Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia

PhD Thesis Defense: Anna Vila Giraut
2020-12-10 15:30 - 17:00 (Europe/Madrid)
Hydrogel co-networks of gelatin methacryloyl and poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate sustain 3D functional in vitro models of intestinal mucosa
Anna Vila Giraut, Biomimetic systems for cell engineering Group
Conventional in vitro cell culture models do not possess the complexity that the native tissues offer. Because of this, the functional properties of the tissues are not properly mimicked, which causes poorly predictive capabilities. Engineered tissues, which combine biofabrication and tissue engineering techniques, try to overcome this gap by providing the cells with an environment similar to the native tissue, recapitulating (I) the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the cellular matrix, (II) the multicellular complexity of the different tissue compartments, and (III) the 3D structures of the tissues. These new engineered models are key factors to improve the platforms for basic research studies, testing new drugs or modelling diseases. Among all the engineered tissues, the intestinal mucosa is not well represented. The intestinal mucosa is formed by the epithelium, which is a multicellular monolayer laying on top of the lamina propria, a connective tissue containing several cell types (mesenchymal cells, immune cells). The gold standard intestinal models are based on epithelial cell lines derived from colon cancer cells grown on the hard porous membranes of the Transwell® inserts. The lack of the intestinal stromal compartment and the growth on a hard surface give high transepithelial electrical resistance and low apparent permeability. Therefore, the development of better in vitro platforms, which integrates both compartments and provides epithelium-lamina propria cell interactions, is highly desirable.
In this work, we describe an easy and cost-effective method to engineer a 3D intestinal mucosa model that combines both the epithelium and the lamina propria compartments. To build the 3D scaffolds we chose hydrogels as materials to mimic the physicochemical and mechanical properties of intestinal tissue. Thus, hydrogel conetworks of gelatin methacryolyl (GelMA), a natural polymer, and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), a synthetic polymer, are photopolymerized. On one hand, GelMA provides biodegradation and cell adhesion sequences but it lacks long-term mechanical stability. On the other hand, PEGDA, is non-biodegradable and does not present cell adhesion motifs. Nevertheless, it has good mechanical properties. By this technique, the lamina propria compartment of the intestinal mucosa can be reproduced in vitro. To do that, GelMA and PEGDA polymers are laden with mesenchymal cells (fibroblasts or myofibroblasts) and/or immune cells (macrophages). We demonstrated that GelMA – PEGDA hydrogel co-networks support the growth of these cells and epithelial monolayers on top of the scaffolds. Embedding fibroblasts or myofibroblasts on the hydrogel conetworks enhance the formation and the maturity of the Caco-2 epithelial monolayers, providing barrier properties similar to in vivo. The presence of the stromal cells also enhances the recovery of the epithelial integrity when the epithelium is temporally damaged. Finally, an immunocompetent model is obtained by the encapsulation of macrophages in the constructs. The presence of macrophages does not influence the formation of the epithelium. However, when the epithelial monolayer is disrupted, the presence of mesenchymal and immune cells in the stromal compartment increases cytokine secretion in a synergistic manner. Our model can successfully mimic the interactions between stromal and epithelial compartments found in vivo intestinal tissue, offering a potential platform to be used to study absorption and toxicity of drugs, as well as cell behaviour under physiological and pathological conditions.
Location: The defense will be online. People are invited to attend upon receiving a link that you have to request to vd.fisica.recerca@ub.edu

PhD Thesis Defense: Javier Rodriguez Benítez
2020-12-04 11:00 - 13:00
Characterization and interpretation of cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory dynamics in cardiomyopathy patients
Javier Rodriguez Benítez, member of Biomedical Signal Processing and Interpretation (BIOSPIN) Group
Friday 4th December 2020, at 11.00 am
This defense will be transmitted online at Google meet, using this link

PhD Thesis Defense: Arnau Biosca
2020-12-04 11:00 - 13:00
Discovery of protein aggregation in Plasmodium parasites and development of a combinational antimalarial therapy at the nanoscale
Arnau Biosca, Nanomalaria Group
This thesis defense will take place ONLINE on the 4th December at 11.00 using the “BB Collaborate” streaming platform.

Online IBEC Seminar: Paul Verschure
2020-12-04 10:00 - 12:00
The volitional brain in action: counterfactual error and the virtualization of memory

Volitional motor control can be seen as the result of a gradual replacement of feedback by feedforward control. We have addressed this question from the perspective of an integrated architecture called the Distributed Adaptive Control (DAC) theory of mind and brain. DAC proposes that the brain is a multi-layer control system which optimizes the how of action by considering why (motivation), what (objects), where (space), when (time) and who (agents) or the H5W problem. We have shown that for DAC to realize optimal solutions in foraging problems, its decision-making renders policies that simultaneously optimize perceptual evidence, memory bias, goals, and utility. This raises the question of what the principles are that underlie the processing and adaptation of these factors. In this presentation, I will focus on a link between volition, policy adaptation and perceptual learning we have recently advanced. The dominant model of anticipatory motor control relies on the notion of an inverse model that by learning from encountered errors acquires corrective responses that supersede feedback control. However, these models are predicated on a Markovian world assumption and thus by necessity face problems in handling exceptions, such as observed in probe trials, where fast feedback control is required. We solve this challenge by proposing that adaptive motor control can also be obtained by relying on a cascade of purely sensory predictions that drive feedback control via counterfactual errors or Hierarchical Sensory Predictive Control. Using robot experiments, we have demonstrated the robustness of this solution. I will present further supporting evidence for the relevance of counterfactual error in the physiology of motor learning, the neurophysiology of human memory as obtained with intracranial recordings and in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. In conclusion Paul will comment on the challenges involved in bringing science to society.

Paul Verschure is Catalan Institute of Advanced Studies (ICREA) Research Professor, Director of the Synthetic Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems Laboratory at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalunya and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology. Paul has received his MA and Ph.D. in Psychology, and has worked in Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence and his scientific aim is to develop a unified theory of mind and brain, to validate it using synthetic methods and to apply it to quality of life enhancing technologies. To achieve the latter goal, Paul is founder/CEO of Eodyne Systems S.L. (Eodyne.com), which is commercializing novel science grounded neurorehabilitation, education and cultural heritage technologies. Paul is founder/Chairman of the Future Memory Foundation (futurememoryfoundation.org) which aims at supporting the development of new tools and paradigms for the conservation, presentation, and education of the history of Nazi crimes. Paul is founder/Chairman of the Convergent Science Network Foundation which hosts the annual Living Machines conference for which Paul also hosts the Convergent Science Network podcast. Paul chairs the annual Barcelona Cognition, Brain and Technology summer school. Paul manages a multidisciplinary team of about 30 researchers with whom he has published over 400 articles in leading journals and conferences in a range of disciplines and has completed 15 Ironman races.
This seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting platform
Know more about Paul Verschure’s research here

PhD Thesis Defense: Jesús Ordoño
2020-11-25 00:00 - 14:00 | Sala d’Actes de la Facultat de Matemàtiques i Estadística (FME), Carrer de Pau Gargallo, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
Lactate: unraveling the regenerative potential for cardiac tissue engineering
Jesús Ordoño, Biometerials for regenerative therapies grouop
This thesis defense will take place on the 25th November at 12.00 at Sala d’Actes de la Facultat de Matemàtiques i Estadística (FME), Campus Diagonal Sud. It is possible to attend to this defense but it will also be transmitted online at Google meet (meet.google.com/ufd-vtgp-gmd).

Bioengineering and MedTtech against cancer
2020-11-24 09:00 - 2020-11-25 18:20
Bioengineering & MedTtech against cancer

To meet the challenges in healthcare of the 21st century, it is important to combined bioengineering and MedTech to develop biological system analyze and treatment to treat specifically cancer cells and protect the rest of the patient’s body by limiting side effects. To accomplish this, we need to promote an innovation model where scientists, engineers and doctors works together.
It’s in this optic that the digital oncology short course will take place the 24th and 25th of November 2020. This short course is part of ToHealth program, an EIT Health activity. The course is organized by Medicen Paris and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), with the collaboration of Biocat, “la Caixa” Foundation and Meditecnologia, under the framework of B·Debate.
A 2 days workshop reviewing different bioengineering and medtech technologies (liquid biopsies, targeted drug delivery, tumor on chip, mechanobiology and Car-T therapies…) which can significantly contribute to meet the challenges that the increasing prevalence of cancer poses on society and healthcare systems and what would be the difficulties that must be solved before these technologies are a reality in daily clinical practice. And also, a transversal session to discuss barriers and opportunities for the translation of these technologies to the clinical practice.

Location: Online Event

We invite you to register at https://event.meetmaps.com/bioengineeringandmedtech/en/landing

Online IBEC Seminar: Xavier Trepat
2020-11-13 10:00 - 12:00
Mechanobiology of intestinal organoids

Xavier Trepat, IBEC
Intestinal organoids capture essential features of the intestinal epithelium such as folding of the crypt, spatial compartmentalization of different cell types, and cellular movements from crypt to villus-like domains. Each of these processes and their coordination in time and space requires patterned physical forces that are currently unknown. In this study, we map the three-dimensional cell-ECM and cell-cell forces in mouse intestinal organoids grown on soft hydrogels. We show that these organoids exhibit a non-monotonic stress distribution that defines mechanical and functional compartments. The stem cell compartment pushes the ECM and folds through apical constriction, whereas the transit amplifying zone pulls the ECM and elongates through basal constriction. Tension measurements establish that the transit amplifying zone isolates mechanically the stem cell compartment and the villus-like domain. A 3D vertex model shows that the shape and force distribution of the crypt can be largely explained by cell surface tensions following the measured apical and basal actomyosin density. Finally, we show that cells are pulled out of the crypt along a gradient of increasing tension, rather than pushed by a compressive stress downstream of mitotic pressure as previously assumed. Our study unveils how patterned forces enable folding and collective migration in the intestinal crypt.
This seminar will take place online at the Microsoft Teams Platform
Know more about Xavier Trepat’s research here

PhD Thesis Defense: Dolores Blanco
2020-11-09 15:00 - 17:00
Noninvasive multimodal analysis of thoracic bioimpedance and myographic signals for the assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Dolores Blanco, Biomedical Signal Processing and Interpretation
Chronic respiratory diseases cause morbidity and premature mortality in adult population. In particular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a socioeconomic burden worldwide. COPD is usually evaluated by a spirometry test to quantify the airflow limitation. Classical spirometry requires the patients to move to the medical centers making difficult the continuous monitoring. Alternatively, other noninvasive methods have been studied to monitor respiration because of their capability to provide valuable respiratory-related information. These techniques would lighten the intrusiveness of the measurements and ease the ambulatory monitoring of respiration. However, the applicability of these methods into the clinics is still limited because of the lack of evidence in these applications.
The objective of this thesis is to propose and evaluate novel noninvasive methods to monitor respiration and assess obstructive diseases. We proposed a setup and a protocol to evaluate the applicability of thoracic bioimpedance and surface myographic signals for respiration assessment in healthy subjects and COPD patients. We acquired bioimpedance, airflow and surface myographic signals in ten healthy subjects and fifty COPD patients. The physiological data was measured during an inspiratory threshold loading protocol to evaluate the methods during restrictive conditions. The thesis consisted of three different studies published in high impact factor journals. The two first studies delved into the changes of thoracic bioimpedance during restrictive breathing and, the third one focused on the combination of bioimpedance and myographic signals for the assessment of COPD.
Previous studies showed a linear relationship between thoracic bioimpedance and respiratory volume during normal breathing. Firstly, we assessed this linear relationship in healthy subjects for the first time, during a loading protocol. We found a strong correlation between the signals even during highest loads. Nevertheless, bioimpedance measurement is the combination of the different impedances of body tissues, organs and fluids and consequently, not only volume contributes to its measurement. Accordingly, our second study aimed to evaluate the relevance of volume and chest movement to bioimpedance measurement at different levels of inspiratory muscle activity. We characterized bioimpedance using chest movement and volume signals by linear models and neural networks for different muscle effort. The results agreed with our previous results, indicating that respiratory volume was the main contribution to bioimpedance, but chest movement contributed substantially and more notably at high muscle activity. Both studies provided better knowledge of thoracic bioimpedance measurements which reinforces its use for noninvasive respiratory monitoring.
Finally, we evaluated the combination of thoracic bioimpedance and surface myographic signals in the COPD population. We proposed two novel ratios derived from the bioimpedance amplitude and myographic activity. These ratios showed significant differences between the mild and severe COPD patients meaning that the severest patients had lower inspiratory ventilation contribution of the inspiratory muscles. Consequently, we suggest these novel ratios to provide valuable information to noninvasively monitor and complement the classical assessment of COPD.
The multimodal approach proposed in this thesis supports the application of thoracic bioimpedance for respiratory monitoring during normal and restrictive breathing. Furthermore, the combination of bioimpedance and myographic information exhibited differences between COPD severity. The proposed methods will provide additional information about COPD condition which will be easily tracked by a single wearable device. Consequently, the results of this thesis open up the way for a high-quality noninvasive monitoring of chronic respiratory patients.

This thesis defense will take place on Monday, 9th November, at 15:00 hours.
Location: The defense will be online using Microsoft Teams. People are invited to attend upon receiving a link that you have to request to Dolores Blanco (dblanco@ibecbarcelona.eu) or Raimon Jané (rjane@ibecbarcelona.eu).

3rd EIT Health Innovation Day
2020-10-31 - 2020-11-07
EIT Health Innovation Day

IBEC is participating, once more, in the organization of this year’s EIT Health Innovation Day that will be held on-line from 31st October to 7th November 2020 (Dedication per day: 30-45 min. aprox. (flexible schedule)).
Innovation Days (i-Days) promote health innovation among university students through dozens of one-to-two-day programmes held at academic institutions around Europe. Students receive an introduction to practical health innovation tools and compete in multidisciplinary teams to tackle real-life health challenges posed by EIT Health projects, local organisations and private corporations.
i-Day Barcelona will invite inspirational speakers and experts within the field of health innovation. Participants will form multidisciplinary teams to develop real and viable innovations, compete for i-Day prizes and learn practical skills in innovation. The team with the most sparkling solution will participate in the European Winners event. At the Winners event, participants will meet fellow EIT Health Innovation Day winners from universities across Europe, and will further develop their ideas with the support from experienced business developers.

The i-Day is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
We invite you to register here. Registrations will be open until October 26th.
The best projects of the day will be candidates for 4 prizes.
You can also see the calendar of i-Day events.

13th IBEC Symposium - Bioengineering for Future and Precision Medicine
2020-10-27 09:15 - 2020-10-28 17:30
Registration is now open for the 13th IBEC Symposium on Bioengineering for Future and Precision Medicine

The 13th IBEC Symposium will focus on one of our three main areas of application of research at IBEC: Future and Precision Medicine. Although we would have loved to meet everyone in person, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the uncertainty that we are living, this edition of the IBEC Symposium will be celebrated online. We hope that this will bring IBEC other opportunities such as increasing the participation of people from other institutions and the visibility of the research being done at IBEC. So, please help us spread the word!
We will use an online platform where all the talks will be streamed and posters will be available. To adapt to the online format, the Symposium will be divided into two days.
All the scientific community is invited to participate. Attendees from IBEC and abroad are welcome to present their research in a poster format. Moreover, some of these contributions will be selected by the scientific committee for an oral flash presentation.
Additionally, attendees are invited to present their research in a short video (max 90-second long and horizontal) to be uploaded to the IBEC YouTube channel. The most popular video will win a prize.

Important deadlines:
Abstract submission: 15/09/2020
Notification of acceptance: 06/10/2020
Registration deadline: 26/10/2020

We invite to register and, if you wish, to submit an abstract at
http://events.ibecbarcelona.eu/symposium2020

Useful information:
Posters: Posters will be displayed in the online platform, where attendees will be able to interact with the authors. Format as usual, A0 using this template.
Flash presentations: Will be recorded the week before the event by media professionals.
Video: Deadline to send a short video for the competition: 12th October 2020.

IBEC PhD Discussions Complementary Skills Session: #LancetGate and its broader implications for the pandemic response and science dissemination
2020-10-02 10:00 - 12:00
#LancetGate and its broader implications for the pandemic response and science dissemination
Carlos Chaccour, ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona
On May 22, 2020, the Lancet published an influential report on the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID conducted using a vast database owned by a company based in Chicago: Surgisphere. The world counted more than 300.000 deaths due to the Pandemic at that time. The paper had an immediate impact on more than 131 clinical trials with this molecule ongoing worldwide at the moment, including the WHO-led SOLIDARITY trial which put its hydroxychloroquine arm on hold due to safety concerns. The main issue, of course, is that the data was fraudulent. Hydroxychloroquine would finally be discarded as a potential treatment after failing randomized clinical trials. But the broader impact of the surgisphere “database” exceeded hydroxychloroquine and shaped the pandemic response in several latinamerican countries. In this talk we will review the story of what is now known as the #LancetGate scandal.

Carlos Chaccour a results-oriented global health researcher that finds joy in looking at challenges from different angles. He is interested in the whole spectrum of problem solving, from discovery to scale-up and believes that open-minded multidisciplinary teams are key to innovation. Carlos thinks that scientists should be well versed on the complexities of policy, funding and implementation if they are to come up with sustainable solutions. He currently focuses on malaria but enjoys the full spectrum of global health.

Imaginenano Online 2020
2020-09-29 09:00 - 2020-10-01 17:45
Imaginenano2020 Online

Imaginenano2020 organisers have been closely monitoring global developments of the COVID-19 virus since the start of the year. The health and safety of our speakers, exhibitors, participants and staff being our number one priority, we decided to postpone the in-person event to 2021 but organise a 3 days online event (Imaginenano2020 Online) merging 3 conferences (nanoSpain / 3PM / graphIn).
This international online conference will present the most recent advances in fundamental research & technology developments in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (N&N). 40 high profile talks from worldwide most influential academia/industry experts in the N&N sector will present speeches in this international event on how advanced materials will change the future of technology and impact positively our daily life in sectors such as Energy, Electronics or Biohealth.
IBEC researchers Giuseppe Battaglia, Josep Samitier and Javier Ramón Azcón and Teresa Sanchís from Strategic Initiatives will participate on Thursday, October 01st.

Location: The event will take place via ZOOM.
You can find the program here.
More info here.

PhD Thesis defense: Martina Maier
2020-09-21 11:00 - 13:00
The principles of advanced virtual reality-based neurorehabilitation
Martina Maier, SPECS group
How the training in virtual reality and based on principles can support the recovery and diagnosis of disabilities after stroke.

This thesis defense will take place on Monday, September 21st, at 11:00 hours.
Location: The defense will be online. People are invited to attend upon receiving a link provided by UPF shortly before the defense.

Cell Migration Virtual Seminars: Xavier Trepat
2020-09-15 16:00 - 18:00
Mechanobiology of epithelial folding and migration in intestinal organoids
Xavier Trepat, Integrative cell and tissue dynamics group
More information here
Registration here

InsideScientific: Javier Burgués
2020-09-09 10:00 - 23:00
Decoding Turbulent Chemical Plumes with Improved Signal Processing and Machine Learning
Javier Burgués, Signal and information processing for sensing systems group
Millions of years of evolution has aided animals and insects to develop the highly sensitive ability to track and navigate odor plumes over great distances. This behavior is integral to their survival and propagation of the species; decades of research has gone into finding a way to replicate this inate behaviour in autonomous mobile robots. And while it is accepted that animals are able to find hidden information from complex signals for odor navigation purposes, the sub-Hz bandwidth of chemical sensors largely limits the efficacy of information retrieval. Naturally, this hinders the application of mobile robots for chemical source localization tasks.
During this webinar sponsored by Aurora Scientific, Dr. Burgués will discuss how he and his team are leveraging various signal processing and machine learning techniques in order to decode the fine-scale structure of turbulent chemical plumes using low-cost chemical sensors. Specifically, he will discuss three signal processing methods they developed to improve MOX sensor dynamics, and share the experimental setups they used to test their theories. Finally, he will share data from recent experiments and elaborate on the conclusions of their studies and how robotic plume tracking technology might apply to industrial and air quality monitoring, research and more.

You can watch the seminar here

PhD Thesis defense: Helena Lozano
2020-07-16 11:00 - 13:00
Electrical and topographical study of bacterial appendages at the nanoscale
Helena Lozano, Nanoscale bioelectrical characterization group
Some bacteria can exchange electrons with non-soluble electron acceptors, such as minerals. This phenomenon is called Extracellular Electron Transfer (EET) and it can be done through several mechanisms, especially through conductive bacterial nanowires.
The main objective of this thesis is the investigation of the polarization properties of electrochemically active bacteria and their appendages. Specifically, I have studied two types of bacteria, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and cable bacteria. I have used the Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM), which measures the electrostatic force using a nanometric probe, combined with finite element simulations to obtain the polarization properties. The electrostatic force depends mainly on the geometry and dielectric constant of the probe-sample system.
First, I have developed a way to obtain the dimensions of objects avoiding physical contact with the sample by measuring the electrostatic force. I have tested this technique on silver nanowires and bacterial flagella, optimizing the EFM technique to nanowire-like biological samples at the nanoscale. Afterward, I have studied S. oneidensis Outer Membrane Extensions (OMEs), responsible for the EET. I have obtained a low value of the dielectric constant (εOME=3.7±0.7). However, considering that the conduction mechanism of such OMEs is through electron hopping, where electrons are localized, these results do not contradict the literature.
I have also studied the cable bacteria, especially the fibers that are along this filamentous bacterium. The dielectric constant of the fibers was εr=7±1. This result is not compatible with the conductivity reported in the literature. Therefore, a core-shell model was proposed with a conductive core of h~10–20nm.
Subsequently, I have performed qualitative EFM measurements in liquid over living and rehydrated S. oneidensis bacteria.
Finally, I have performed macroscale measurements in living S. oneidensis using a microfluidic device that I designed, fabricated and characterized at the Denmark Technical University (DTU), Copenhagen. It was used to perform two-electrode impedance measurements.

In order to attend to the defense, you must send an email to the president of the Doctoral Commission of the Faculty of Physics (Dr. Eugeni Grauges Pous – vd.fisica.recerca@ub.edu) with a minimum notice of 48 hours and will be held via Microsoft Teams.

Online IBEC Seminar: Santiago Marco
2020-07-03 10:00 - 12:00
Signal and Data Processing Workflows for Untargeted Chemical Analysis: Sensor Array and Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Complex Gas Samples
Santiago Marco , IBEC
In diverse sectors such as health, food, environment, complex natural gas samples are analysed. Those samples can contain hundreds or thousands of compounds. In many cases, the question to be answered does not require full separation, quantification, and identification of all compounds. Instead detection of abnormal samples (normal/ faulty), assignation of classes to samples (e.g.healthy/disease), or evaluation of global quantitative indexes (e.g odour intensity) is required.
The analysis of gas phase samples can be carried out with high-end lab equipment based on Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry or lower cost systems based on chemical sensors. In all cases, the resulting raw signals/data need substantial efforts to extract the hidden information. In health applications the problem of biomarker discovery becomes like finding a needle in a haystack. Intimate knowledge of the instrumental problems and the sampling conditions is key for the correct interpretation of the results.
These problems are often addressed by building mega-variate predictive models using tools from machine learning. However, in small sample conditions the possibilities to obtain overoptimistic results abound due to the curse of dimensionality. Careful model validation and statement of model validity domains is needed.
The seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting Platform
Know more about Santiago Marco’s research here

Online IBEC Seminar: Pere Roca-Cusachs
2020-06-26 10:00 - 12:00 | IBEC
Sensing the matrix: transducing mechanical signals from integrins to the nucleus

Pere Roca-Cusachs , IBEC
Cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as key processes in development, tumorigenesis, and wound healing, are strongly determined by the properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), including its mechanical rigidity and the density and distribution of its ligands. In this talk, I will explain how we combine molecular biology, biophysical measurements, and theoretical modelling to understand the mechanisms by which cells sense and respond to matrix properties.
I will discuss how the properties under force of integrin-ECM bonds, and of the adaptor protein talin, drive and regulate matrix sensing. I will further discuss how this sensing can be understood through a computational molecular clutch model, which can quantitatively predict the role of integrins, talin, myosin, and ECM receptors, and their effect on cell response. Finally, I will analyze how signals triggered by rigidity at cell-ECM adhesions are transmitted to the nucleus, leading to transcriptional regulation.
The seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting Platform
Know more about Pere Roca-Cusachs’ research here

Online IBEC Seminar: Benedetta Bolognesi
2020-06-05 10:00 - 12:00
Deep mutagenesis to understand Protein Phase Transitions

Benedetta Bolognesi , IBEC
Specific insoluble protein aggregates are the hallmarks of many neurodegenerative diseases. Whether the protein aggregates themselves or other forms of the proteins are toxic to cells is still unclear in many of these diseases. This lack of understanding of the causes of cellular toxicity is reflected in the general failure of multiple therapeutic approaches so far attempted. The causes of this rely mainly on the lack of systematic approaches able to estimate in parallel the effect of mutations on cell viability as well as on protein conformation. Our lab uses deep mutagenesis as a systematic and unbiased approach to identify and investigate the toxic species of proteins.
In this seminar I will explain how we used this approach to report on the toxicity of thousands of protein sequences and how, more recently, we adapted this method to track more specific biochemical processes, such as amyloid nucleation. Overall, the results I will discuss demonstrate that deep mutagenesis is a powerful approach to study intrinsically disordered proteins and also illustrate that it can be used to genetically validate assays as discovery platforms.
The seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting Platform
Know more about Benedetta Bolognesi’s research here

Online IBEC Seminar: Giuseppe Battaglia
2020-05-29 10:00 - 12:00
Bionics at the molecular level: copying Nature to control Nature

Giuseppe Battaglia , IBEC

A very established approach in medicine involves the replacement of organs or other malfunctioning body parts by synthetic versions, engineered to mimic (or even augment it, if you allow the sci-fi digression) the original function. Bionics is a very established medical discipline where engineering spouses the life sciences, creating exquisite combinations. With the help of nanoscience and nanotechnology, we can now push such an effort down to the molecular level. In our group, we fabricate synthetic surrogates of trafficking vesicles, viruses and, one day perhaps, even a whole cell. Such molecular bionic units offer more efficient solutions to deliver drugs, to probe life at the nanoscale, and to act as a model to understand biological complexity.

Our efforts are intrinsically multidisciplinary, and we mix chemistry, physics and biology in all we do. We typically start studying biological complexity, with a strong focus on transport, trafficking and multivalent interactions (Physical Biology). To help this, we develop new tools to look at biological systems in four dimensions capturing life’s spatiotemporal patterns (Microscopy). We thus apply a constructionist approach where we mimic biological complexity in the form of design principles such as compartmentalisation, multivalency and taxis, to produce functional units from simple building blocks and their interactions (Molecular Engineering).​ Finally, we apply the resulting constructs to tackle disorders such as cancer, neurodegeneration, inflammation, and infections (Nanomedicine).

Today, I start introducing our research activities giving a few examples of each segment, to eventually focus my seminar on one of the latest and most exciting developments, our understanding of multivalent interaction and how these control crucial biological processes, such as cellular selectivity and trafficking.

The seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting Platform
Know more about Giuseppe Battaglia’s research here

Research4Talent
2020-05-20 09:30 - 13:30
On Wednesday 20th May we’ll open our doors virtually to UNDERGRADUATE & MASTER’s students interested in a research career

The day is a chance for you to talk to our researchers and ask them questions about their day-to-day work in the lab, career paths, work-life balance, mobility etc, as well as a visit to our labs.
In 2019 IBEC signed more that 145 internship agreements for Undergraduate and Master Students with a wide range of national and international universities.
This year’s edition will be held virtually. If you are interested in IBEC’s fifth edition of reSEARCH4TALENT please stay connected, we will soon provide more info with the links to acces the event.
Visit the website here

Online IBEC Seminar: Gabriel Gomila
2020-05-15 10:00 - 12:00
Multiscale approach to bioelectricity

Gabriel Gomila , IBEC
Understanding how electricity is generated and propagated in living systems is key to understand many physiological processes and to develop medical instruments for diagnosis, monitoring and therapy.
In this seminar I will present the multiscale approach to bioelectricity developed in our research group at IBEC, which covers from multicellular systems to single biomolecules, with an emphasis on passive electrical properties. Topics will include novel devices for electrophysiological recordings, novel routes and structures for extracellular electron transfer in bacterial cells, on-chip impedance flow cytometry, label-free electrical methods for microbiology and nanoscale electrical mapping of single cells.
The seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting Platform
Know more about Gabriel Gomila’s research here

Online IBEC Seminar: Elena Martínez
2020-05-08 10:00 - 12:00
Development of biomimetic models of intestinal tissue: guiding cellular self-organization through biofabrication techniques

Elena Martínez , IBEC
Epithelial tissues contain three-dimensional (3D) microstructures that guide cell self-organization at the tissue level. In the small intestine, crypts and finger-like villi microstructures improve its absorbance function, provides specific microenvironments and compartmentalizes cell types. Despite its physiological relevance, tissue architecture and multicellular population are neglected in the standard in vitro models, thus compromising their predictive capabilities. Our efforts in addressing these shortcomings by including key elements to mimic the native tissue in vitro will be discussed in this talk. First, this will include strategies to promote cell’s self-organization capabilities giving rise to crypt-villus domains on 2D monolayers, and strategies to engineer cell spatial positioning through micropatterning. Then, our approach to include the 3D architecture of the tissue will be addressed. In here, light-based biofabrication techniques to produce 3D villus-like structures will be discussed. Finally, I will introduce our biofabrication proposal to produce tissue engineered models that include the epithelial and the stromal compartments. Improving the prediction capabilities of cell-based assays is a growing strategy to lead to more efficient drug development processes. As 2D-based systems are showing their limits, new 3D strategies are gaining acceptance among the scientific community. Our approaches aim to further accelerate this trend by providing feasible strategies to routinely incorporate 3D multicellular structures at the tissue level in cell culture systems.
The seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting Platform
Know more about Elena Martínez’s research here

Online IBEC Seminar: Samuel Sánchez
2020-04-28 16:00 - 18:00
BioEngineering Hybrid Robotic Machines: from nanobots to 3D Bioprinted Robots

Samuel Sánchez , IBEC
The combination of biological components and artificial ones emerges into what we called hybrid machines/bots/robots. Here, I will present two types of hybrid systems that we are currently developing in our lab which span across different length scales, from a few nanometers to centimeters.
Alike bacteria or small swimmers found in nature, these artificial nanobots convert bio-available fuels to generate propulsion force to swim at the nanoscale. One of the dreams in nanotechnology is to engineer small vehicles which can eventually be applied in vivo for medical purposes. In the first part of my talk, I will present how we bioengineer our hybrid nanobots combining the best from the two worlds: biology (enzymes) and (nano)technology (nano- micro-particles) providing swimming capabilities, biocompatibility, remote control, multifunctionality and actuation. I will present some of the proof-of-concept applications such as the efficient transport of drugs into cancer cells and spheroids, sensing capabilities and the use of molecular imaging techniques for their tracking and localization both in vitro and in vivo.
In the second part of my talk, I will present the 3D bioprinting technique to fabricate hybrid 3D BIOBOTS which provides flexibility, scalability, rapid prototyping and simplicity. This technique has emerged as a powerful tool for the development of functional three-dimensional tissues and, in particular, skeletal muscle. By electrical stimulation, we studied the adaptability of 3D hybrid Robots after long-term trainings and the force evolution during the trainings together with the dynamic gene expression. Two types of devices are bioengineered in our lab: (i) 3D Actuators which useful force measurement platform for drug screening against dystrophies and (ii) 3D BIOBOTS that can be a next generation of living soft robotics systems with swimming capabilities.
The seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting Platform
Know more about Samuel Sánchez’s research here

Online IBEC Seminar: Lorenzo Albertazzi
2020-04-21 16:00 - 17:00
A super-resolved look at nanomedicine

Lorenzo Albertazzi , IBEC
Nanomaterials revolutionized the field of biomedicine introducing innovative approaches towards drug delivery, molecular imaging, regenerative medicine and biosensing. However, despite the large investments in nanotechnology the translation into clinical applications is still unsatisfactory. One of the main reasons is the lack of knowledge about the behavior of nanostructures in the biological environment that makes the rational design of effective materials extremely challenging.
The main aim of our group is to use advanced microscopy techniques to understand the interactions of nanomaterials with living matter and to exploit this information to design novel devices for biomedical applications with a particular focus on drug delivery. To this goal we employ innovative optical imaging techniques such as super resolution microscopy to visualize and understand the molecular interactions of nanomaterials with their cellular targets in unprecedented detail. Super resolution microscopy techniques such as stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) and point accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (PAINT) offer nanometric resolution and multicolor ability, therefore they are ideal tools to study nano-sized multicomponent functional objects in vitro and in cells. This allows to get a closer “look” at the mechanisms of the key phenomena responsible for device performances such as particle stability, protein corona and targeting. The fundamental knowledge acquired will pave the way towards the “microscopy-guided” design of novel nanomaterials for drug and gene delivery.
The seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting Platform
Know more about Lorenzo Albertazzi’s research here

Online IBEC Seminar: Javier Ramón
2020-04-17 10:00 - 12:00
Bioprinting methods for organ-on-a-chip applications

Javier Ramón , IBEC
Engineered tissues in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture platforms that resemble the complex native structure and organization can be used as in vitro models to study tissues physiology and metabolism. Our technology allows us to develop a new platform to model metabolic and muscle diseases in vitro in order to study its response to candidate therapeutics and to better understand disease mechanisms of pathogenesis. To this end, we monitor the secretion of disease-associated biomarker proteins and metabolites.
Here, we present 3D skeletal muscle constructs, fabricated by encapsulating C2C12 cells and pancreatic mouse islets in a photocrosslinkable Gelatin Methacrylate (GelMA) and Carboxymethylcellulose Methacrylate (GelMA:CMCMA) hydrogel and cryogel scaffolds. These scaffolds present a microgrooved topography that promotes cell alignment and differentiation. These 3D tissues are integrated with biosensors for in situ monitorization of cytokines and hormones released under different external stimuli, toxins, drugs or electrical stimulation.
We have obtained a new platform to study the evolution of congenital muscle diseases, specifically myotonic dystrophy 1 and evaluate the functional tissues by metabolic and gene expression analysis. Monitor the secretion of biomarkers proteins, metabolites, and the glycolysis pathway of muscle tissues for different drug candidates. Discussion: This platform has been tested with different drugs assays and represent a step toward the goal of producing in vitro drug testing systems for medical and pharmaceutical industry applications. Finally, such “multi tissue-on-a-chip” devices can be fabricated using patient’s own cells as a major step toward personalized medicine.
The seminar will take place online at the GoToMeeting Platform
Know more about Javier Ramón’s research here

Visita/Taller
2020-03-05 10:00 - 13:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower I, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Mecanobiologia : les cèl·lules fan forces
El cos humà està constantment sotmès a forces físiques; quan et fas una ferida, les cèl·lules del teixit circumdant apliquen forces per sanar l’àrea danyada. De la mateixa manera, les cèl·lules canceroses apliquen forces per escampar-se a altres parts sanes del cos en forma de metàstasi.
Els investigadors de l’IBEC utilitzen les eines, tecnologies i tècniques de la bioenginyeria per comprendre el comportament mecànic de les cèl·lules i les seves interaccions amb el microentorn, així com els mecanismes dinàmics que intervenen en la cicatrització de teixits, la morfogènesi i la invasió cel·lular col·lectiva en el càncer.
En aquest taller els estudiants coneixeran els darrers avenços en mecanobiologia de la mà d’investigadors del nostre centre. A més, podran posar en pràctica alguns dels principis d’aquesta jove disciplina.
Escola: IPSE

PhD Discussions Sessions: Xarxa Quiroga and Adrián López
2020-02-28 10:00 - 12:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower I, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Biochemical responses to cell membrane mechanical remodelling
Xarxa Quiroga, Cellular and molecular mechanobiology
In a range of physiological processes, from extravasation to endocytosis, cells are constantly submitted to morphological changes, which eventually entail plasma membrane reshaping and adaptation. This remodelling could be harnessed by cells to detect and respond to shape changes, enabling mechanosensing mechanisms. However, how this occurs is still largely unknown.
To increase our understanding on how such process can happen, we have engineered a cell-stretching system that allows us to induce controlled plasma membrane remodelling while monitoring the whole process with the help of a microscope.
By using this set up, we have found that cell de-stretch triggers the formation of transient membrane evaginations whose resorption is actively regulated by BAR protein recruitment and actin polymerisation. The described process may be the first part of a molecular cascade used by cells in response to stretch.

Development of Microphysiological Systems for the Evaluation of Regenerative Therapies
Adrián López, Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies
The modelling of human organs has long been a task for scientist in order to lower the costs of therapeutic development and understand the pathological onset of human disease. Animal models remain the gold standard for drug discovery, despite their widely recognized limitations such as their marked differences with humans in terms of genetics and etiology or their high cost.
During the last decade, the advancements in tissue engineering and microfabrication gave rise to innovative models known as organs-on-a-chip or microphysiological systems, which aim to build functional miniaturized tissues in vitro that closely mimic the actual in vivo microenvironment. In this work, we will present two microphysiological platforms that we are developing with the goal of understanding and evaluating biomaterial-based regenerative therapies. The first model is aimed at replicating the bone healing microenvironment to evaluate the angiogenic potential of calcium-releasing scaffolds. The second model will be focused on the generation of an ischemic injury on a physiologically relevant cardiac tissue to test if lactate-releasing scaffolds are able to stimulate cardiac tissue regeneration.
