spatial scales\, from the cellular\, for example\, using atomic force microscopy\, through to the whole organ\, using ultrasound elastography and magnetic resonance elastography. However\, existing techniques are not capable of probing tissue mechanical properties on the intermediate micro- to milli-scale: a scale critical in the onset and progression of many diseases. Optical coherence elastography (OCE) aims to bridge the scale gap in elastography techniques. Through the utilization of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure tissue motion\, OCE is endowed with spatial resolution as high as 1-10 mm\, much higher than is possible using ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging\, and a sensitivity to tissue displacement on the nanometer-scale\, providing the prospect to detect much finer changes in mechanical properties. \nIn this talk\, I will describe methods we have developed at The University of Western Australia and Nicolaus Copernicus University to quantify tissue elasticity\, ranging from mechanical loading methods to signal processing techniques to map the full strain tensor. I will focus on main two application areas. Firstly\, the application of OCE to tumour margin assessment in breast cancer\, where we have developed both ex vivo and in vivo OCE methods to detect tumour during surgery to enable surgeons to more accurately remove cancer. Secondly\, in mechanobiology\, I will describe the development of optical coherence microscopy-based elastography for imaging sub-cellular mechanics in three dimensions. I will describe a study we performed on tumour cell spheroids that reveals distinct stiffness in non-metastatic and metastatic spheroids embedded in both soft and stiff hydrogels. \nShort Bio: Prof. Brendan Kennedy is Professor in the School of Engineering at The University of Western Australia (UWA) and is Head of BRITElab at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research\, also in Western Australia. He is currently Visiting Professor in the Institute of Physics at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun\, Poland. Prof. Kennedy received his PhD from Dublin City University\, Ireland\, in 2006. His doctoral thesis focussed on the use of nonlinear polarization rotation in semiconductor optical amplifiers for all-optical switching. His current research focusses on the development of optical coherence tomography and optical elastography and their application in a range of fields\, particularly in surgery\, mechanobiology and tissue engineering. He has published 1 book\, 15 book chapters and >100 peer-reviewed journal papers. Prof. Kennedy has delivered >30 invited talks at national and international conferences. He has been Principal Investigator on competitive research funding of >€12 million and industry-sponsored research contracts of >€3 million.  His work has been cited >8\,000 times and he has a H-index of 39 (source: Google Scholar). He has won a number of awards and recognitions\, including being elected as Optica Fellow in 2025. Prof. Kennedy is co-founder of OncoRes Medical\, a medical device company developing OCE for use in surgery. He served as Chief Scientific Officer at OncoRes from 2017 to 2021. OncoRes has received >€30 million in venture capital funding and currently employs >40 people. In 2021\, the company received the breakthrough designation from the US Food and Drugs Administration. Prof. Kennedy holds >40 granted patents from 8 patent families.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-prof-brendan-kennedy/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250626T123000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250626T133000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250612T131516Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250612T131603Z
UID:126392-1750941000-1750944600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:Ibec Seminar. Dr. Maribel Vazquez
DESCRIPTION:Microfluidic Modeling of Aging Retina\nDr. Maribel Vazquez\,\, Professor of Biomedical Engineering Rutgers\, The State University of New Jersey. https://vazlab.org \nThe dramatic rise of chronic and age-related eye diseases is expected to increase the number of adults with vision loss by 50% in the next decade. Health Disparities with age\, sex\, and geography will further exacerbate impacts of vision loss worldwide. The retinal neurovascular unit plays critical roles in preserving vision from dysfunction caused by common diseases of diabetic retinopathy\, age-related macular degeneration\, and glaucoma. Our group has developed micro-physiological systems to examine cellular and molecular dysfunction across blood retinal barriers produced by food-derived\, advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in circulating blood. Current projects measure changes in the permeability and resistivity of diabetic retinal barriers\, evaluate the use of electric fields to replace photoreceptors in the macula\, and examine newfound roles of glia in mediating retinal integrity within age-related and chronic\, pathological environments. Results highlight the role of microfluidics-based systems in identifying mechanisms of neurovascular response and evaluating effectiveness of pharmacology at different stages of disease. The laboratory also highlights the blending of Health Disparities in the development of biomedical therapies and training of biomedical engineers. \nDr. Vazquez is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers\, The State University of New Jersey. She began her career in industry at Intel Corporation and then completed a Doctor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is an inducted Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers (AIMBE) and Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) for the contributions of microfluidic systems in the visual system. She received the 2023 AIMBE Professional Impact Award for the inclusion of Health Disparities within under/graduate training and was honored as the 2024 Plenary Speaker to the BMES Council of Chairs for integration of health disparities in Biomedical Engineering. She is an invited speaker in the special session of Retinal Engineering at the 2025 Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS).
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-dr-maribel-vazquez/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250627T093000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250627T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250610T102050Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250611T072242Z
UID:126287-1751016600-1751041800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:NET-AI. Workshop 3: "Deep learning for biomedical applications: fundamentals\, trustworthiness and explainability"
DESCRIPTION:This third workshop will focus on Deep Learning. It will start with an introductory session where the fundamental concepts of the subject will be presented\, which will then be put into practice during a hands-on activity focused on biomedical imaging. Then\, two more sessions with international speakers will address critical issues such as trustworthiness and explainability of these models\, two crucial aspects in the biomedical field.  \nSchedule programme:   \n9:40 – Registration   \n9:50 – Welcome from Network Coordinator  \n10:00 – Invited national speaker: Petia Radeva\, University of Barcelona (UB)\, “Deep learning – why everybody talks about it?”  \n11:00 – Coffee break  \n11:30 – Invited national speaker: Roser Sala-Llonch\, University of Barcelona\, “Deep Learning in Biomedical Imaging: Hands-on with Neural Networks and CNNs”  Practical activity – own computer required \n13:30 –  Lunch   \n14:15 – Invited international speaker: Lorin Werthen-Brabants\, Ghent University\,  “Trustworthy and Reliable (Deep) Machine Learning for Healthcare”  \n15:15 – Invited international speaker: Aray Karjauv\, University of Berlin\, “Explainability Beyond Labels: Why We Need XAI for Self-Supervised Learning”  \n16:15 – Final remarks and closing  \nTo registres click here \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/net-ai-workshop-3-deep-learning-for-biomedical-applications-fundamentals-trustworthiness-and-explainability/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250711T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250711T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250704T062700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250704T062700Z
UID:127147-1752228000-1752231600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion. Armando Cortés-Reséndiz and Maria J. Ugarte-Orozco
DESCRIPTION:Decoding skeletal muscle-liver axis in the context of sarcopenia: Towards the multi organ on a chip\nArmando Cortés-Reséndiz (1)\,*\, Francesco De Chiara (1)\, Javier Ramón Azcón (1\,2)\n1 Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia\, Barcelona\, Spain\n2 ICREA-Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats\, Barcelona\, Spain\n*acortes@ibecbarcelona.eu \nSarcopenia is characterized by marked reductions in skeletal muscle mass and quality\, which impacts the mobility and autonomy of patients. [1] They suffer not only from low physical performance and strength but also face a greater risk of falls and further comorbidities\, one of those being non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)\, as reported by some studies [2]. These have described a correlation between diminished muscle strength and the onset of NASH [2]. Thus\, our study examines sarcopenic phenotypes in three-dimensional muscle tissues in contact with conditioned media from NASH.\nThis approach involves subjecting skeletal muscle tissues to incubation in culture media derived from a pre-established model of NASH. We encapsulated human hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in a collagen-based hydrogel. After treatment\, our model accumulates excess lipids upon a challenge with non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs)\, shows activation of HSC\, primary drivers of fibrosis\, and exhibits a proinflammatory environment. We also show the presence of apoptotic phenotypes and paracrine signaling between cell types of the liver. Such conditions trigger an atrophic phenotype in healthy skeletal muscle tissues\, fabricated by encapsulating human myoblasts in a Matrigel and fibrinogen matrix using PDMS casting. Skeletal muscle tissues were functionally evaluated as well by electrical pulse stimulation (EPS). We show that treated tissues exert lower contractile forces during EPS regime compared to our control conditions.\nBoth of our models pose valuable tools to aid in the identification of potential drug targets and therapeutic strategies\, as they mimic key features and cellular microenvironments of sarcopenia and NASH. For this reason\, our investigation marks a critical step toward understanding the intricate associations between these diseases. With the multi organ on a chip in sight\, we will focus on integrating both models inside an organ-on-chip device. \n  \nPlasmonic Biosensors to evaluate complement activation in serum of patients with myasthenia gravis.\nMaria J. Ugarte-Orozco 1*\, Javier Ramón-Azcón 1\, Eduard Gallardo Vigo 2\n1 Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) – Barcelona (Spain)\n2 Institut de Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. U.A.B. – Barcelona (Spain)\n*mugarte@ibecbarcelona.eu \nMyasthenia Gravis (MG)\, an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder affecting nerve-muscle communication\, is characterized by antibodies (Abs) targeting neuromuscular junction (NMJ) receptors. Most patients (80-90%) possess antibodies recognizing the acetylcholine receptor (AChR-MG)\, these anti-AChR Abs play a crucial role in the complement activation system (e.g.\, sC5b-9). These Abs lead to the formation of membrane attack complex (MAC) in the NMJ\, representing the most critical pathogenic mechanism resulting in AChR depletion and subsequent muscle weakness. [1][2] Complement inhibitor therapies are emerging as effective treatments for anti-AChR Abs; however\, the main problem is that considerable variability in treatment response exists\, and current clinical tests have difficulty differentiating primary pathogenic mechanisms in each patient. [3] The identification of complement activation biomarkers could facilitate the treatment selection. To address this\, we aimed to develop a throughput and scalable plasmonic biointerface as an accurate diagnostic tool\, measuring the release of soluble complement (sC5b-9) after its activation by anti-AChR Abs. This biosensor focuses on detecting complement activation in patient samples\, confirming the patient’s eligibility for complement inhibitor therapy\, such as Eculizumab. This strategy enables label-free detection of AChR autoantibody-mediated complement activation\, providing a quick and accurate diagnosis of MG. \nIn this study\, we introduce a biosensor based on a nanostructured polycarbonate substrate from Blu-ray discs with a thin gold layer\, utilizing Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) for analysis. It employs antibody-antigen as biorecognition elements to detect sC5b-9 in serum samples. We successfully optimized the biofunctionalization of cys-Protein G\, an antibody-binding protein targeting the Fc region that enables orientation to the antibody\, exposing the binding sites towards the analyte to enhance surface sensitivity. The biosensing potential was demonstrated by the detection of sC5b-9 in commercial human serum\, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.76 ng/mL in culture media and when working with human sera 0.92 ng/mL. Additionally\, the performance of the plasmonic biosensor was assessed with a cohort of sera samples from patients provided by Sant Pau Hospital.\nThe label-free plasmonic biosensor we developed holds great promise for future applications in POC and portable devices within the realm of precision medicine. By offering detailed insights into the specific pathogenic mechanisms underlying MG in individual patients\, our biosensor contributes to more accurate diagnosis and enables the development of personalized treatment strategies. The biosensor’s high sensitivity\, scalability\, and compatibility with clinical workflows position it as a valuable tool for advancing bioengineering and improving patient care in the field of precision medicine.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-armando-cortes-resendiz-and-maria-j-ugarte-orozco/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, IBEC\, Baldiri i Reixac\, Barcelona
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250725T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250725T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250313T084908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250313T084908Z
UID:124728-1753437600-1753441200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC Seminar. Sung Hoon Kang
DESCRIPTION:Bone-inspired materials with self-adaptable mechanical properties and rose prickle-inspired sutureless anastomosis devices for resilient and healthy future\nSung Hoon Kang\, Department of Materials Science and Engineering\, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology \nI will present our ongoing efforts to address current challenges in materials for structural/biomedical applications and surgical procedures to connect blood vessels together based on inspiration from nature. \nFirst\, I will present self-adaptive materials that can change their mechanical properties depending on loading conditions by the coupling between loading and material synthesis [1]. Bone provides structural support for human body\, and it has been a subject of study and inspiration for novel materials due to its outstanding mechanical properties including toughness\, self-healing\, and remodeling capability\, which is desirable to mitigate the failure of materials and structures through fracture and fatigue. However\, it has been challenging for synthetic materials to change and adapt their structures and properties to address the changing loading condition to prevent failure. \nTo address the challenge\, we are inspired by the findings that bones are formed by mineralizing ions from blood onto collagen matrices. I will present a material system that triggers proportional mineral deposition from electrolytes on piezoelectric matrices upon mechanical loadings so that it can self-adapt to mechanical loadings. For example\, the mineralization rate could be modulated by controlling the loading condition\, and a 30-180% increase in the modulus of the material was observed upon varying the cyclic loading condition. Moreover\, our results showed that minerals were preferentially formed near the crack tip where stress was concentrated so that they contribute to blunting the crack tip and mitigating the propagation of the damage. As a result\, the material system showed a decrease in crack propagation speed by ~90%\, compared to samples tested in deionized water without mineral ions. \nTo expand the environment that the material can be utilized\, we have investigated synthesis of liquid-infused porous piezoelectric composites inspired by bone and pitcher plant [2]. I will present our synthesis approach and resulting mechanical properties. The material showed over 36 times increase in modulus and 30 times increase in dissipation after 12 million loading cycles\, demonstrating self-adaptive behavior in air. Furthermore\, the material can be (re)programmed to generate multiple shapes by self-folding based on spatial distribution of mechanical loading. [3]. We envision that our findings can contribute to new strategies for making resilient and sustainable materials for dynamically changing mechanical environments\, with potential applications including infrastructure\, vehicle\, and healthcare [4]. \nSecond\, I will present biomedical devices that can connect blood vessels together without suture. Vascular anastomosis\, the surgical connection of adjacent blood vessels\, is a foundational surgical skill critical for plastic and reconstructive surgery\, transplant surgery\, vascular surgery\, and many other surgical specialties. The current standard of anastomosis is manually suturing two tubular structures together around an opening with fine sutures often requiring a microscope or vessel loupes. This is a century old technique with many challenges. Suturing technique requires extensive surgical training in resource-intensive settings. Procedures are long (60 to 90 minutes per anastomosis)\, expensive (up to $35\,000 per procedure)\, and\, at times\, require specialized equipment (surgical microscope costing over $100\,000 per unit). Even in the hands of skilled surgeons\, the anastomosis can be complicated by leakage or thrombosis; 27% of cases result in complications and 25% require reoperation. Consequently\, there is a pressing need for a more efficient and safer alternative to handsewn anastomosis. \nInspired by rose prickles that are used by the plant for climbing walls\, we report a sutureless anastomosis device with anchors designed to hold free vascular ends together with traction. We utilized 3D printing to find an optimum geometry of anchors by conducting ex-vivo tensile testing and flow measurements\, as well as in-vivo testing with porcine models. We identified an optimum geometry from ex-vivo testing with porcine vessels\, which showed the failure force of our device is comparable or better than that of the handsewn suture (4.9 N) with stretch force tolerance up to 6.3 N. Based on pulsatile flow testing with porcine vessels\, we found no leakage up to 45 mL/min flow rate\, well above the physiologic blood flow rate in a microvascular flap after anastomosis (13.7±5 mL/min). Compared with handsewn anastomosis\, the device resulted in minimum deformation of the anastomotic site. From in-vivo non-survival porcine studies (N=10)\, the device showed successful anastomosis (< 5 min per anastomosis) with no leaking for both arterial and venous anastomoses. There was no thrombosis or other technical failure identified during the 4-hour observation period after device implantation. Our anastomotic device has the ability to innovate the way blood vessels are put together making current procedures faster\, easier\, and safer. We envision our sutureless anastomotic device will contribute to significantly improve medical readiness and make anastomotic techniques more accessible to a broad range of clinicians\, researchers\, and patients across the world.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-sung-hoon-kang/
LOCATION:Torres I\, Floor -1\, Room 1
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250918T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250918T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250915T090253Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T090308Z
UID:128347-1758189600-1758193200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:Ibec Seminar. Dr. Genís Prat Ortega
DESCRIPTION:Neurostimulation to correct neural circuit and motoneuron dysfunction \nDr. Genís Prat Ortega\, PhD in Computational Neuroscience at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. \nNeurostimulation therapies such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS) or deep brain stimulation have shown unprecedented  clinical success in improving voluntary motor control. In this case the stimulation can be understood as a neuroprosthetic because it assists movement but its effect vanishes when turned off.  In my presentation\, I will show how neurostimulation can be used not only as an assistive neuroprosthetic but also as a therapy to correct neural network dysfunction. Specifically\, I will show my postdoctoral work where we used SCS to correct motorneuron dysfunction in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is an inherited neurodegenerative disease causing motoneuron dysfunction\, muscle weakness and early mortality. Three therapies can slow disease progression enabling people to survive albeit with lingering motoneuron dysfunction and severe motor impairments. Starting from preclinical evidence showing that motoneuron dysfunction in SMA originates from the loss of excitatory inputs from primary afferents\, we hypothesized that artificial augmentation of sensory neural activity with electrical stimulation could compensate for this loss thereby reverting motoneuron function. To test this hypothesis we implanted three adults with SMA with epidural electrodes over the lumbosacral spinal cord to stimulate the sensory axons of the legs. We stimulated participants for 4 weeks 2 hours per day while they executed walking and strength tasks.  Remarkably\, our neurostimulation regime led to robust improvements in strength\, walking and fatigue paralleled by reduced neuronal hyperexcitability and higher motoneuron firing rates. Our data indicates that neurostimulation can reverse a degenerative process of circuit dysfunction thus promoting disease modifying effects in a human neurodegenerative disease. Finally\, I will discuss future neurostimulation applications to correct neural network dysfunction. \n  \nThe Attendance to this seminar will count for the PhD Certificate of Excellence.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-dr-genis-prat-ortega/
LOCATION:Baobab room\, Floor 11\, Tower 1
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250919T084500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20250919T154500
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250718T083950Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T130117Z
UID:127542-1758271500-1758296700@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:NET-NANO. Workshop 3: Emerging nanotherapeutic modalities
DESCRIPTION:The Next-Generation Nanomedicine Network (NET-NANO) is hosting its third workshop on September 19th\, focusing on emerging nanotherapeutic modalities. This event will explore the latest advancements in self-adaptive\, stimuli-responsive\, and immunomodulatory strategies for nanomedicine. The workshop will feature talks from both internal IBEC researchers and leading external experts\, including plenary sessions by Prof. Hélder A. Santos\, Prof. Víctor F. Puntes\, and Associate Prof. Cristina Fornaguera. Join us for a day of insightful presentations\, a challenge board\, and a roundtable discussion to network and explore the future of nanomedicine. \nRegistration (here) is mandatory (deadline 12th of September) \n  \nScheduled Program: \n08:45-09:00 – Registration \n09:00-09:10 – Welcome from Network Coordinator \n09:10-09:40 – Ekin Opar (Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches\, IBEC)\n“Triplet-Sensitized Photopharmacology for Deep Tissue Modulation of Cardiac Activity” \n09:40-10:10 – Bárbara Borges Fernandes (Molecular Bionics\, IBEC)\n“Chemotactic Liposomes as Minimal Models of Active Navigation” \n10:10-11:10 – Plenary: Prof. Hélder A. Santos (University Medical Center Groningen\, The Netherlands)\n“RNA-Based Polysaccharide Nanoformulations for Myocardium Infarction Therapy” \n11:10-11:40 – Coffee Break & Challenge Board \n11:40-12:10 – Dr. Juan C. Fraire (Smart Nano-Bio-Devices\, IBEC/ IQAC-CSIC – Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia)\n“Combining Nanocarrier Design and Self-Propulsion for Delivery of Nucleic Acids” \n12:10-13:10 – Plenary: Prof. Víctor F. Puntes (ICN2 – Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia/ VHIR – Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca\, Spain)\n“Doping Cerium Oxide Nanocrystals with Oxygen Vacancies to Regulate Mitochondrial Function in the Context of Immune Exhaustion\, Loss of Immunosurveillance and Cancer Development” \n13:10-14:10 – Networking Lunch \n14:10-15:10 – Plenary: Associate Prof. Cristina Fornaguera (IQS – Institut Químic de Sarrià/ URL – Universitat Ramon Llull\, Spain)\n“Overcoming Biological Barriers: RNA Delivery via Poly(β-amino ester) Nanocarriers” \n15:10-15:40 – Roundtable Discussion \n15:40-15:45 – Farewell from Network Representatives \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/net-nano-workshop-3-emerging-nanotherapeutic-modalities/
LOCATION:Sala Dolors Aleu\, Cluster II\, Parc Científic de Barcelona\, Barcelona\, Spain
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20251113T092000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20251113T133000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20250806T070801Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251028T092121Z
UID:128073-1763025600-1763040600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:NET-RARE. Workshop 3: Identification of Biomarkers and Diagnostic Models for Rare Diseases
DESCRIPTION:NET-RARE third workshop third workshop focuses on the latest technologies for identifying new biomarkers to enable early detection and better characterization of rare diseases. It also aims to explore strategies for using biomarkers to monitor disease progression and incorporate them as secondary endpoints in clinical trials. \nThe session will open with Marina Giannotti from IBEC’s Nanoprobes & Nanoswitches group\, whose research explores mechanical biomarkers and evaluates therapeutic approaches for several rare conditions\, including lysosomal storage disorders and collagen VI-related dystrophies. This will be followed by a presentation from Turgut Durduran of ICFO’s Medical Optics group (ICFO-MEDOPT)\, who will showcase his collaborative work with Sant Joan de Déu Hospital on rare paediatric diseases. This interdisciplinary group focuses on creating advanced photonic technologies to support pre-clinical and clinical biomedicine. \nThe plenary lecture will be delivered by international guest Pietro Spitali\, from the Department of Human Genetics at Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands). His research focuses on advancing our understanding of neuromuscular disorders through biomarker-based approaches. His group combines spatial technologies to connect biomarker signatures with tissue morphology and employs a multidisciplinary strategy that integrates molecular biomarker discovery in blood samples with a range of “omics” techniques. His work spans quantitative laboratory methods\, statistical modeling\, and the integration of complex datasets. \nAfter a networking break\, Marc Moltó from VHIR’s Clinical Biochemistry\, Drug Delivery and Therapy group will present their recent progress in biomarker identification for lysosomal storage disorders. The workshop will conclude with a talk by Aranzazu Villasante of IBEC’s Nanobioengineering group\, who will present their work on biomarker discovery using engineered models of rare cancers \n Join us to explore the next steps to tackle rare diseases ! \nWorkshop held in the framework of the IBEC Thematic Networks. \nRegistration (below) is mandatory. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nPROGRAMME \n09:20 – Registration \n09:30 – Welcome and introduction \n09:40 – Marina Giannotti\, IBEC group “Nanoprobes & Nanoswitches”\, “Nanomechanics in the search for Disease Markers: Focus on Molecular Dystrophy and Lipidosis” \n10:10 – National invited speaker: Turgut Durduran from ICFO-Medical Optics (ICFO-MEDOPT) group. “Non-invasive measurement of deep tissue oxygen metabolism and blood flow:  background\, clinical relevance and potential for personalized treatment of rare diseases”. \n10:40 – International invited speaker: Pietro Spitali from Human Genetics Department of the Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands)\, “Circulating and local biomarkers in neuromuscular disorders” \n11:30 – Coffee break and Networking \n12:00 – National invited speaker: Marc Moltó from VHIR group “Clinical Biochemistry\, Drug Delivery and Therapy”\, “Biomarkers in Fabry disease: Challenges in clinical diagnosis and follow-up” \n12:30 –Aranzazu Villasante\, IBEC Group “Nanobioengineering”\, “Predictive Bioengineered Niches for Biomarker Discovery in Developmental Cancers” \n13:00 – Remarks and Closing \nAbstracts of the plenary talks will be available here (Network programme). \n  \n\nREGISTRATION
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/net-rare-workshop-3-identification-of-biomarkers-and-diagnostic-models-for-rare-diseases/
LOCATION:Baobab room\, Floor 11\, Tower 1
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20251212T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20251212T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T004229
CREATED:20251013T063307Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251013T063327Z
UID:129019-1765533600-1765537200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:Ibec Seminar. Anne de Poulpiquet
DESCRIPTION:CHARACTERIZATION OF ENZYMATIC BIOELECTRODES BY IN SITU FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY\nA. de Poulpiquet\,1 A. Guessab\, 1 H. M. Man\,1 I. Mazurenko\,1 L. Bouffier\,2 E. Lojou1 \n1Aix-Marseille Univ.\, CNRS\, Bioenergetics and Protein Engineering\, UMR 7281\, Marseille \n2 Institute of Molecular Sciences\, UMR CNRS 5255\, Univ. Bordeaux\, ENSMAC\, Pessac \nadepoulpiquet@imm.cnrs.fr \nRedox enzymes present remarkable catalytic properties (exceptional selectivity\, high kinetic constant\, low overvoltage\, etc.) which are particularly interesting for bio-electrochemical devices (biosensors\, biofuel cells\, bioreactors). In the latter\, they are immobilized at the surface of an electrode to enable electron transfer. Using three-dimensional (3D) electrodes improves the performance of the devices (sensitivity\, current densities). However\, enzymatic catalysis is very sensitive to the local environment (pH\, temperature\, ionic strength\, concentration of substrates\, products or inhibitors\, etc.) whose composition\, in the case of interfacial reactions\, can differ from the bulk of the solution. These disparities are exacerbated when the enzymes are confined in the pores of 3D electrodes\, due to the complexity of the associated mass transport. However\, electrochemistry only provides indirect information on the environment of the electrode. Therefore\, there is a major interest in coupling electrochemical techniques to other methods for collecting simultaneously spatial information.1-3 Precious information about mass transport and reactivity can be obtained by investigating the concentration profiles of the different species near the electrode surface\, or in the volume of a porous electrode. We show that in situ fluorescence confocal laser-scanning microscopy (FCLSM) coupled with electrochemistry enables investigation of redox enzyme reactivity involving the indirect generation of fluorogenic species.4\, 5 One of the most interesting features of FCLSM is the possibility to reconstruct 3D concentration profiles. Recording fluorescence in the volume adjacent to the electrode under potential control thus enables rebuilding the diffusion layer.2-5 We show that the method can be implemented to characterize electro-enzymatic catalysis at various planar and structured 3D electrodes.4\, 5 For example\, enzymatic O2 reduction involves proton transfers\, which was evidenced via the fluorescence change of strongly pH-dependent fluorophores. Local pH changes in the electrode plane were measured during O2 reduction catalyzed by an immobilized bilirubin oxidase. Moreover\, proton gradients generated during the enzymatic electrode reaction were imaged and their expansion under various experimental conditions were determined. Finally\, the method enabled direct imaging of the evolution of confined environments in porous 3D electrodes such as gas-diffusion layers during electro(enzymatic) catalysis.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-seminar-anne-de-poulpiquet/
LOCATION:Baobab room\, Floor 11\, Tower 1
CATEGORIES:IBEC Seminar
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR