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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20171027T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20171027T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20171006T104405Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20171006T104405Z
UID:96113-1509098400-1509102000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Sessions: Berta Gumí and Natalia Feiner
DESCRIPTION:Nanomechanical and structural properties of supported lipid bilayers\nBerta Gumí\, Nanoprobes and nanoswitches group\nBiological membranes are flexible self-sealing boundaries that form the permeability barriers for cells and organelles\, also playing a structural role under combination of forces. Understanding the physical properties of the membrane is essential to get a better knowledge on the function of its constituents. Moreover\, changes in membrane properties can affect receptor functioning\, protein-membrane and protein-protein associations\, as well as small molecule gradients. With atomic force microscopy (AFM) and AFM-based force spectroscopy (AFM-FS) we evaluate morphological and nanomechanical parameters of hydrated supported lipid bilayers (SLBs)\, that can be directly correlated with the lipid lateral organization and composition in the membrane. Being SLBs 2D ordered structures\, grazing incidence X-Rays (XR) techniques are powerful to probe lateral and vertical organization in the length scales ranging from angstroms to microns. By combining AFM and XR we obtain not only information about the morphological and nanomechanical properties\, but also more insights on the structure and organization of SLBs. This approach allows studying the interaction of membrane constituents and its associations with small molecules. \nStudying nanoparticle interactions with blood components using super resolution microscopy\nNatalia Feiner\, Nanoscopy for nanomedicine group\nThe formation of the protein corona when nanoparticles are introduced into the blood stream alters their interactions with the target cells\, affecting their functionality and performances in vivo [1]. Therefore\, to improve the design of effective nanoparticles it is important to understand the composition and temporal evolution of the protein corona. In the present work we use super-resolution optical microscopy (SRM) to study the protein corona growing on mesoporous silica nanoparticles. SRM enables us not only the imaging but the quantification of single proteins [ref]. Interestingly\, we observed a significant heterogeneity in protein absorption between individual nanoparticles which was only possible to detect thanks to the high resolution of the technique and its ability to image in a particle-by-particle basis. We studied the role of the surface chemistry in the corona formation and the role of the degradability in the corona evolution in time. Moreover\, we investigate the consequences of protein corona formation on selective cell targeting which provide us a detailed understanding of corona-activity relations. The present methodology is widely applicable to a variety of nanostructures and complements the existing ensemble approaches to further investigate protein corona phenomenon.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-sessions-berta-gumi-and-natalia-feiner-2/
LOCATION:IBEC\, floor 11\, Tower I\, Baldiri Reixac 4-8\, 08028 Barcelona\, Spain
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170630T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170630T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20170425T130759Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170630T073049Z
UID:28888-1498816800-1498820400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Session: Javier Burgués and Jemish Parmar
DESCRIPTION:Metal Oxide Gas Sensors for mHealth Applications\nJavier Burgués\, Signal and information processing for sensing systems group\nVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath carry valuable information for the diagnosis of various diseases related to respiratory and gastrointestinal dysfunction\, including cancer. There is an urgent need of portable breath VOCs detection devices that provide immediate point-of-care diagnoses of the patient health status that can support important medical decisions. As the market of medical health practice supported by mobile devices (mHealth) grows\, smartphones or wearables equipped with miniaturized chemical sensors would provide the ideal platform to provide real-time healthcare data to the clinic at a very low cost. \nThe evolution of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have resulted in miniaturized metal oxide semiconductor (MOX) gas sensors which are promising for smartphone integration. A potential limitation of MEMS MOX sensing mechanisms may be the ability to accurately report the presence of a compound if the concentration in the sample is lower than the detection limit of the device or if chemical interferences are present in the sample. Current developments in micro-structured hot plates have reduced the power consumption of MOX sensors to the mW range per sensor but still further reductions might be necessary to meet the requirements of mobile manufacturers. \nIn this work\, we compare conventional univariate and multivariate models in their ability to analyze complex data sets from MOX sensors and provide low detection limits in a scenario of carbon monoxide detection under chemical interferences. Elevated levels of exhaled carbon monoxide can be associated to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)\, asthma or smoking habits. We will also propose a low power mode which can reduce the power consumption of the device by one order of magnitude without compromising the stability of the sensor. \n  \nMicromotors for environmental applications\nJemish Parmar\, Smart nano-bio-devices group\nWater contamination is one of the most persistent problems in public health. Recently\, researchers have reported that micromotors can act as an efficient tool for water remediation because of the enhanced mass transfer by active motion. We developed different types of micromotors for water cleaning applications such organics degradation\, heavy metal removal and bactericidal activity. \nAmong the myriad of existing motors\, bubble propelled micromotors\, that move due to the movement and release of gas bubbles\, provide a promising platform for water remediation applications because of the added micro-mixing capability. The surface of the bubble propelled micromotors can be modified to target a wide variety of pollutants. For instance\, rolled-up micromotors (Fe/Pt) with iron as the outer surface can degrade organic pollutants via Fenton-like reaction and the inner platinum layer can act as the engine\, decomposing hydrogen peroxide to oxygen for bubble propulsion. These micromotors are capable of swimming continuously for hours for long term cleaning applications\, are stable for weeks and can be reused in multiple cycles with low sacrifice of their activity. To overcome the higher fabrication cost and mass synthesis issue associated with Fe/Pt micromotors\, we also developed inexpensive cobalt iron oxide based micromotors aiming at removal of pharmaceutical waste. \nFurthermore\, upon surface modification with Graphene oxide and with inner layers of nickel and platinum\, magnetically guided micromotors can capture\, transfer\, and remove heavy metals from water. Mobile GOx-micromotors remove lead 10 times more efficiently than non-motile GOx-micromotors\, cleaning water to below 50 ppb in less than one hour. These micromotors can be also recycled and reused after the recovery of the heavy metal from their surface. \nRegarding bactericidal applications\, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated Janus micromotors can efficiently disinfect and remove Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria from contaminated water\, taking advantage of the bubble propulsion by oxidation of magnesium by water and AgNP’s bactericidal properties. \nOur results show the multifunctionality of self-propelled micromotors\, demonstrating their potential as efficient tools for water remediation.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-session-javier-burgues-and-jemish-parmar/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170630T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170630T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20170425T130759Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170425T130759Z
UID:96049-1498816800-1498820400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Session: Javier Burgués and Jemish Parmar
DESCRIPTION:Metal Oxide Gas Sensors for mHealth Applications\nJavier Burgués\, Signal and information processing for sensing systems group\nVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath carry valuable information for the diagnosis of various diseases related to respiratory and gastrointestinal dysfunction\, including cancer. There is an urgent need of portable breath VOCs detection devices that provide immediate point-of-care diagnoses of the patient health status that can support important medical decisions. As the market of medical health practice supported by mobile devices (mHealth) grows\, smartphones or wearables equipped with miniaturized chemical sensors would provide the ideal platform to provide real-time healthcare data to the clinic at a very low cost. \nThe evolution of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have resulted in miniaturized metal oxide semiconductor (MOX) gas sensors which are promising for smartphone integration. A potential limitation of MEMS MOX sensing mechanisms may be the ability to accurately report the presence of a compound if the concentration in the sample is lower than the detection limit of the device or if chemical interferences are present in the sample. Current developments in micro-structured hot plates have reduced the power consumption of MOX sensors to the mW range per sensor but still further reductions might be necessary to meet the requirements of mobile manufacturers. \nIn this work\, we compare conventional univariate and multivariate models in their ability to analyze complex data sets from MOX sensors and provide low detection limits in a scenario of carbon monoxide detection under chemical interferences. Elevated levels of exhaled carbon monoxide can be associated to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)\, asthma or smoking habits. We will also propose a low power mode which can reduce the power consumption of the device by one order of magnitude without compromising the stability of the sensor. \n  \nMicromotors for environmental applications\nJemish Parmar\, Smart nano-bio-devices group\nWater contamination is one of the most persistent problems in public health. Recently\, researchers have reported that micromotors can act as an efficient tool for water remediation because of the enhanced mass transfer by active motion. We developed different types of micromotors for water cleaning applications such organics degradation\, heavy metal removal and bactericidal activity. \nAmong the myriad of existing motors\, bubble propelled micromotors\, that move due to the movement and release of gas bubbles\, provide a promising platform for water remediation applications because of the added micro-mixing capability. The surface of the bubble propelled micromotors can be modified to target a wide variety of pollutants. For instance\, rolled-up micromotors (Fe/Pt) with iron as the outer surface can degrade organic pollutants via Fenton-like reaction and the inner platinum layer can act as the engine\, decomposing hydrogen peroxide to oxygen for bubble propulsion. These micromotors are capable of swimming continuously for hours for long term cleaning applications\, are stable for weeks and can be reused in multiple cycles with low sacrifice of their activity. To overcome the higher fabrication cost and mass synthesis issue associated with Fe/Pt micromotors\, we also developed inexpensive cobalt iron oxide based micromotors aiming at removal of pharmaceutical waste. \nFurthermore\, upon surface modification with Graphene oxide and with inner layers of nickel and platinum\, magnetically guided micromotors can capture\, transfer\, and remove heavy metals from water. Mobile GOx-micromotors remove lead 10 times more efficiently than non-motile GOx-micromotors\, cleaning water to below 50 ppb in less than one hour. These micromotors can be also recycled and reused after the recovery of the heavy metal from their surface. \nRegarding bactericidal applications\, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated Janus micromotors can efficiently disinfect and remove Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria from contaminated water\, taking advantage of the bubble propulsion by oxidation of magnesium by water and AgNP’s bactericidal properties. \nOur results show the multifunctionality of self-propelled micromotors\, demonstrating their potential as efficient tools for water remediation.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-session-javier-burgues-and-jemish-parmar-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170526T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170526T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20170425T130338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170425T130338Z
UID:96048-1495792800-1495796400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Session: Carlos Pérez and Víctor González
DESCRIPTION:Active wetting of epithelial tissues\nCarlos Pérez\, Integrative cell and tissue dynamics group\nKey biological processes such as cancer and development are characterized by drastic transitions in tissue morphology. These rearrangements have been classically studied as a wetting problem. According to this theory\, wettability of a substrate by an epithelium is determined by the competition between cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion energies. In contrast\, we found that\, far from a passive process\, tissue dewetting is an active process driven by tissue internal forces. Experimentally\, we reproduced epithelial dewetting by promoting a progressive formation of intercellular junctions in a monolayer of epithelial cells. Interestingly\, the formation of intercellular junctions produces an increase in cell contractility\, with the subsequent increase in traction and intercellular stress. At a certain time\, tissue tension overcomes cell-substrate maximum adhesion and the monolayer spontaneously dewets the substrate. We developed an active polar fluid model\, finding both theoretically and experimentally that critical contractility to promote wetting-dewetting transition depends on cell-substrate adhesion and\, unexpectedly\, on tissue size. As a whole\, this work generalizes wetting theory to living tissues\, unveiling unprecedented properties due to their unique active nature. \n  \nBinding of ZO-1 to α5β1 integrins regulates the mechanical properties of α5β1-fibronectin links\nVíctor González\, Cellular and molecular mechanobiology group\nFundamental processes in cell adhesion\, motility\, and rigidity adaptation are regulated by integrin-mediated adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM). The link between the ECM component fibronectin (fn) and integrin α5β1 forms a complex with ZO-1 in cells at the edge of migrating monolayers\, regulating cell migration. However\, how this complex affects the α5β1-fn link is unknown. Here we show that the α5β1/ZO-1 complex decreases the resistance to force of α5β1–fn adhesions located at the edge of migrating cell monolayers while also increasing α5β1 recruitment. Consistently with a molecular clutch model of adhesion\, this effect of ZO-1 leads to a decrease in the density and intensity of adhesions in cells at the edge of migrating monolayers. Taken together\, our results unveil a new mode of integrin regulation through modification of the mechanical properties of integrin–ECM links\, which may be harnessed by cells to control adhesion and migration.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-session-carlos-perez-and-victor-gonzalez-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170526T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170526T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20170425T130338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170516T123707Z
UID:28882-1495792800-1495796400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Session: Carlos Pérez and Víctor González
DESCRIPTION:Active wetting of epithelial tissues\nCarlos Pérez\, Integrative cell and tissue dynamics group\nKey biological processes such as cancer and development are characterized by drastic transitions in tissue morphology. These rearrangements have been classically studied as a wetting problem. According to this theory\, wettability of a substrate by an epithelium is determined by the competition between cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion energies. In contrast\, we found that\, far from a passive process\, tissue dewetting is an active process driven by tissue internal forces. Experimentally\, we reproduced epithelial dewetting by promoting a progressive formation of intercellular junctions in a monolayer of epithelial cells. Interestingly\, the formation of intercellular junctions produces an increase in cell contractility\, with the subsequent increase in traction and intercellular stress. At a certain time\, tissue tension overcomes cell-substrate maximum adhesion and the monolayer spontaneously dewets the substrate. We developed an active polar fluid model\, finding both theoretically and experimentally that critical contractility to promote wetting-dewetting transition depends on cell-substrate adhesion and\, unexpectedly\, on tissue size. As a whole\, this work generalizes wetting theory to living tissues\, unveiling unprecedented properties due to their unique active nature. \n  \nBinding of ZO-1 to α5β1 integrins regulates the mechanical properties of α5β1-fibronectin links\nVíctor González\, Cellular and molecular mechanobiology group\nFundamental processes in cell adhesion\, motility\, and rigidity adaptation are regulated by integrin-mediated adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM). The link between the ECM component fibronectin (fn) and integrin α5β1 forms a complex with ZO-1 in cells at the edge of migrating monolayers\, regulating cell migration. However\, how this complex affects the α5β1-fn link is unknown. Here we show that the α5β1/ZO-1 complex decreases the resistance to force of α5β1–fn adhesions located at the edge of migrating cell monolayers while also increasing α5β1 recruitment. Consistently with a molecular clutch model of adhesion\, this effect of ZO-1 leads to a decrease in the density and intensity of adhesions in cells at the edge of migrating monolayers. Taken together\, our results unveil a new mode of integrin regulation through modification of the mechanical properties of integrin–ECM links\, which may be harnessed by cells to control adhesion and migration.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-session-carlos-perez-and-victor-gonzalez/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170331T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170331T230000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20170202T093241Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170323T102457Z
UID:27406-1490954400-1491001200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Sessions: Aida Garrido and Marina Uroz
DESCRIPTION:Optical control of endogenous receptors and cellular excitability using targeted covalent photoswitches\nAida Garrido\, Nanoprobes and nanoswitches group\nLight-regulated drugs allow remotely photoswitching biological activity and enable plausible therapies based on small molecules. However\, only freely diffusible photochromic ligands have been shown to work directly in endogenous receptors and methods for covalent attachment depend on genetic manipulation. Here we introduce a chemical strategy to covalently conjugate and photoswitch the activity of endogenous proteins and demonstrate its application to the kainate receptor channel GluK1. The approach is based on photoswitchable ligands containing a short-lived\, highly reactive anchoring group that is targeted at the protein of interest by ligand affinity. These targeted covalent photoswitches (TCPs) constitute a new class of light-regulated drugs and act as prosthetic molecules that photocontrol the activity of GluK1-expressing neurons\, and restore photoresponses in degenerated retina. The modularity of TCPs enables the application to different ligands and opens the way to new therapeutic opportunities. \n  \nTraction forces at the cytokinetic ring regulate cell division and polyploidy in the migrating zebrafish epicardium\nMarina Uroz\, Integrative Cell and Tissue Dynamics group\nEpithelial repair and regeneration are driven by collective cell migration and division. Both cellular functions involve tightly controlled mechanical events. Mechanics of collective cell migration is increasingly well understood\, but physical forces associated with cell division in cohesive epithelia have escaped experimental observation. Using the zebrafish epicardium as a model system\, we show that cells dividing in a migrating epithelium exert large cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) forces during cytokinesis. These forces point towards the midbody and are exerted through paxillin-rich focal adhesions that connect the cytokinetic ring to the underlying extracellular matrix. Large forces at these adhesions are associated with failure of cytokinesis and polyploidy\, indicating that abnormal cell-matrix adhesion at the cleavage furrow impedes the latest stages of abscission. Mechanical interaction between the cytokinetic ring and the ECM thus provide a new mechanism for the regulation of cell division and polyploidy.  \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-sessions-aida-garrido-and-marina-uroz/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170331T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20170331T230000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20170202T093241Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170202T093241Z
UID:95983-1490954400-1491001200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Sessions: Aida Garrido and Marina Uroz
DESCRIPTION:Optical control of endogenous receptors and cellular excitability using targeted covalent photoswitches\nAida Garrido\, Nanoprobes and nanoswitches group\nLight-regulated drugs allow remotely photoswitching biological activity and enable plausible therapies based on small molecules. However\, only freely diffusible photochromic ligands have been shown to work directly in endogenous receptors and methods for covalent attachment depend on genetic manipulation. Here we introduce a chemical strategy to covalently conjugate and photoswitch the activity of endogenous proteins and demonstrate its application to the kainate receptor channel GluK1. The approach is based on photoswitchable ligands containing a short-lived\, highly reactive anchoring group that is targeted at the protein of interest by ligand affinity. These targeted covalent photoswitches (TCPs) constitute a new class of light-regulated drugs and act as prosthetic molecules that photocontrol the activity of GluK1-expressing neurons\, and restore photoresponses in degenerated retina. The modularity of TCPs enables the application to different ligands and opens the way to new therapeutic opportunities. \n  \nTraction forces at the cytokinetic ring regulate cell division and polyploidy in the migrating zebrafish epicardium\nMarina Uroz\, Integrative Cell and Tissue Dynamics group\nEpithelial repair and regeneration are driven by collective cell migration and division. Both cellular functions involve tightly controlled mechanical events. Mechanics of collective cell migration is increasingly well understood\, but physical forces associated with cell division in cohesive epithelia have escaped experimental observation. Using the zebrafish epicardium as a model system\, we show that cells dividing in a migrating epithelium exert large cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) forces during cytokinesis. These forces point towards the midbody and are exerted through paxillin-rich focal adhesions that connect the cytokinetic ring to the underlying extracellular matrix. Large forces at these adhesions are associated with failure of cytokinesis and polyploidy\, indicating that abnormal cell-matrix adhesion at the cleavage furrow impedes the latest stages of abscission. Mechanical interaction between the cytokinetic ring and the ECM thus provide a new mechanism for the regulation of cell division and polyploidy.  \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-sessions-aida-garrido-and-marina-uroz-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20161125T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20161125T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20161116T155521Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20161122T171408Z
UID:25910-1480068000-1480071600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC PhD Discussions Sessions: Gizem Altay and Marta Pozuelo
DESCRIPTION:Towards bioengineering a platform for the growth and differentiation of intestinal stem cells\nGizem Altay\, Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group\nIntestinal diseases affect major part of the world population; yet\, there is still the need of developing effective treatments. Animal models are widely used to study these diseases; however\, many intestinal processes are difficult to control in vivo. Besides these models are very costly and they raise ethical concerns. In vitro models\, on the other hand\, can enable improved studies in a well-controlled and ethical manner. The most advanced in vitro model reported up to date is the organoid system. Organoids are stem cell derived 3D self-organized tissue models that recapitulate many biological parameters of the native tissue such as the spatial organization\, multicellular hierarchy\, cell-matrix interactions and some physiological functions. Intestinal organoids contain crypt-villi domains with all major intestinal cell types and a central lumen region\, resembling many aspects of the intestine in vivo. However\, it is often difficult to control the stem cell differentiation and cell-matrix interactions within these systems. Besides\, the luminal compartment being inaccessible is a major inconvenience for studies such as drug absorption. These drawbacks raise the need to bioengineer a platform to obtain an intestinal epithelial model from intestinal stem cells.  \nIn the intestinal epithelium the stem cell growth and differentiation are controlled by biochemical gradients of the stemness factors. Moreover\, the 3D architecture and the mechanical properties of the native tissue are influential in the phenotype of these cells. Therefore\, in bioengineering the cellular microenvironment\, it is very important to reproduce the structural and mechanical characteristics of the native intestinal epithelium and to provide cells with the appropriate biochemical cues.\nIn this study we have developed 3D villus anatomical models from extracellular matrix like soft polyethylene glycol based hydrogels. The platform developed has controlled biochemical functionality and supports the intestinal stem cell attachment and growth. It is characterized to be able to create spatio-chemical gradients of the stemness factors to further modulate stem cell growth and differentiation. We have also developed a way to obtain 2D epithelial monolayers from intestinal crypts to further be implemented in the hydrogel based 3D villus models.   \n  \nStudying charge transport in Single-Protein wires\nMarta Pozuelo\, Nanoprobes and nanoswitches group\nElectron Transfer (ET) is undoubtedly one of the most important processes in life. Molecularly well-defined ET pathways in complex protein ensembles play a vital role in biological processes such as cell respiration or photosynthesis. The fundamental understanding of ET processes in biology is important not only to understand such key natural processes but also to advance in the design of biomolecule/electrode interfaces for Bioelectronic applications. The development of new techniques such as scanning probe microscopies (SPM) played a key role. In particular\, the electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (ECSTM) has been exploited to in situ monitor the ET rate as a function of the applied potential of individual metalloproteins immobilized on an Au electrode thanks to the single-molecule spatial resolution and the electrochemical gate capabilities. \nAzurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a widely studied redox protein model both in bulk and at the single molecule level. Its globular structure contains a coordinated copper ion\, which makes the protein capable of exchanging electrons by switching its redox state (Cu I/II) and supports its role as a soluble electron carrier in the respiratory chain of bacteria. \nIn this contribution\, we will show our advances on the design and characterization of single-protein devices using a Cu-Azurin metalloprotein model. We have demonstrated transistor like-behaviour in an electrochemically-gated single-protein wire that operates at very low voltages thanks to the Cu-Azurin redox properties. It was demonstrated that the conductance varies depending on the redox state of the Cu centre\, having its maximum value at the redox-midpoint. We have also analysed the spontaneous formation of single-Azurin electrical contacts through the monitored current when the two ECSTM electrodes were placed at a fixed distance. Discrete switching events for the conductance were observed\, whose frequency depends on the applied electrochemical conditions and\, therefore\, they were univocally ascribed to discrete changes in the redox state of the trapped protein. \nIn order to tailor the charge transport behaviour of the single-protein wire\, we have synthesized several mutants of the protein by exploiting point-site bioengineering schemes at different positions of the protein second coordination sphere. Our results show that we can rationally change the transport mechanism of the single-protein device by studying the effect of the specific residue modification on the particular ET pathways in the protein backbone.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-phd-discussions-sessions-jamish-parmar-and-marta-pozuelo/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20161125T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20161125T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20161116T155521Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20161116T155521Z
UID:95952-1480068000-1480071600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:IBEC PhD Discussions Sessions: Gizem Altay and Marta Pozuelo
DESCRIPTION:Towards bioengineering a platform for the growth and differentiation of intestinal stem cells\nGizem Altay\, Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group\nIntestinal diseases affect major part of the world population; yet\, there is still the need of developing effective treatments. Animal models are widely used to study these diseases; however\, many intestinal processes are difficult to control in vivo. Besides these models are very costly and they raise ethical concerns. In vitro models\, on the other hand\, can enable improved studies in a well-controlled and ethical manner. The most advanced in vitro model reported up to date is the organoid system. Organoids are stem cell derived 3D self-organized tissue models that recapitulate many biological parameters of the native tissue such as the spatial organization\, multicellular hierarchy\, cell-matrix interactions and some physiological functions. Intestinal organoids contain crypt-villi domains with all major intestinal cell types and a central lumen region\, resembling many aspects of the intestine in vivo. However\, it is often difficult to control the stem cell differentiation and cell-matrix interactions within these systems. Besides\, the luminal compartment being inaccessible is a major inconvenience for studies such as drug absorption. These drawbacks raise the need to bioengineer a platform to obtain an intestinal epithelial model from intestinal stem cells.  \nIn the intestinal epithelium the stem cell growth and differentiation are controlled by biochemical gradients of the stemness factors. Moreover\, the 3D architecture and the mechanical properties of the native tissue are influential in the phenotype of these cells. Therefore\, in bioengineering the cellular microenvironment\, it is very important to reproduce the structural and mechanical characteristics of the native intestinal epithelium and to provide cells with the appropriate biochemical cues.\nIn this study we have developed 3D villus anatomical models from extracellular matrix like soft polyethylene glycol based hydrogels. The platform developed has controlled biochemical functionality and supports the intestinal stem cell attachment and growth. It is characterized to be able to create spatio-chemical gradients of the stemness factors to further modulate stem cell growth and differentiation. We have also developed a way to obtain 2D epithelial monolayers from intestinal crypts to further be implemented in the hydrogel based 3D villus models.   \n  \nStudying charge transport in Single-Protein wires\nMarta Pozuelo\, Nanoprobes and nanoswitches group\nElectron Transfer (ET) is undoubtedly one of the most important processes in life. Molecularly well-defined ET pathways in complex protein ensembles play a vital role in biological processes such as cell respiration or photosynthesis. The fundamental understanding of ET processes in biology is important not only to understand such key natural processes but also to advance in the design of biomolecule/electrode interfaces for Bioelectronic applications. The development of new techniques such as scanning probe microscopies (SPM) played a key role. In particular\, the electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (ECSTM) has been exploited to in situ monitor the ET rate as a function of the applied potential of individual metalloproteins immobilized on an Au electrode thanks to the single-molecule spatial resolution and the electrochemical gate capabilities. \nAzurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a widely studied redox protein model both in bulk and at the single molecule level. Its globular structure contains a coordinated copper ion\, which makes the protein capable of exchanging electrons by switching its redox state (Cu I/II) and supports its role as a soluble electron carrier in the respiratory chain of bacteria. \nIn this contribution\, we will show our advances on the design and characterization of single-protein devices using a Cu-Azurin metalloprotein model. We have demonstrated transistor like-behaviour in an electrochemically-gated single-protein wire that operates at very low voltages thanks to the Cu-Azurin redox properties. It was demonstrated that the conductance varies depending on the redox state of the Cu centre\, having its maximum value at the redox-midpoint. We have also analysed the spontaneous formation of single-Azurin electrical contacts through the monitored current when the two ECSTM electrodes were placed at a fixed distance. Discrete switching events for the conductance were observed\, whose frequency depends on the applied electrochemical conditions and\, therefore\, they were univocally ascribed to discrete changes in the redox state of the trapped protein. \nIn order to tailor the charge transport behaviour of the single-protein wire\, we have synthesized several mutants of the protein by exploiting point-site bioengineering schemes at different positions of the protein second coordination sphere. Our results show that we can rationally change the transport mechanism of the single-protein device by studying the effect of the specific residue modification on the particular ET pathways in the protein backbone.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/ibec-phd-discussions-sessions-jamish-parmar-and-marta-pozuelo-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20161028T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20161028T120000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20161024T075147Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20161025T013727Z
UID:25259-1477648800-1477656000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions: Ágata Mata and Lucas Pedraz
DESCRIPTION:Role of secreted Sema3E in embryonic and adult hippocampal formation\nÁgata Mata Rodríguez\, Molecular and cellular neurobiotechnology group\nDue to its implication in many cognitive processes like learning and memory\, the hippocampal formation is a brain structure which has been widely studied over the years. Its simplified architecture\, where principal cells are in a single cell layer and synaptic inputs are in well defined dendritic lamina\, has enabled the study and establishment of the general principles of modern neuroscience. Behind this simplicity resides the action of numerous factors that regulate the correct development of the structure. \nThe principle entrance of information to the hippocampus is the entorhino-hippocampal (EH) pathway or perforant pathway\, where axons arising from the entorhinal cortex enter the hippocampus proper and arrive to the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. The development of this pathway is highly regulated and some of the molecules that intervene in this process are the class III Semaphorins. \nClass III Semaphorins are soluble molecules initially known by its function in axonal guidance. It is known that some of these molecules and their receptors are involved in the development and maturation of the hippocampal connections\, nevertheless\, the participation of Sema3E and its receptor\, PlexinD1\, in the development of the entorhino-hippocampal connection has not been studied in detail. With this in mind\, in the present study we focused on determining their role during development and adulthood. \nOur results show that in absence of Sema3E/PlexinD1 signalling (i) there is an aberrant layering of the entorhinal axons in the hippocampus during development\, and (ii) there are some alterations in the adult hippocampal formation such as misrouted ectopic mossy fibres and ectopic granule cells in the dentate gyrus due to a dysregulation in the proliferation of dentate gyrus progenitors. \n \n\nRegulation of DNA synthesis in bacterial biofilms: An in vitro system for modelization of the oxygen gradients present in the chronic infections biofilms\nLucas Pedraz López\, Bacterial infections: antimicrobial therapies\nChronic infections represent one of the main threats to human health nowadays\, being one of the main causes of death even in the developed countries. These infections are always associated with the developing of a biofilm\, complex 3D structures where cells are encapsulated in an extracellular polymeric matrix\, seeing increased their resistance to antibiotic therapies and physical stress. In biofilms\, oxygen cannot diffuse freely throughout the structure\, generating an oxygen concentration gradient and leading to the presence of microaerophilic and anaerobic environments. \nGiven the urgent need to develop new antimicrobial therapies\, many aspects of bacterial physiology are being studied trying to understand better the underlying molecular mechanisms of their growing and virulence. However\, one of the major factors affecting the differential behavior in the biofilm is the oxygen concentration\, and\, in most cases\, studies have only been conducted using biofilms as a whole\, or using fully aerobic or fully anaerobic liquid cultures; in real world conditions\, transition from aerobiosis to anaerobiosis is never done in a single step\, having always a spatial and/or temporal gradient of oxygen concentrations\, and gene regulation during intermediate stages of this gradient\, in microaerophilic environments or during dynamical oxygen concentration changes\, has not been studied properly. \nIn our lab we have developed a method to monitor bacterial gene expression as determined by oxygen concentration\, during a progressive change in oxygenation conditions\, that can be implemented in any microbiology lab and that only relies on common laboratory equipment. The method is based on a chemostat-like bioreactor coupled to an oxygen tension continuous detection system that also allows for discontinuous sampling. Initially\, this system is now being applied to the determination of the changes in ribonucleotide reductase gene expression profile determined by oxygen concentration in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa liquid culture.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-agata-mata-and-lucas-pedraz/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20161028T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20161028T120000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20161024T075147Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20161024T075147Z
UID:95935-1477648800-1477656000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions: Ágata Mata and Lucas Pedraz
DESCRIPTION:Role of secreted Sema3E in embryonic and adult hippocampal formation\nÁgata Mata Rodríguez\, Molecular and cellular neurobiotechnology group\nDue to its implication in many cognitive processes like learning and memory\, the hippocampal formation is a brain structure which has been widely studied over the years. Its simplified architecture\, where principal cells are in a single cell layer and synaptic inputs are in well defined dendritic lamina\, has enabled the study and establishment of the general principles of modern neuroscience. Behind this simplicity resides the action of numerous factors that regulate the correct development of the structure. \nThe principle entrance of information to the hippocampus is the entorhino-hippocampal (EH) pathway or perforant pathway\, where axons arising from the entorhinal cortex enter the hippocampus proper and arrive to the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. The development of this pathway is highly regulated and some of the molecules that intervene in this process are the class III Semaphorins. \nClass III Semaphorins are soluble molecules initially known by its function in axonal guidance. It is known that some of these molecules and their receptors are involved in the development and maturation of the hippocampal connections\, nevertheless\, the participation of Sema3E and its receptor\, PlexinD1\, in the development of the entorhino-hippocampal connection has not been studied in detail. With this in mind\, in the present study we focused on determining their role during development and adulthood. \nOur results show that in absence of Sema3E/PlexinD1 signalling (i) there is an aberrant layering of the entorhinal axons in the hippocampus during development\, and (ii) there are some alterations in the adult hippocampal formation such as misrouted ectopic mossy fibres and ectopic granule cells in the dentate gyrus due to a dysregulation in the proliferation of dentate gyrus progenitors. \n \n\nRegulation of DNA synthesis in bacterial biofilms: An in vitro system for modelization of the oxygen gradients present in the chronic infections biofilms\nLucas Pedraz López\, Bacterial infections: antimicrobial therapies\nChronic infections represent one of the main threats to human health nowadays\, being one of the main causes of death even in the developed countries. These infections are always associated with the developing of a biofilm\, complex 3D structures where cells are encapsulated in an extracellular polymeric matrix\, seeing increased their resistance to antibiotic therapies and physical stress. In biofilms\, oxygen cannot diffuse freely throughout the structure\, generating an oxygen concentration gradient and leading to the presence of microaerophilic and anaerobic environments. \nGiven the urgent need to develop new antimicrobial therapies\, many aspects of bacterial physiology are being studied trying to understand better the underlying molecular mechanisms of their growing and virulence. However\, one of the major factors affecting the differential behavior in the biofilm is the oxygen concentration\, and\, in most cases\, studies have only been conducted using biofilms as a whole\, or using fully aerobic or fully anaerobic liquid cultures; in real world conditions\, transition from aerobiosis to anaerobiosis is never done in a single step\, having always a spatial and/or temporal gradient of oxygen concentrations\, and gene regulation during intermediate stages of this gradient\, in microaerophilic environments or during dynamical oxygen concentration changes\, has not been studied properly. \nIn our lab we have developed a method to monitor bacterial gene expression as determined by oxygen concentration\, during a progressive change in oxygenation conditions\, that can be implemented in any microbiology lab and that only relies on common laboratory equipment. The method is based on a chemostat-like bioreactor coupled to an oxygen tension continuous detection system that also allows for discontinuous sampling. Initially\, this system is now being applied to the determination of the changes in ribonucleotide reductase gene expression profile determined by oxygen concentration in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa liquid culture.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-agata-mata-and-lucas-pedraz-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20160708T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20160708T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20160705T171136Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160705T171136Z
UID:23873-1467972000-1467975600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Session: Pilar Rodríguez and Montserrat López
DESCRIPTION:Long-ranged force patterns and waves during the formation and maintenance of repulsive epithelial barriers\nPilar Rodríguez Franco\, Integrative cell and tissue dynamics group\nFor an organism to develop and maintain homeostasis\, cell types with distinct functions must often be separated by physical boundaries. A prevalent mechanism for the formation and maintenance of such boundaries is the repulsive interaction between Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands Ephrins. Upon contact\, cells expressing Eph and Ephrin trigger diverse local mechanisms that prevent intercellular adhesion\, including receptor endocytosis\, extracellular cadherin cleavage\, and local contractility. Here we show that\, besides these local subcellular mechanisms\, Eph/Ephrin boundary formation involves cooperative physical forces generated by cells located many rows behind the boundary. Contact between two epithelial monolayers\, one expressing Eph and one expressing Ephrin\, results in the buildup of two supracellular acto-myosin cables that line epithelial edges at both sides of the boundary. Besides these cables\, both monolayers exhibit long-lived periodic patterns of traction forces that expand several cell rows and tend to pull the monolayer away from the boundary\, thereby contributing to sustain tissue segregation. The formation of these patterns is paralleled by the generation of soliton-like deformation waves that propagate away from the boundary. Finally\, we show that periodic traction patterns and mechanical waves are observed not only during Eph/Ephrin repulsion but also during formation of diverse types of barriers. Our findings thus unveil a global physical mechanism that sustains tissue separation. \n  \nNanoscale Conductance mapping of redox proteins\nMontserrat López Martínez\, Nanoprobes and nanoswitches group\nElectron Transfer (ET) plays essential roles in crucial biological processes such as cell respiration and photosynthesis. It takes place between redox proteins and in protein complexes that display an outstanding efficiency and environmental adaptability. Although the fundamental aspects of ET processes are well understood\, more experimental methods are needed to determine electronic pathways in these redox protein structures. Understanding how ET works is important not only for fundamental reasons\, but also for the potential technological applications of these redox-active nanoscale systems.\nElectrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (ECSTM) is an excellent tool to study redox molecules including proteins. It offers single molecule resolution and allows working in nearly physiological conditions\, with full electrochemical control. Beyond imaging\, ECSTM allows performing current-voltage and current-distance tunneling spectroscopy. We adapted the current-voltage spectroscopy mode of ECSTM to obtain simultaneous topographic and differential conductance images under potentiostatic control. After validation of the method we applied it to the study of the redox protein Azurin immobilized on to a Au  surface\, a model system to study biological ET processes.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-session-pilar-rodriguez-and-montserrat-lopez/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20160708T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20160708T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20160705T171136Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160705T171136Z
UID:95915-1467972000-1467975600@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Session: Pilar Rodríguez and Montserrat López
DESCRIPTION:Long-ranged force patterns and waves during the formation and maintenance of repulsive epithelial barriers\nPilar Rodríguez Franco\, Integrative cell and tissue dynamics group\nFor an organism to develop and maintain homeostasis\, cell types with distinct functions must often be separated by physical boundaries. A prevalent mechanism for the formation and maintenance of such boundaries is the repulsive interaction between Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands Ephrins. Upon contact\, cells expressing Eph and Ephrin trigger diverse local mechanisms that prevent intercellular adhesion\, including receptor endocytosis\, extracellular cadherin cleavage\, and local contractility. Here we show that\, besides these local subcellular mechanisms\, Eph/Ephrin boundary formation involves cooperative physical forces generated by cells located many rows behind the boundary. Contact between two epithelial monolayers\, one expressing Eph and one expressing Ephrin\, results in the buildup of two supracellular acto-myosin cables that line epithelial edges at both sides of the boundary. Besides these cables\, both monolayers exhibit long-lived periodic patterns of traction forces that expand several cell rows and tend to pull the monolayer away from the boundary\, thereby contributing to sustain tissue segregation. The formation of these patterns is paralleled by the generation of soliton-like deformation waves that propagate away from the boundary. Finally\, we show that periodic traction patterns and mechanical waves are observed not only during Eph/Ephrin repulsion but also during formation of diverse types of barriers. Our findings thus unveil a global physical mechanism that sustains tissue separation. \n  \nNanoscale Conductance mapping of redox proteins\nMontserrat López Martínez\, Nanoprobes and nanoswitches group\nElectron Transfer (ET) plays essential roles in crucial biological processes such as cell respiration and photosynthesis. It takes place between redox proteins and in protein complexes that display an outstanding efficiency and environmental adaptability. Although the fundamental aspects of ET processes are well understood\, more experimental methods are needed to determine electronic pathways in these redox protein structures. Understanding how ET works is important not only for fundamental reasons\, but also for the potential technological applications of these redox-active nanoscale systems.\nElectrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (ECSTM) is an excellent tool to study redox molecules including proteins. It offers single molecule resolution and allows working in nearly physiological conditions\, with full electrochemical control. Beyond imaging\, ECSTM allows performing current-voltage and current-distance tunneling spectroscopy. We adapted the current-voltage spectroscopy mode of ECSTM to obtain simultaneous topographic and differential conductance images under potentiostatic control. After validation of the method we applied it to the study of the redox protein Azurin immobilized on to a Au  surface\, a model system to study biological ET processes.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-session-pilar-rodriguez-and-montserrat-lopez-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20160527T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20160527T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20160415T062711Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160520T055544Z
UID:22419-1464343200-1464346800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Session: Elisabet Martí and Maria Valls
DESCRIPTION:Amphoteric polyamidoamines as innovative tools to selectively direct antimalarial drug towards Plasmodium-infected red blood cells\nElisabet Martí\, Nanomalaria joint group\nMalaria\, caused by the protist Plasmodium spp.\, in 2015 alone claimed the lives of more than 400\,000 people\, mainly young African children\, and it had been responsible for 214 million new cases. Despite a significant decrease in the number of malaria-related deaths\, there is still a need for new therapeutic strategies such as finding new antimalarial drugs or substantially improving old ones\, by decreasing side effects and avoiding resistance appearance. The development of highly specific and efficient targeted nanocarriers can be the engine of this change\, which however needs to be done at an affordable cost for malaria endemic countries. \nFour different polyamidoamine (PAA) polymers are being studied in our group with the aim of developing a targeted nanovector capable of reaching in the mid term the preclinical pipeline. \nThe PAA AGMA1 had shown in previous studies antimalarial activity per se at non-toxic concentrations\, as well as certain specificity for pRBCs vs. RBCs. We are trying to elucidate the corresponding mechanisms by characterizing the interaction between AGMA1 and pRBCs. Experiments such as targeting and growth inhibition assays in vitro\, antimalarial activity in vivo and determination of encapsulation capacity are being currently performedwith AGMA1and with three other PAAs: ISA23\, ISA1 and ARGO7. Preliminary results suggest the capacity of AGMA1 to activate the immune system\, indicating that PAAs could be eventually used as an agent with double activity as a drug nanocarrier and as a prophylactic agent. \n  \nDevelopment of a Biomimetic Bioreactor for Cardiac Tissue Engineering Applications\nMaria Valls\, Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group\nIschemic heart disease is a major cause of human death worldwide owing to the heart’s minimal ability to repair following injury. Therefore\, shedding light on heart regeneration and its possible application in medicine is of paramount interest for the scientific community. In this sense\, cardiac tissue engineering aims at obtaining cardiac patches for regenerative medicine purposes. In addition\, these patches could serve as valuable in vitro models to study heart development and regeneration\, heart diseases or as drug screening platforms. \nA prerequisite for obtaining faithful cardiac patches is to mimic the native cardiac environment. Although major advances have been done\, the generation of mature tissue constructs from human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells is still a challenge. To address this\, we have developed a parallelized perfusion bioreactor system and characterized a collagen-based 3D scaffold. Also\, we have designed a perfusion chamber including graphite electrodes to electrically stimulate cells during culture. With this setup\, we have obtained contractile cardiac tissue constructs from primary cultures of neonatal rat heart ventricles that show an enhanced response when cultured under electrical stimulation. \nWe are currently culturing cardiac progenitors derived from hiPS cells\, to produce useful human cardiac tissue surrogates to study cardiovascular tissue maturation as well as for drug/toxicity testing.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-session-elisabet-marti-and-maria-valls/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20160527T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20160527T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20160415T062711Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160415T062711Z
UID:95907-1464343200-1464346800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Session: Elisabet Martí and Maria Valls
DESCRIPTION:Amphoteric polyamidoamines as innovative tools to selectively direct antimalarial drug towards Plasmodium-infected red blood cells\nElisabet Martí\, Nanomalaria joint group\nMalaria\, caused by the protist Plasmodium spp.\, in 2015 alone claimed the lives of more than 400\,000 people\, mainly young African children\, and it had been responsible for 214 million new cases. Despite a significant decrease in the number of malaria-related deaths\, there is still a need for new therapeutic strategies such as finding new antimalarial drugs or substantially improving old ones\, by decreasing side effects and avoiding resistance appearance. The development of highly specific and efficient targeted nanocarriers can be the engine of this change\, which however needs to be done at an affordable cost for malaria endemic countries. \nFour different polyamidoamine (PAA) polymers are being studied in our group with the aim of developing a targeted nanovector capable of reaching in the mid term the preclinical pipeline. \nThe PAA AGMA1 had shown in previous studies antimalarial activity per se at non-toxic concentrations\, as well as certain specificity for pRBCs vs. RBCs. We are trying to elucidate the corresponding mechanisms by characterizing the interaction between AGMA1 and pRBCs. Experiments such as targeting and growth inhibition assays in vitro\, antimalarial activity in vivo and determination of encapsulation capacity are being currently performedwith AGMA1and with three other PAAs: ISA23\, ISA1 and ARGO7. Preliminary results suggest the capacity of AGMA1 to activate the immune system\, indicating that PAAs could be eventually used as an agent with double activity as a drug nanocarrier and as a prophylactic agent. \n  \nDevelopment of a Biomimetic Bioreactor for Cardiac Tissue Engineering Applications\nMaria Valls\, Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group\nIschemic heart disease is a major cause of human death worldwide owing to the heart’s minimal ability to repair following injury. Therefore\, shedding light on heart regeneration and its possible application in medicine is of paramount interest for the scientific community. In this sense\, cardiac tissue engineering aims at obtaining cardiac patches for regenerative medicine purposes. In addition\, these patches could serve as valuable in vitro models to study heart development and regeneration\, heart diseases or as drug screening platforms. \nA prerequisite for obtaining faithful cardiac patches is to mimic the native cardiac environment. Although major advances have been done\, the generation of mature tissue constructs from human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells is still a challenge. To address this\, we have developed a parallelized perfusion bioreactor system and characterized a collagen-based 3D scaffold. Also\, we have designed a perfusion chamber including graphite electrodes to electrically stimulate cells during culture. With this setup\, we have obtained contractile cardiac tissue constructs from primary cultures of neonatal rat heart ventricles that show an enhanced response when cultured under electrical stimulation. \nWe are currently culturing cardiac progenitors derived from hiPS cells\, to produce useful human cardiac tissue surrogates to study cardiovascular tissue maturation as well as for drug/toxicity testing.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-session-elisabet-marti-and-maria-valls-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20160122T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20160122T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20151027T094305Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20160118T081841Z
UID:19437-1453456800-1453460400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Session: Ana María Solórzano and Joan Martí Muñoz
DESCRIPTION:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Societal Impact\, Physiological Mechanism and Associated Chemical Instrumentation\nAna María Solórzano\, Signal and information processing for sensing systems group\nThe hazardousness of carbon monoxide is based on the inability of humans to detect it. Carbon monoxide is not irritating and has no color\, odor or either taste. The exposure to this gas can starve critical body organs specially vital organs like brain and heart. \nThe study and analysis of CO poisoning is not new. Even though in the last decades the society has been raised awareness on CO hazard\, accidental deaths are still produced by exposure to this gas. \nThe health effects of the CO poisoning depend on its concentration and time exposure. Health problems are noticeable with concentrations since 0.01% (100ppm).; this is the reason that the medical Instrumentation is an essential tool for the detection of CO. There is a kind of instrumentation\, which detects CO in the bloodstream\, and in the atmosphere but the early detection of this compound still is a challenge. \nWe are exploring how multi gas sensor arrays can be an effective solution to detect CO faster than typical alarms. \n  \nCalcium releasing ormoglass coated PLA nanofibers: A new approach for bone regeneration\nJoan Martí Muñoz\, Biomaterials for regenerative therapies group\nBone fracture healing has become a serious problem in the last decades in part due to the increase in life expectancy (1). The use of strategies that help body to restore bone are needed to increase the quality life of people suffering this problem. Among this strategies\, the use of natural sources such as; bone\, growth factors and other biomolecules has become an efficient option\, but present some limitations like money cost\, amount limitation and storage\, extra surgeries\, rejection and possible disease transmission (1). \nThe use of synthetic materials can be an effective option. However they need to be tuned to include the proper bioactive signals. Hybrid materials are and interesting alternative. Their organic phase\, normally a biodegradable biopolymer\, holds the mechanical stress while their inorganic phase\, a glass or ceramic\, provides the needed bioactivity to recruit cells and produce bone. In many cases\, the masking of the bioactive inorganic phase embedded in the organic matrix and undesired phase-detachments must be solved to increase efectiveness (2). Another limitation is the poor vascularization that synthetic materials induce. \nPrevious studies in our group demonstrated that extracellular Ca2+ release can promote angiogenesis (3). Here we present two different strategies: the first one consisting in CaP Ti-doped degradable ormoglass nanoparticles embedded inside polylactic acid (PLA) electrospun bioresorbable nanofibers; the second one consisting in CaP Si-doped degradable ormoglass nanoparticles (2) covalently attached on the surface of PLA electrospun nanofibers. In both cases the Ca2+ release by the ormoglass nanoparticles may activate the proper cell responses while the polymer provides the needed support to hold the particles and allow tissue growth. In the second case the attempt is to solve nanoparticle masking and detachment. \n1 M. Navarro et al. J. R. Soc. Interface (2008) 5\, 1137-1158.\n2 N. Sachot et al. J. R. Soc. Interface (2013) 10\, 20130684.\n3 A. Aguirre et al. European Cells and Materials Vol. 24 2012 (pages 90-106). \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-session-ana-maria-solorzano-and-joan-marti-munoz/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20160122T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20160122T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20151027T094305Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20151027T094305Z
UID:95875-1453456800-1453460400@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Session: Ana María Solórzano and Joan Martí Muñoz
DESCRIPTION:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Societal Impact\, Physiological Mechanism and Associated Chemical Instrumentation\nAna María Solórzano\, Signal and information processing for sensing systems group\nThe hazardousness of carbon monoxide is based on the inability of humans to detect it. Carbon monoxide is not irritating and has no color\, odor or either taste. The exposure to this gas can starve critical body organs specially vital organs like brain and heart. \nThe study and analysis of CO poisoning is not new. Even though in the last decades the society has been raised awareness on CO hazard\, accidental deaths are still produced by exposure to this gas. \nThe health effects of the CO poisoning depend on its concentration and time exposure. Health problems are noticeable with concentrations since 0.01% (100ppm).; this is the reason that the medical Instrumentation is an essential tool for the detection of CO. There is a kind of instrumentation\, which detects CO in the bloodstream\, and in the atmosphere but the early detection of this compound still is a challenge. \nWe are exploring how multi gas sensor arrays can be an effective solution to detect CO faster than typical alarms. \n  \nCalcium releasing ormoglass coated PLA nanofibers: A new approach for bone regeneration\nJoan Martí Muñoz\, Biomaterials for regenerative therapies group\nBone fracture healing has become a serious problem in the last decades in part due to the increase in life expectancy (1). The use of strategies that help body to restore bone are needed to increase the quality life of people suffering this problem. Among this strategies\, the use of natural sources such as; bone\, growth factors and other biomolecules has become an efficient option\, but present some limitations like money cost\, amount limitation and storage\, extra surgeries\, rejection and possible disease transmission (1). \nThe use of synthetic materials can be an effective option. However they need to be tuned to include the proper bioactive signals. Hybrid materials are and interesting alternative. Their organic phase\, normally a biodegradable biopolymer\, holds the mechanical stress while their inorganic phase\, a glass or ceramic\, provides the needed bioactivity to recruit cells and produce bone. In many cases\, the masking of the bioactive inorganic phase embedded in the organic matrix and undesired phase-detachments must be solved to increase efectiveness (2). Another limitation is the poor vascularization that synthetic materials induce. \nPrevious studies in our group demonstrated that extracellular Ca2+ release can promote angiogenesis (3). Here we present two different strategies: the first one consisting in CaP Ti-doped degradable ormoglass nanoparticles embedded inside polylactic acid (PLA) electrospun bioresorbable nanofibers; the second one consisting in CaP Si-doped degradable ormoglass nanoparticles (2) covalently attached on the surface of PLA electrospun nanofibers. In both cases the Ca2+ release by the ormoglass nanoparticles may activate the proper cell responses while the polymer provides the needed support to hold the particles and allow tissue growth. In the second case the attempt is to solve nanoparticle masking and detachment. \n1 M. Navarro et al. J. R. Soc. Interface (2008) 5\, 1137-1158.\n2 N. Sachot et al. J. R. Soc. Interface (2013) 10\, 20130684.\n3 A. Aguirre et al. European Cells and Materials Vol. 24 2012 (pages 90-106). \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-session-ana-maria-solorzano-and-joan-marti-munoz-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20151127T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20151127T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20151027T093619Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20151119T152104Z
UID:19436-1448618400-1448622000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Session: Maria Chiara Biagi and Roger Oria
DESCRIPTION:Nanoscale dielectric characterization of single bacterial cells at microwave frequency\nMaria Chiara Biagi\, Nanoscale Bioelectrical Characterization group\nInformation on the microwave electromagnetic properties of cell suspensions and tissues has already led to important application in therapeutic and diagnostic. In recent years\, a new microscopy technique has appeared\, able to resolve the electromagnetic response at GHz even further down\, at nanoscale spatial resolution: Scanning Microwave Microscope (SMM). Its application to single cells would possibly allow not just to scale down the existing medical and biological techniques\, but would also give rise to a new class of label-free imaging methods based on dielectric contrast. Yet\, the quantification of the intrinsic dielectric properties (i.e. complex permittivity) of non-planar irregular shaped objects like single cells from the standard SMM images remains a challenge\, because the experimental signal is greatly affected by the huge presence of non-local contributions. \nWe developed a methodology to quantify and remove them\, which consequently enables to obtain images related only to the intrinsic dielectric response of the sample. These images are then suitable for a quantitative analysis and\, in combination with 3D finite element numerical calculations\, a map of the complex permittivity of the cell can be obtained.\nWe have applied this procedure to a single bacterial cell (E. coli) and quantified for the first time its complex permittivity at ~19 GHz\, in dry and humid conditions. \n  \nInterplay between integrin expression\, clustering\, and substrate rigidity in cell mechanical response\nRoger Oria\, Cellular and respiratory biomechanics group\nEssential cell functions such as proliferation\, differentiation\, or migration are determined by the rigidity and composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Understanding this interaction requires a precise control of ECM mechanical properties and molecular distribution of cell-ECM ligands\, as well as the ability to measure the mechanical forces transmitted at the cell-ECM interface. To address this issue\, we have developed an approach based on polyacrylamide substrates of tunable rigidity decorated with nanometric regular hexagonal patterns of RGD ligands\, which serve as binding sites for single integrins. By using this system\, we have systematically analysed cell response in terms of force transmission\, rearward flow and integrin recruitment after varying (i) gel rigidity\, (ii) spacing and spatial distribution between RGD ligands\, and (iii) integrin expression levels. Our results show that cell response and force generation are critically dependent on all factors. We also demonstrate the counter-intuitive fact that at specific ECM rigidities cells increase force transmission as the spacing between integrins increases from 50 to 100 nm. Our findings indicate that mechanical homeostasis can be tuned by cells using strategies based on integrin expression\, clustering of ECM ligands\, or ECM rigidity\, and that an in-depth understanding of cell mechanical responses requires the consideration of all those factors. \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-session-maria-chiara-and-roger-oria/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20151127T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20151127T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20151027T093619Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20151027T093619Z
UID:95874-1448618400-1448622000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Session: Maria Chiara Biagi and Roger Oria
DESCRIPTION:Nanoscale dielectric characterization of single bacterial cells at microwave frequency\nMaria Chiara Biagi\, Nanoscale Bioelectrical Characterization group\nInformation on the microwave electromagnetic properties of cell suspensions and tissues has already led to important application in therapeutic and diagnostic. In recent years\, a new microscopy technique has appeared\, able to resolve the electromagnetic response at GHz even further down\, at nanoscale spatial resolution: Scanning Microwave Microscope (SMM). Its application to single cells would possibly allow not just to scale down the existing medical and biological techniques\, but would also give rise to a new class of label-free imaging methods based on dielectric contrast. Yet\, the quantification of the intrinsic dielectric properties (i.e. complex permittivity) of non-planar irregular shaped objects like single cells from the standard SMM images remains a challenge\, because the experimental signal is greatly affected by the huge presence of non-local contributions. \nWe developed a methodology to quantify and remove them\, which consequently enables to obtain images related only to the intrinsic dielectric response of the sample. These images are then suitable for a quantitative analysis and\, in combination with 3D finite element numerical calculations\, a map of the complex permittivity of the cell can be obtained.\nWe have applied this procedure to a single bacterial cell (E. coli) and quantified for the first time its complex permittivity at ~19 GHz\, in dry and humid conditions. \n  \nInterplay between integrin expression\, clustering\, and substrate rigidity in cell mechanical response\nRoger Oria\, Cellular and respiratory biomechanics group\nEssential cell functions such as proliferation\, differentiation\, or migration are determined by the rigidity and composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Understanding this interaction requires a precise control of ECM mechanical properties and molecular distribution of cell-ECM ligands\, as well as the ability to measure the mechanical forces transmitted at the cell-ECM interface. To address this issue\, we have developed an approach based on polyacrylamide substrates of tunable rigidity decorated with nanometric regular hexagonal patterns of RGD ligands\, which serve as binding sites for single integrins. By using this system\, we have systematically analysed cell response in terms of force transmission\, rearward flow and integrin recruitment after varying (i) gel rigidity\, (ii) spacing and spatial distribution between RGD ligands\, and (iii) integrin expression levels. Our results show that cell response and force generation are critically dependent on all factors. We also demonstrate the counter-intuitive fact that at specific ECM rigidities cells increase force transmission as the spacing between integrins increases from 50 to 100 nm. Our findings indicate that mechanical homeostasis can be tuned by cells using strategies based on integrin expression\, clustering of ECM ligands\, or ECM rigidity\, and that an in-depth understanding of cell mechanical responses requires the consideration of all those factors. \n 
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-session-maria-chiara-and-roger-oria-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150710T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150710T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20150527T073448Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150527T073448Z
UID:16868-1436522400-1436526000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Session: Verónica Hortigüela & Anna Crespo
DESCRIPTION:Developing a platform for receptor clustering studies\nVerónica Hortigüela\, Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group\nReceptors are signaling units that usually require interactions and associations with other molecules in complexes to trigger a signaling pathway. This process is known as receptor clustering and comes typically along with a simultaneous ligand clustering underneath the cell membrane. We have developed a strategy to precisely control the ligand distribution on a substrate at the nanoscale to study in detail receptor clustering processes. Herein we present a tunable platform based on self-assembled di-block copolymers that tend to segregate into nanostructures. Di-block copolymers are confined to a thin film providing a template for ligand patterning.  \n  \nRibonucleotide Reductase anaerobic enzymes are essential for biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa\nAnna Crespo\, Bacterial infections: antimicrobial therapies group\nMost chronic infections in humans are caused by communities of microorganisms living in organized structures\, known as biofilms. Biofilm-related infections\, such as pneumonia (in patients suffering for cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease –COPD-) and catheter-associated infections\, affect millions of people in the developed world. \nCell clusters in biofilms are characterized by presenting\, in its extracellular polymeric matrix\, gradients of oxygen\, nutrients and metabolic waste products. The so-formed chemical heterogeneity (e.g.\, the presence of anoxic areas) leads to the appearance of different metabolic activities. \nPseudomonas aeruginosa has been used as a model bacterium for biofilm research; it causes biofilm-related chronic infections and presents high metabolic versatility\, together with an extreme antibiotic resistance. \nIn this work we have studied P. aeruginosa\, focusing in an essential enzyme for its growth\, Ribonucleotide Reductase (RNR). Ribonucleotide Reductases catalyse the reduction of ribonucleotides (NTPs) to deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs)\, thereby providing the building blocks for DNA synthesis. There are three different RNR classes\, named class I\, class II and class III\, which are\, respectively\, oxygen-dependent\, oxygen-independent and oxygen-sensitive. The last two ones\, essential for anaerobic growth in Pseudomonas aeruginosa\, have been proved to be necessary for biofilm formation\, and therefore putative targets for new therapies against P. aeruginosa chronic infections.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-session-veronica-hortiguela-anna-crespo/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150710T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150710T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20150527T073448Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150527T073448Z
UID:95855-1436522400-1436526000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Session: Verónica Hortigüela & Anna Crespo
DESCRIPTION:Developing a platform for receptor clustering studies\nVerónica Hortigüela\, Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group\nReceptors are signaling units that usually require interactions and associations with other molecules in complexes to trigger a signaling pathway. This process is known as receptor clustering and comes typically along with a simultaneous ligand clustering underneath the cell membrane. We have developed a strategy to precisely control the ligand distribution on a substrate at the nanoscale to study in detail receptor clustering processes. Herein we present a tunable platform based on self-assembled di-block copolymers that tend to segregate into nanostructures. Di-block copolymers are confined to a thin film providing a template for ligand patterning.  \n  \nRibonucleotide Reductase anaerobic enzymes are essential for biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa\nAnna Crespo\, Bacterial infections: antimicrobial therapies group\nMost chronic infections in humans are caused by communities of microorganisms living in organized structures\, known as biofilms. Biofilm-related infections\, such as pneumonia (in patients suffering for cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease –COPD-) and catheter-associated infections\, affect millions of people in the developed world. \nCell clusters in biofilms are characterized by presenting\, in its extracellular polymeric matrix\, gradients of oxygen\, nutrients and metabolic waste products. The so-formed chemical heterogeneity (e.g.\, the presence of anoxic areas) leads to the appearance of different metabolic activities. \nPseudomonas aeruginosa has been used as a model bacterium for biofilm research; it causes biofilm-related chronic infections and presents high metabolic versatility\, together with an extreme antibiotic resistance. \nIn this work we have studied P. aeruginosa\, focusing in an essential enzyme for its growth\, Ribonucleotide Reductase (RNR). Ribonucleotide Reductases catalyse the reduction of ribonucleotides (NTPs) to deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs)\, thereby providing the building blocks for DNA synthesis. There are three different RNR classes\, named class I\, class II and class III\, which are\, respectively\, oxygen-dependent\, oxygen-independent and oxygen-sensitive. The last two ones\, essential for anaerobic growth in Pseudomonas aeruginosa\, have been proved to be necessary for biofilm formation\, and therefore putative targets for new therapies against P. aeruginosa chronic infections.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-session-veronica-hortiguela-anna-crespo-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150529T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150529T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20150527T072015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150527T072015Z
UID:16865-1432893600-1432897200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Sessions: Lorena de Oñate & Anita Kosmalska
DESCRIPTION:Research on cardiac differentiation from pluripotent stem cells: how to get beating cells in a dish\nLorena de Oñate\, Pluripotent stem cells and activation of endogenous tissue programs for organ regeneration group\nProbably\, the gain in organ complexity and cell function has led to a decrease in healing capacities in the adult mammalian heart. In an effort to generate new venues for the generation of functional cardiac cells we have explored the possibility to manipulate cell fate and plasticity making use of different cellular systems. First\, taking advantage of pluripotent stem cells we have defined chemically based protocols in order to generate cardiac cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). Second\, by a cell conversion approach\, we have been able to produce cardiomyocyte-like cells from human fibroblasts by overexpression of specific lineage transcription factors. In parallel\, to overcome several drawbacks related to both processes (i.e: purity of final cell populations)\, we have efficiently developed a reporter cell line for the cardiac gene alpha Myosin Heavy Chain (MYH6) by both TALEN and CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing approaches that will help us to define accurate protocols for cardiac differentiation\, and more importantly\, to underscore the molecular and cellular events driving human cardiomyocyte differentiation. \n  \nPhysical principles of membrane remodelling during cell mechanoadaptation\nAnita Kosmalska\, Cellular and respiratory biomechanic group\nBiological processes in any physiological environment involve changes in cell shape\, which must be accommodated by their physical envelope – the bilayer membrane. However\, the fundamental biophysical principles by which the cell membrane allows for and responds to shape changes remain unclear. Here we show that the 3D remodelling of the membrane in response to a broad diversity of physiological perturbations can be explained by a purely mechanical process. This process is passive\, local\, almost instantaneous\, prior to any active remodelling\, and generates different types of membrane invaginations that can repeatedly store and release large fractions of the cell membrane. We further demonstrate that the shape of those invaginations is determined by the minimum elastic and adhesive energy required to store both membrane area and liquid volume at the cell-substrate interface. Once formed\, cells reabsorb the invaginations through an active process with duration of the order of minutes.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-sessions-lorena-de-onate-anita-kosmalska/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150529T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150529T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20150527T072015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150527T072015Z
UID:95853-1432893600-1432897200@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussions Sessions: Lorena de Oñate & Anita Kosmalska
DESCRIPTION:Research on cardiac differentiation from pluripotent stem cells: how to get beating cells in a dish\nLorena de Oñate\, Pluripotent stem cells and activation of endogenous tissue programs for organ regeneration group\nProbably\, the gain in organ complexity and cell function has led to a decrease in healing capacities in the adult mammalian heart. In an effort to generate new venues for the generation of functional cardiac cells we have explored the possibility to manipulate cell fate and plasticity making use of different cellular systems. First\, taking advantage of pluripotent stem cells we have defined chemically based protocols in order to generate cardiac cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). Second\, by a cell conversion approach\, we have been able to produce cardiomyocyte-like cells from human fibroblasts by overexpression of specific lineage transcription factors. In parallel\, to overcome several drawbacks related to both processes (i.e: purity of final cell populations)\, we have efficiently developed a reporter cell line for the cardiac gene alpha Myosin Heavy Chain (MYH6) by both TALEN and CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing approaches that will help us to define accurate protocols for cardiac differentiation\, and more importantly\, to underscore the molecular and cellular events driving human cardiomyocyte differentiation. \n  \nPhysical principles of membrane remodelling during cell mechanoadaptation\nAnita Kosmalska\, Cellular and respiratory biomechanic group\nBiological processes in any physiological environment involve changes in cell shape\, which must be accommodated by their physical envelope – the bilayer membrane. However\, the fundamental biophysical principles by which the cell membrane allows for and responds to shape changes remain unclear. Here we show that the 3D remodelling of the membrane in response to a broad diversity of physiological perturbations can be explained by a purely mechanical process. This process is passive\, local\, almost instantaneous\, prior to any active remodelling\, and generates different types of membrane invaginations that can repeatedly store and release large fractions of the cell membrane. We further demonstrate that the shape of those invaginations is determined by the minimum elastic and adhesive energy required to store both membrane area and liquid volume at the cell-substrate interface. Once formed\, cells reabsorb the invaginations through an active process with duration of the order of minutes.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussions-sessions-lorena-de-onate-anita-kosmalska-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150327T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150327T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20150119T113556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150319T143821Z
UID:11717-1427450400-1427454000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Sessions: Claudia di Guglielmo and Oiane Urra
DESCRIPTION:Biotechnological approaches to cardiac differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells\nClaudia di Guglielmo\, Control of stem cell potency group\nHeart diseases are a major cause of death and disability in developed countries. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be differentiated into cardiomyocytes\, representing a valid tool to be used as a platform for research and clinical applications in regenerative medicine. However\, current differentiation protocols have disadvantages related to insufficient purity and lack of scalability. We applied biotechnological strategies such as the use of transgenic cell lines and tissue engineering devices to overcome those drawbacks. This approach offers the possibility to dissect the mechanisms underlying cardiac differentiation\, as well as providing valuable in vitro systems for drug screening of patient-specific heart muscle cells. \n  \nMuscle Synergy analysis as a tool to improve stroke rehabilitation\nOiane Urra\, Biomedical signal processing and interpretation group\nStroke is the first cause of adult disability with upper-limb hemiparesis being the most frequent dysfunction. After rehabilitation\, one third of the patients result permanently disabled. Consequently\, intensive research aiming to develop novel therapies promoting neuroplasticity are being carried out to allow rehabilitation of these patients. In this thesis\, we propose to combine novel neurorehabilitation and biofeedback strategies and to evaluate its therapeutic effect from a physiological (changes at muscular and neuroplastic level)\, kinematic and functional perspective with the objective of guiding the design of more successful and cost-effective therapies.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-sessions-claudia-di-guglielmo-and-oiane-urra/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150327T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150327T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20150119T113556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150119T113556Z
UID:95836-1427450400-1427454000@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Sessions: Claudia di Guglielmo and Oiane Urra
DESCRIPTION:Biotechnological approaches to cardiac differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells\nClaudia di Guglielmo\, Control of stem cell potency group\nHeart diseases are a major cause of death and disability in developed countries. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be differentiated into cardiomyocytes\, representing a valid tool to be used as a platform for research and clinical applications in regenerative medicine. However\, current differentiation protocols have disadvantages related to insufficient purity and lack of scalability. We applied biotechnological strategies such as the use of transgenic cell lines and tissue engineering devices to overcome those drawbacks. This approach offers the possibility to dissect the mechanisms underlying cardiac differentiation\, as well as providing valuable in vitro systems for drug screening of patient-specific heart muscle cells. \n  \nMuscle Synergy analysis as a tool to improve stroke rehabilitation\nOiane Urra\, Biomedical signal processing and interpretation group\nStroke is the first cause of adult disability with upper-limb hemiparesis being the most frequent dysfunction. After rehabilitation\, one third of the patients result permanently disabled. Consequently\, intensive research aiming to develop novel therapies promoting neuroplasticity are being carried out to allow rehabilitation of these patients. In this thesis\, we propose to combine novel neurorehabilitation and biofeedback strategies and to evaluate its therapeutic effect from a physiological (changes at muscular and neuroplastic level)\, kinematic and functional perspective with the objective of guiding the design of more successful and cost-effective therapies.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-sessions-claudia-di-guglielmo-and-oiane-urra-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150227T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150227T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20150119T112620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150218T142126Z
UID:11716-1425031200-1425034800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Sessions: Silvia Pittolo and Noelia Campillo
DESCRIPTION:Alloswitch: an allosteric modulator for the control of a G protein-coupled receptor with light\nSilvia Pittolo\, Nanoprobes and nanoswitches group\nControlling drug activity with light offers the possibility of enhancing pharmacological selectivity with spatial and temporal regulation\, thus enabling highly localized therapeutic effects and precise dosing patterns. We have developed and characterized what is to our knowledge the first photoswitchable allosteric modulator of a G protein–coupled receptor. Alloswitch-1 is selective for the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGlu5 and enables the optical control of endogenous mGlu5 receptors. \n  \nEffect of cyclic hypoxia mimicking obstructive sleep apnea on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor\nNoelia Campillo\, Cellular and respiratory biomechanics group\nIntermittent hypoxia (IH)\, the process whereby tissues are recurrently subjected to episodes of low oxygen tension\, is commonly associated with several pathological conditions\, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or cancer. Increasing evidence suggests that the cyclic frequency of IH is directly related to the emergence of OSA-associated morbidities. Although HIF-1 has been identified as the critical factor regulating cell responses to hypoxia\, the molecular mechanisms supporting the pathological effects of IH remain poorly understood. This is partly due to the lack of experimental systems to study the in vitro consequences of IH patterns realistically mimicking OSA. Here we present a simple polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip aimed to apply high-frequency IH patterns and cyclic stretch simulating OSA at the cell level. The device was used to study the effect of different IH frequencies on HIF-1 expression.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-sessions-silvia-pittolo-and-noelia-campillo/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150227T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20150227T110000
DTSTAMP:20260516T230300
CREATED:20150119T112620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20150119T112620Z
UID:95835-1425031200-1425034800@ibecbarcelona.eu
SUMMARY:PhD Discussion Sessions: Silvia Pittolo and Noelia Campillo
DESCRIPTION:Alloswitch: an allosteric modulator for the control of a G protein-coupled receptor with light\nSilvia Pittolo\, Nanoprobes and nanoswitches group\nControlling drug activity with light offers the possibility of enhancing pharmacological selectivity with spatial and temporal regulation\, thus enabling highly localized therapeutic effects and precise dosing patterns. We have developed and characterized what is to our knowledge the first photoswitchable allosteric modulator of a G protein–coupled receptor. Alloswitch-1 is selective for the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGlu5 and enables the optical control of endogenous mGlu5 receptors. \n  \nEffect of cyclic hypoxia mimicking obstructive sleep apnea on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor\nNoelia Campillo\, Cellular and respiratory biomechanics group\nIntermittent hypoxia (IH)\, the process whereby tissues are recurrently subjected to episodes of low oxygen tension\, is commonly associated with several pathological conditions\, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or cancer. Increasing evidence suggests that the cyclic frequency of IH is directly related to the emergence of OSA-associated morbidities. Although HIF-1 has been identified as the critical factor regulating cell responses to hypoxia\, the molecular mechanisms supporting the pathological effects of IH remain poorly understood. This is partly due to the lack of experimental systems to study the in vitro consequences of IH patterns realistically mimicking OSA. Here we present a simple polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip aimed to apply high-frequency IH patterns and cyclic stretch simulating OSA at the cell level. The device was used to study the effect of different IH frequencies on HIF-1 expression.
URL:https://ibecbarcelona.eu/event/phd-discussion-sessions-silvia-pittolo-and-noelia-campillo-2/
CATEGORIES:PhD Discussions Session
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR