Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia

IBEC Seminar: Xavier Rovira-Clavé
2022-12-21 11:30 - 13:30 (Europe/Madrid) | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Epitope barcoding and subcellular high-plex imaging reveal clonal tumor patch behaviors
Xavier Rovira-Clavé, PhD
Intratumoral heterogeneity is a seminal feature of human tumors contributing to tumor progression and response to treatment. Current technologies are still largely unsuitable to accurately track phenotypes and clonal evolution within tumors, especially in response to genetic manipulations. In this seminar I will present our recent development of epitopes for imaging using combinatorial tagging (EpicTags), which we coupled to multiplexed ion beam imaging (EpicMIBI), for in situ tracking of barcodes within tissue microenvironments. Using EpicMIBI, we dissected the spatial component of cell lineages and phenotypes in xenograft models of small-cell lung cancer. We observed emergent properties from mixed clones leading to the preferential expansion of clonal patches for both neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine cancer cell states in these models. In a tumor model harboring a fraction of PTEN-deficient cancer cells, we observed a non-autonomous increase of clonal patch size in PTEN wild-type cancer cells. Thus, EpicMIBI facilitates in situ interrogation of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic processes involved in intratumoral heterogeneity and it is posed to help reveal principles and mechanisms of tissue developmental processes, in both normal and malignant growth, that will thus accelerate therapeutic discoveries.

Dr. Xavier Rovira-Clavé is an instructor in the laboratory of Professor Garry Nolan in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University, where he develops and applies multiparameter technologies to study tissue biology in models of cancer and infectious diseases. In 2016, he received his PhD in Immunology from the University of Barcelona under the supervision of Dr. Enric Espel and Dr. Manuel Reina. He also trained for a year in cancer biology studies as a visiting PhD student in the group of Dr. Gregory Emery at the University of Montreal. He has published 12 articles, including some in leading journals such as Cancer Cell and Immunity. He holds 3 granted patents. He has received 5 competitive fellowships, including the prestigious LLS Career Development Award and the EMBO postdoctoral fellowship. His areas of research include cancer, the immune system, and infectious diseases. His technical expertise includes highly multiplexed tissue imaging (spatial proteomics), single-cell assays, molecular biology approaches, cell culture, in vitro co-culture systems, engineered tumors, murine models, genome editing, bioconjugation strategies, assay automation, and single-cell spatial data analysis. His recent research efforts have been focused in the development of imaging technologies to subcellularly locate structurally unmodified drugs at the nanometer scale, track subclonal growth in situ, and co-detect multiple biomolecular species (RNA, DNA, and protein) to enable new understanding of spatial structures at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels with the long-term goal to improve disease management.

IBEC Seminar: Manuel Valero
2023-01-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
The role of inhibition in hippocampal coding
Manuel Valero, PhD NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University (US)
The fundamental computation a single neuron performs is to integrate incoming excitatory and inhibitory inputs to decide whether to fire an action potential and feedback its activity into the network. Investigation of this synaptic computation requires access to the neuron subthreshold dynamics, whose state-of-art methodologies have remained unaltered for decades and are unrealistic for cell assemblies and behaving animals.
Instead of intracellular recording, we propose a method to optogenetically probe the membrane polarization of the cells with short depolarizing pulses using chronically implanted µLED probes (4 shanks with 3 µLED/shank). Light-sensitive neurons responded to one or more µLEDs and the spike numbers were used as a proxy for estimating relative changes in the membrane potential dynamics. Strikingly, induced spike responses gain sharply increased several-folds inside the preferred position (place fields) of the responsive cells. These results are compatible with a tuning curve model in the CA1 pyramidal cells where excitation and inhibition display a concerted and reciprocal relationship. When optogenetic stimulation was probed on non-place cells, majority of the putative non-place cells showed place-related activity. Finally, we optically probed neurons around sharp wave-ripples (SPW-Rs), hippocampal events considered a key mechanism for memory consolidation and action planning. In the short time window of SPW-R, excitatory and inhibitory neurons increased in parallel. As expected, optogenetic probing of the CA1 networks showed that, in contrast to the large gain within place fields, responsivity of pyramidal cells showed a robust decrease during SPW-Rs.
We have developed a method for studying the subthreshold dynamics of individual cells in chronic recordings using novel high-resolution optical stimulation as a proxy for membrane polarization. These experiments disclosed a reciprocal interaction between inhibition and excitation along the place fields of CA1 and demonstrated that the same exact perturbation can bring about opposite responses during exploration and transient SPW-Rs.

PhD Thesis Defence: Ignasi Granero Moya
2023-01-12 15:00 - 17:00
STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF MECHANICAL FORCE ON NUCLEO-CYTOPLASMIC TRANSPORT

Author: Ignasi Granero Moya, Cellular and molecular mechanobiology

This thesis defence will take place at “Facultat de Medicina de la UB (Hospital Clínc)” at 15:00. Room to be determined.

IRB Research Node/IBEC Joint Seminar: Jolanda van Leeuwen
2023-01-18 12:00 - 14:00 | Auditori Antoni Caparrós, PCB, Tower D, c/Baldiri Reixac 4-8, Barcelona, Spain
Date: Wednesday 18 January 2023, 12:00h
Place: Audiorium Room, PCB
Speaker: Jolanda van Leeuwen, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Title: Systematic analysis of genetic suppression interactions
Host: Patrick Aloy (IRB) & Benedetta Bolognesi (IBEC)
Abstract:
Recent genome sequencing efforts have identified people that are healthy despite carrying mutations that have been directly associated with severe early-onset Mendelian diseases. These resilient individuals may carry secondary mutations elsewhere in the genome that can compensate for the deleterious effect of the disease-associated mutation, a phenomenon referred to as genetic suppression. Identification of the protective mutations could highlight strategies for therapeutic intervention, but we currently lack the expertise to identify the suppressor mutations among the millions of variants scattered across the genomes of resilient individuals.
I will discuss how we use systematic genetic suppression interaction screens in the budding yeast and cultured human cells to dissect gene function and pathway connectivity, and to define conserved properties of genetic suppression that we can use to predict suppression interactions between genomic variants across species.

IRB Research Node/IBEC Joint Seminar: Nunilo Cremades
2023-01-19 09:30 - 11:30 | Sala Félix Serratosa – PCB, c/ Baldiri i reixac 10-12, Barcelona, Spain, 08028, Spain
Date: Thursday 19 January 2023, 9:30h
Place: Felix Serratosa Hall, PCB
Speaker: Nunilo Cremades, PhD – Associate Professor at Dept. Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology and Group Leader at Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), University of Zaragoza, Spain
Title: Liquid-liquid phase separation and co-aggregation of neurodegenerative disease-related alpha-synuclein and Tau proteins
Host: Xavier Salvatella (IRB) & Benedetta Bolognesi (IBEC)
Abstract:
Spatial segregation in the cell can be achieved through the formation of protein-rich liquid-like dense bodies, termed biomolecular condensates or liquid droplets, through a process known as liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Emerging evidence supports the hypothesis that aberrant protein-driven LLPS and the transition of the liquid droplets to solid-like structures might be a relevant cellular pathway leading to the formation of amyloid, toxic aggregates that are often a hallmark of relevant neurodegenerative diseases. A number of experimental studies have highlighted the flexible, typically disordered and ‘multivalent’ nature of the constituent proteins in these liquid-like condensates, although less is known about the particular molecular determinants governing the growth and maturation of these condensates into more solid-like states. While the LLPS process of Tau, the protein that is generally associated with Alzheimer´s disease, has been recently clarified, that of alpha-synuclein (αS), the protein linked to Parkinson´s disease, remains obscure. In this talk, I will show our recent findings that demonstrate that αS actively phase-separates into liquid condensates by electrostatic complex coacervation with positively charged polypeptides such as Tau. By combining a set of advanced biophysical techniques, we have been able to characterize αS/Tau LLPS and identified key factors leading to the co-aggregation of both proteins inside the coacervates. The mechanism of co-aggregation between αS and Tau that we have identified could be the basis for the in vivo formation of αS/Tau hetero-aggregates observed in the brains of patients suffering from synucleinopathies.

IBEC Seminar (online): Sam Hall
2023-01-20 10:00 - 12:00 | Online
Presentation of Open Research Europe publishing plataform
Sam Hall, from Open Research Euorpe
Open Research Europe is the European Commission’s open access publishing platform for research stemming from Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe funding. In this webinar Senior Content Acquisition Editor Sam Hall will show how the platform enables the rapid dissemination of results and facilitates open and constructive research discussion, and maximizes the discoverability and credit for researchers and their work. Sam will also explain the funder-pays model which means that all publication fees are met by the European Commission at no cost to the researcher or the project.

Sam Hall is a Senior Content Acquisition Editor for F1000, commissioning articles and Collections for Open Research Europe. Launched in March 2021, Open Research Europe is an open access publishing Platform for research stemming from Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe and/or Euratom funding across all subject areas. Within this broad remit, Sam focusses on the research area of Engineering and Technology, and most recently the Data Note article type. Sam has almost 10 years of experience working in publishing, and in this time has worked in contrasting companies and settings. This has included society publishers, start-ups, and international governmental organizations.
Link Teams here

PhD Thesis Defence: Xavier Arqué
2023-01-24 11:00 - 13:00 | Aula Magna, Faculty of Pharmacy, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, Barcelona, Spain
Unraveling the Fundamental Aspects of Enzyme-powered Micromotors

Author: Xavier Arqué, Smart Nano-Bio-Devices Lab

This thesis defence will take place at “Aula Magna” Building A, Faculty of Pharmacy,
University of Barcelona (Campus Diagonal, Av. de Joan XXIII, 27-31, 08028 Barcelona) at 11:00

PhD Discussions: Gerardo Ceada Torres
2023-02-03 10:00 - 13:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Role of Eph/Ephrin in the Compartmentalization of the Intestinal Stem Cell Niche
Gerardo Ceada Torres, Integrative cell and tissue dynamics Group
The intestinal epithelium is a monolayer of cells that covers the inner surface of the gut. It protects against pathogens, absorbs nutrients, and secretes hormones and other molecules. This monolayer is folded into finger-like protrusions composed of differentiated cells, called villi, and invaginations, called crypts, where stem cells reside. Essential features of the intestinal epithelium such as folding of the crypt, spatial distribution of different cell types, and cellular movements from crypt to villus-like domains can be recapitulated in vitro in intestinal organoids. Direct force measurements in mouse intestinal organoids grown on soft hydrogels show that tightly regulated cell-ECM and cell-cell forces compartmentalizes the tissue into crypts- and villus-like domains. A dynamic mechanical boundary composed of basally constricted cells is established between the stem cell niche and differentiated cells of the villus-like region. The Eph/Ephrin signaling pathway has been proposed as a key regulator of compartmentalization and cell positioning in the intestinal epithelium. Whether and how Eph/Ephrin signaling governs the mechanical phenotype observed at the crypt-villus boundary remains, however, an open question. We are currently addressing this question by genetically perturbing Eph/Ephrin signaling in intestinal organoids. Preliminary data show that EphB2/3 KO organoids display defects in cell positioning, reduced basal constriction at the crypt-villus boundary and aberrant size of the proliferative and differentiated compartments.

This PhD Discussion session will be held at Tower I, 11th floor Baobab room, at 10:00am.

Transdisciplinary Approaches for Neuroblastoma therapy symposium
2023-02-06 08:00 - 2023-02-07 17:00
This networking event brings together experts from different fields but with the same objective- to join forces to fight NB and accelerate new treatments discovery. To this end, the main aim of the networking event is to share knowledge on Neuroblastoma between physicians, researchers, and members of patient advocacy organizations, and build up a research consortium to actively participate in the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
The symposium will be held at the Sant Joan de Deu Hospital in the greater Barcelona area (Spain); it will be carried out in four sessions to discuss new advancements in Neuroblastoma characterization and modeling, cutting-edge technologies, and current strategies for Neurblastoma therapy.
The network event will serve to bring knowledge for all participants, build up new research networks, and disseminate the event conclusions to the general public, thanks to the support of the Association of Families and Friends of Children with Neuroblastoma (NEN).
The symposium encourages the participation of Early Career Researchers and enables involvement in the network of usually underrepresented countries in Europe.
Programme and registration here.

IBEC Seminar: Presentation of the new Programme of ”la Caixa” Foundation on Innovation in Biomedicine and Health
2023-02-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Alexandre Esteban, Programme Manager at ”la Caixa” Foundation
During the event, all the details of the new Innovation programme will be presented, with which the “la Caixa” Foundation reinforces its commitment to innovation and knowledge transfer in Spain and Portugal.
This new programme will fund breakthrough technologies with high market potential.

PhD Thesis Defence: Madhura Murar
2023-02-17 15:00 - 17:00 | Aula Magna, Faculty of Physics, UB
Peptide functionalized polymeric nanocarriers: Towards selective targeting of prostate cancer

Author: Madhura Vijay Murar, nanoscopy for nanomedicine

This thesis defence will take place at “Aula Magna” Faculty of Physics,

University of Barcelona (Carrer de Martí i Franquès, 1, 11, 08028 Barcelona) at 15:00

You can join online to see the defense in the following link.

NANO RARE DISEASES DAY (Event in Spanish)
2023-02-28 10:30 - 12:30 | Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Pg. de Sant Joan de Déu, 2, Esplugues de Llobregat
El Nano Rare Diseases Day es un evento organizado en el marco del Día Mundial de las Enfermedades Minoritarias donde se darán a conocer las últimas innovaciones en materia de Nanomedicina con temas que van desde el diagnóstico precoz, la liberación controlada de fármacos o el desarrollo de nuevas terapias.
Durante esta jornada, expertos en Nanomedicina de diferentes campos -investigación, empresa, práctica clínica, autoridades sanitarias, pacientes, etc.-, expondrán los últimos avances y nos darán la oportunidad de descubrir el generador de progreso que la Nanomedicina significa para la salud como creador de nuevas oportunidades en el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de las enfermedades minoritarias.

Registro aquí.

PhD Complementary Skills Session: Life at IBEC: Opportunities for PhD students
2023-03-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Are you doing your PhD at IBEC? Do you know what you need to apply for the PhD Certificate of excellence or award? Do you know there are many different committees that you can join? Have you heard about the mentoring and training sessions that you can join? What about other mobility programmes? Would you like to participate in science education or outreach activities, and you do not know who to talk to? Do you have any idea of how to proceed when you publish your first paper?
All these questions and many others will be answered in our next Complementary Skills session. Come and learn with IBEC’s research management team and the IBEC PhD committee all the opportunities for PhDs that we offer at IBEC.

Carolina Mari and Arnau Fornell, HR Department
Maria Arista, Communications Department
Cristina Arimany and Fidel Bellmunt, Strategic Initiatives Department
Miquel Bosch, PhD Committee

Inauguració exposició laboratori de paisatges humans
2023-03-07 17:30 - 19:00 | Cluster II
El Laboratorio de Paisatges Humans i la recerca artística

“Laboratori de Paisatges Humans” és el resultat del procés creatiu portat a terme perla il·lustradora Roser Cussó durant la seva estada artística a l’Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC).
La imaginació i la ficció, com a eines d’investigació, ens ajuden a construir espais ficticis per dibuixar el que és invisible. Aquesta exposició mostra com la investigació artística troba nous punts de partida sobre els quals construir noves narratives.
Aquest projecte s’ha portat a terme amb una beca per a la recerca i la innovació en els àmbits de les arts visuals, de l’arquitectura i el disseny, de les arts escèniques, de la música i del pensament, atorgada de la Generalitat de Catalunya.
Aquesta exposició estarà oberta al públic fins al 28 de febrer.

Acte inaugural:
Dimecres 7 de març a les 17:30h · Parc Científic de Barcelona · Carrer Baldiri Reixac, 4-8
Registre aquí.

2023 BIST Symposium on Microscopy, Nanoscopy and Imaging Sciences
2023-03-10 09:00 - 18:30 | ICFO – Auditorium, Mediterranean Technology Park, Av. Carl Friedrich Gauss, 3,, Castelldefels, 08860
The sixth edition of the BIST Symposium on Microscopy, Nanoscopy and Imaging Sciences will take place on March 10, 2023, at Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
The event will include a series of talks and discussions featuring experts in various fields such as Optical Microscopy, Electron Microscopy, Scanning probe Microscopy, Raman Imaging and Spectroscopy and Imaging Technology, among others.

More information here.
Register here.

Barcelona Integrative Resonance Symposium
2023-03-20 09:00 - 2023-03-21 13:00 | Auditori Antoni Caparrós, PCB, Tower D, c/Baldiri Reixac 4-8, Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona Integrative Resonance
The symposium aims to celebrate the strong magnetic resonance momentum in Barcelona and bring together the community working with this highly versatile technique in a plethora of different applications. Also, it will represent the kick-off meeting upon the installation in Barcelona of three new magnetic resonance instruments: a GHz NMR, a pulsed EPR-ENDOR, and a MRI linked to hyperpolarization.
The NMR and EPR instruments will be part of the Scientific and Technological Centers of the University of Barcelona (CCiTUB). The Hyperpolarization-MRI instrument is part of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and is located next to the NMR instruments in the Barcelona Science Park. The 1 GHz NMR instrument is part of a Spanish Singular Scientific and Technological Infrastructure with nodes in Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid.
The new infrastructures witness the vitality of the magnetic resonance community. We want to emphasize by this joint celebration the importance of strengthening the connection between the diverse flavors of magnetic resonance, as well as the different scientific fields and institutions. The list of speakers includes a nearly 50%-50% balance between consolidated scientific leaders and early career scientists that represent the bright future of magnetic resonance in Catalonia, Spain and Europe.

PhD Discussions: José Muñoz-López
2023-03-31 10:00 - 11:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Design and characterization of bifunctional hydrophilic Janus micelles
José Muñoz-López, Molecular Bionics Group
Janus micelles are featured by their biphasic geometry of heterogeneous composition and distinctive properties in the core and corona. Such anisotropic design has attracted much attention from the scientific community due to the versatility of chemistries employed for generating Janus’ morphologies and their potential applications. In this work, we present a novel ABC amphiphilic triblock copolymer system with the ability to form Janus micelles. The micelles are generated by solution-mediated self-assembly of the A and C hydrophilic, and B hydrophobic blocks. Subsequently, the hydrophilic blocks in the proposed triblock system will be functionalized with different and specific bioactive ligands to enable the constitution of multifunctional supramolecular scaffolds. The final aim of the project herein presented is to develop nanodrugs with well-defined dissimilar phenotypical domains, in the same fashion as the asymmetric functionalisation of antibodies that already exist in nature, to perform alike. To this end, poly(ethylene glycol)-polylactide-poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) PEG-PLA-PVP triblock copolymer was synthesised in two steps: first, poly(ethylene glycol)-polylactide-2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate (PEG-PLA-Br) diblock macroinitiator was synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of DL-lactide with commercial poly(ethylene glycol) and quenched with 2-bromo-isobutiryl-bromide. After that triblock copolymer was synthesized by the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N-vinylpyrrolidone monomer (NVP) initiated by the PEG-PLA-Br diblock produced in the former synthetic step. The characterization of the produced diblock and triblock copolymers were carried out by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Such techniques enabled us to verify the controlled radical polymerization of NVP and the complete conversion of PEG-PLA-Br diblock to the proposed PEG-PLA-PVP triblock. The morphologies adopted by PEG-PLA-Br and PEG-PLA-PVP in solution were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confirming the formation of micelles for both block copolymers. TEM images showed differences in the negative stained micelles generated in the diblock and triblock copolymers systems. Such differences indicate the asymmetric distribution of both hydrophilic blocks, PEG and PVP, in the self-assembling of the PEG-PLA-PVP triblock system. Further structure characterizations will include atomic force microscopy (AFM), cryo-TEM, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and ultimately the functionalization of both coronas with different targeting ligands.

This PhD Discussion session will be held at Tower I, 11th floor Baobab room, at 10:00am.

IBEC Seminar: David Caballero
2023-04-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Engineering the cancer: from biomaterials to on-chip solutions
David Caballero; Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, Portugal.
Cancer is a complex and multifaceted pathology, which is influenced by numerous factors, including the tumor microenvironment (TME). This environment is composed of various of components that interact in a tightly regulated manner, affecting cancer cell behavior and response to treatment. Building realistic models of the TME is therefore essential for improving our knowledge of cancer pathophysiology and developing more effective therapies. In recent years, there has been growing interest in using precisely-engineered biomaterials and microphysiological systems to create accurate 3D in vitro models of the TME. These models can provide a more physiologically-relevant habitat for studying fundamental aspects of cancer biology and for performing drug screening. Additionally, when combined with organ-on-a-chip technology, these models offer a high degree of biomimicry and control, allowing for a precise recreation and better understanding of key biological functions of the native TME, surpassing what traditional platforms can achieve. In this lecture, I will present our latest works utilizing biomimetic materials and on-chip systems as powerful preclinical tools for engineering realistic in vitro models of the TME to study key aspects of tumorigenesis, for drug screening/discovery purposes, and for disease diagnosis applications.

Course · Inclusive Science; attention to diversity in science education projects
2023-04-21 09:30 - 14:00 | Centro de Recursos Educativos ONCE Barcelona, Gran Vía de les Corts Catalanes, 394, Barcelona.
This course aims to promote inclusive education in scientific education activities in non-formal settings, guaranteeing access to scientific culture for all children and adolescents, regardless of their learning needs.
During the course, general guidelines and guidelines will be presented to accompany students with visual disabilities, as well as practical examples of STEAM activities. Accessibility and digital usability will also be addressed and tools will be offered to contribute to access to information for students with visual disabilities.
This course is organized by the Bioengineering Institute of Catalonia (IBEC) in collaboration with ONCE.

Registration is required here.

IBEC Seminar: Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu
2023-04-26 11:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Foregrounding justice, equity and inclusion as determinants of access to precision medicine: an ethical case study of patient-derived tissue organoids.
Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu, Professor and the Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Law from the University of Alberta, Canada.
Ubaka Ogbogu is a Professor and the Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Law. He is also the Chair of the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board 2 and the Katz Research Fellow in Health Law and Science Policy. Dr. Ogbogu is a recipient of the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations Distinguished Academic Early Career Award. He holds a doctorate in law from the University of Toronto, a Master of Laws degree from the University of Alberta and undergraduate degrees in law from the University of Benin, Nigeria and the Nigerian Law School.
Ogbogu’s scholarly work is focused broadly on the ethical, legal and societal implications of novel and emerging biotechnologies and associated research. His publications have explored a diverse range of issues in this field, including the ethical and legal issues associated with stem cell research, gene and engineered cell therapies, biobanks, germline gene editing. In his talk, Prof. Obgobu will reflect about these issues and also discuss how foregrounding justice, equity and inclusion are elements that impact on access to precise medicine.
He has been invited to IBEC by Nuria Montserrat.

PhD Discussions: Ainoa Tejedera and Zarina Nauryzgaliyeva
2023-04-28 10:00 - 11:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Mimicking Sarcolemmal Damage In vitro: A 3D Skeletal Muscle Model for Drug Testing in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Ainoa Tejedera Villafranca, Biosensors for bioengineering group
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most prevalent neuromuscular disease diagnosed in childhood. It is a progressive and wasting disease, characterized by a degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscles caused by the lack of dystrophin protein. The absence of this structural protein leads to the fragility of the sarcolemma, and muscle fibers are damaged during their contraction. To date, there is no cure available for patients, even though there are several molecules in drug development. However, due to the well-known limitations of preclinical research, the success rate of drugs remains low. In this work, intending to accelerate drug discovery for DMD, we developed a patient-derived functional 3D model of DMD. By using a 3D-printed casting mold, we encapsulated muscle progenitor cells in a fibrin-composite matrix. This platform incorporates two flexible T-shaped pillars that serve as anchoring points and provide continuous tension to the tissue, thus allowing the orientation of the muscle fibers. The skeletal muscle tissues expressed mature myogenic markers and showed functional phenotypes as they responded to electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) by contracting. We observed that DMD muscle tissues, after continuous contractile regimes, reproduced the loss of myotube integrity that is observed in dystrophinopathies due to the sarcolemmal instability. DMD but not healthy tissues showed functional phenotypes caused by the induced sarcolemmal damage, such as tetanic fatigue. Finally, the applicability of this DMD model in evaluating therapeutic compounds was explored. Specifically, we investigate the effect of utrophin up-regulators on functional outcomes of the model, thus identifying potential candidates for the treatment of DMD. Taking all these considerations together, our results show that bioengineered 3D skeletal muscle technology has great potential to be especially valuable in the context of current and future discovery and development of drugs to treat DMD and other neuromuscular disorders.

Dissecting early nephron patterning and segmentation in kidney organoids derived from hPSCs
Zarina Nauryzgaliyeva , Pluripotency for organ regeneration Group
The formation and maturation of organs during development is a complex, yet beautifully orchestrated process. Embryonic cells have a unique capacity to self-organize within the forming tissue, where morphogenetic movements have been shown to facilitate tissue organization and subsequent organ formation. In kidney organogenesis, the mature organ arises from crucial reciprocal interactions between the ureteric bud (UB) and metanephric mesenchyme (MM), which give rise to the collecting duct and nephron, respectively. The development of mature nephrons during kidney organogenesis is a dynamic process so far studied taking advantage of in vivo models. Accumalative findings in mice have shown that the MM undergoes mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET), giving rise to epithelial renal vesicles (RVs) that further undergo structural changes and shift towards comma shaped and s-shaped bodies (CSBs/SSBs), which eventually develop into nephron like structures. Those studies have helped identify Wnt/b-catenin and Notch signalling pathways as key players in nephron patterning and segmentation (proximal, medial, distal segments).
At the same time, tissue morphogenesis is largely a biomechanical process, resulting from constant movements of cells, changes in forms of developing segments and forces generated therein. The biomechanical dynamics occurring during RV emergence and further nephron patterning are yet to be explored in the human context in real time. If these biomechanical processes are interconnected with mechanical signals remains an open question in the field. The answer to these questions may have an important impact for understanding nephron formation, and conversely, disease-related phenotypes due to mutations in genes orchestrating RV patterning and segmentation as occurs in congenital defects of the kidney and the urinary tract (CAKUT disease).
Here, we aim to use human pluripotent stem cell (hPSCs) derived kidney organoids to gain fundamental understanding of early nephron patterning and segmentation by mapping force transmission between cells and their extracellular matrix (ECM) and evaluating their co-evolution during renal fate specification and differentiation.
hPSCs are guided towards the renal fate on compliant PDMS hydrogels with controlled rigidities (mimicking embryonic microenvironment) in a 2D culture system. PDMS hydrogels between 3 kPa (soft) and 18 kPa (rigid) are generated by adapting the compositional ratio of PDMS components and are further functionalized and decorated with fibronectin. Using this system, we have started to spatiotemporally characterise early steps of nephrogenesis by immunofluorescence and confocal analysis, time-lapse imaging, and traction force microscopy (TFM). These analyses are nowadays conducted during RV emergence prior proximal-distal RV polarization and formation of the nephron-like segments.
The current techniques will permit quantitative and qualitative observations of multicellular behaviours at key stages of 2D renal differentiation. Furthermore, this system will allow us to spatiotemporally map cell-cell and cell-ECM forces and evaluate their evolution throughout renal fate specification with the final aim to decouple mechano-related processes sustaining nephron formation from classical biochemical signalling.

This PhD Discussion session will be held at Tower I, 11th floor Baobab room, at 10:00am.

With the support of Joan Oró grant to hire research staff in training (FI 2025), 2023 FI-2 00386, funded by Generalitat de Catalunya and by the European Social Fund Plus.

IBEC Seminar: Charles Baroud
2023-04-28 12:00 - 13:30 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Modeling immune-cancer interactions using a microfluidic 3D culture approach
Charles Baroud, Professor at Ecole Polytechnique, France
Lab head at Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
Cancer immunotherapy is emerging as a transformative approach for treating cancer patients. This approach, which has shown some remarkable successes, leverages the patient’s own immune cells to locate and attack the tumor cells. However the method suffers from large heterogeneities in outcomes between different patients, in part due to the the number, phenotype, and distribution of cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) around the tumor cells. For this reason decoding the collective behavior of CTLs, as they recognize and attack cancer cells, is a major challenge that requires advanced in vitro models. This seminar will present a microfluidic platform that enables quantitative measurements of the spatiotemporal dynamics of individual CTLs as they migrate in three-dimensional (3D) environments and attack cancer spheroids. The method provides access to the trajectories of thousands of cells around hundreds of spheroids, which in turn enables probabilistic modeling of the trajectories. Analysis of the migration and killing events allows us to dissect the different phases of interactions and to identify limiting steps for different conditions. The talk will present the microfluidics and then shift focus to different biological models, with implications for both fundamental biology and for personalized medicine.

Before mechanobiology had a name
2023-05-05 09:00 - 18:30 | Paranimf Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut C. Casanovas, 143 Barcelona
A celebration of three decades of cell biophysics research in Barcelona

The Barcelona area is currently recognized as an important hub for the scientific field of mechanobiology, and of cell biophysics in general. This achievement is due to the work over decades of local scientists. Among them, Prof. Daniel Navajas stands out as a pioneer in the field, before it was even called mechanobiology. His work led to important scientific achievements in cell mechanics. Perhaps even more importantly, his dedicated mentorship produced a new generation of scientists who have established their own labs and are currently expanding mechanobiology in new directions.
On the occasion of Prof. Navajas’s retirement, we take the opportunity to celebrate Mechanobiology and cell biophysics, with a symposium combining talks from former trainees and invited speakers.
The symposium will honor an exciting trajectory along three decades, but will be focused on current, ongoing research. As such, it will be of interest to anyone interested in mechanobiology, with or without a relationship to the work of Prof. Navajas.
Registration here.

Workshop on scientific illustration
2023-05-06 10:30 - 12:30 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
On May 6th, Roser Cussó, the artist in residence at IBEC, will be offering a scientific illustration workshop designed for participants of all ages (starting from 7 years old).
This is an open session available to everyone, where you will have the chance to explore the creative process that Roser followed during her project “Laboratori de Paisatges Humans”.
During this workshop, you will learn how to take an artistic approach to scientific concepts, as well as discover various techniques and materials that can help you create your own scientific illustrations.
As there are limited spots available, make sure to sign up for this unique session on Saturday, May 6th from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Baobab meeting room (Torre I, planta 11, PCB).
Feel free to come with your family and friends!
REGISTER
LABORATORI D’IL·LUSTRACIÓ CIENTÍFICA
El pròxim 6 de maig, Roser Cussó, l’artista en residència a l’IBEC, ens oferirà un taller d’il·lustració científica adaptat per a totes les edats (a partir de 7 anys).
Es tracta d’una sessió oberta a tothom a on tindràs l’oportunitat d’aprendre el procés creatiu que va seguir Roser durant el seu projecte “Laboratori de Paisatges Humans”.
Aquest taller et permetrà posar una mirada artística a conceptes científics, aprendre diferents tècniques de representació i treballar amb diversos materials que et serviran per crear la teva pròpia obra.
Amb places limitades, no et perdis l’oportunitat d’inscriure’t en aquesta sessió única el dissabte 6 de maig d’10:30 a 12:30 h a la sala Baobab (Torre I, planta 11, PCB)
Vine amb familiars i amics! T’esperem!

Research 4 Talent
2023-05-18 10:30 - 13:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
This event is open to all undergraduate and master 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.
In 2022 IBEC signed more than 165 internship agreements for Undergraduate and Master Students with a wide range of national and international universities. If you are interested in IBEC’s ninth edition of reSEARCH4TALENT, please register now.

IBEC Seminar: Raphael Voituriez
2023-05-26 11:00 - 13:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Cellular footprints : examples of emergent memory effects in cell migration.
Raphael Voituriez, Laboratoire Jean Perrin / Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée CNRS / Sorbonne Université

Living cells actively migrate in their environment to perform key biological functions—from unicellular organisms looking for food to single cells such as fibroblasts, leukocytes or cancer cells that can shape, patrol or invade tissues. Cell migration results from complex intracellular processes that enable cell self-propulsion, and has been shown to also integrate various chemical or physical extracellular signals. While it is established that cells can modify their environment by depositing biochemical signals or mechanically remodelling the extracellular matrix, the impact of such self-induced environmental perturbations on cell trajectories at various scales remains broadly unexplored. I will discuss examples where such interactions with the environment can have deep consequences on the large scale cell dynamics, and show that they can effectively endow cells with a memory of their past trajectory.

IBEC Seminar: Anthony J. Ryan OBE
2023-05-29 12:30 - 14:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Making Science Work for Refugees and Refugees Work for Science
Prof Anthony J. Ryan, OBE, University of Sheffield, UK
At Zaatari refugee camp, 80,000 people face daily struggles that many of us cannot imagine are squeezed into six square kilometres. With highly qualified jobs at home, they are forcibly unemployed at the camp but embody values that are often forgotten by those of us in more privileged parts of the world: an adaptable approach to solving problems, an aversion to waste, a sense of community. Our research on hydroponics is focussed on the production of high-value crops close to market (urban farming) with a low carbon and water footprint using polyurethane foam as synthetic soil. I will show how a design of experiments approach can predict the productivity of crops from the reagents used in polyurethane synthesis through the properties of the foam.
We connected our work on synthetic soils with a waste disposal problem posed by UNHCR – the UN’s refugee agency. Where they saw dirty unused mattresses, we saw an alternative growth substrate. In doing so we developed small-scale hydroponics at the household and community scale. We responded to the frequent cry of the Syrian refugees – that they miss the colour green – not only did we find a technical fix, but also an impact on well-being. This benefits our work in Sheffield, we now have an urban farm built using the low-cost technology developed in Zaatari with farmers from Syria.

Professor Tony Ryan OBE is The Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Sheffield and the founding Director of the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures.
Tony’s research interests include sustainable synthesis, structure, processing, and applications of polymers using advanced analytical and measurement techniques. Recent research projects included renewable sources for polyurethane synthesis, organic photovoltaics, maximising the properties of polymers and biopolymers through flow-induced crystallisation, formulation of home and personal care products and polymer foams for high-intensity urban agriculture. He has co-authored more than 300 papers and patents and 2 books, “Polymer Processing and Structure Development” and “The Solar Revolution: One Planet, 10 Billion People, One Solution.”
More recently, Tony has been focussing on the global challenge of the food, water, and energy nexus; feeding a growing world population. Tony is very active in translational research, disseminating evidence-based science to both experts and non-experts and has been a regular contributor to TV, Radio, National Press and learned societies from The Royal Society of Chemistry to Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs. He presented evidence at the UNFCCC COP21 in Paris in 2015 and returned to COP22 in Marrakech in 2016. Tony delivered the televised Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2002 and was awarded an OBE in 2006 for ‘Services to Science’.
Tony holds a BSc and PhD from the University of Manchester and a DSc from UMIST. He held a NATO Research Fellowship at the University of Minnesota, was a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Reader in Materials Science at The University of Manchester and was seconded to the Synchrotron Radiation Source at Daresbury. In 1997 he moved to Sheffield and served as Head of Chemistry before becoming the Pro Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Science in 2008, a role which he fulfilled until 2016.

Innovación multidisciplinar en medicina personalizada (Spanish)
2023-05-30 10:00 - 18:00 | Instituto de Salud Carlos III Salón de Actos Ernest Lluch, pabellón 13 Campus de Chamartin Calle Monforte de Lemos, 5 Madrid
30 DE MAYO DE 2023 · INSTITUTO DE SALUD CARLOS III

La jornada «Innovación multidisciplinar en medicina personalizada» es un evento organizado en el marco del Plan Complementario de Biotecnología aplicada a la Salud. Durante el evento se presentarán las principales líneas de trabajo del Plan, que abarcan temas que van desde el uso y gestión de bases de datos en medicina de precisión hasta el desarrollo de nanofármacos, así como técnicas y procesos para terapias avanzadas y dirigidas.
El objetivo de la jornada es fortalecer y estimular colaboraciones entre los diferentes actores del ecosistema de investigación traslacional en salud.
La jornada también servirá para crear sinergias con los diferentes programas y plataformas financiadas por el ISCIIII.

IBEC Seminar: Danny Hatters
2023-06-06 09:30 - 11:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Protein interactions gone awry in neurodegenerative disease
Danny Hatters, Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology | Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
The University of Melbourne, Australia

The Hatters lab studies impacts of protein misfolding and aggregation in cultured cell models of neurodegenerative diseases. We have developed approaches to examine principles governing how proteins inappropriately aggregate and new approaches with chemical reagents to monitor cysteine reactivity to probe changes in proteome foldedness and conformation. I will discuss recent findings from our laboratory that provide insight to the consequences of protein aggregation by globular proteins, and how we can model the types of protein-protein interactions that are involved. I will also discuss how we can monitor changes in protein structure and function in response to stresses and stimuli, and under conditions of disease in Huntington Disease.

Greening the lab: celebrating ibec's sustainable practices
2023-06-06 15:00 - 18:00 | Sala Félix Serratosa – PCB, c/ Baldiri i reixac 10-12, Barcelona, Spain, 08028, Spain
On 6th of June we will celebrate that we are the first research center in Spain to certify its laboratories as sustainable by My Green Labs.
Since the publication of the IBEC Strategy to promote sustainability in research in 2021, IBEC has been working to make the work in the labs and in the institute more sustainable.
All this work has been recently recognized by becoming the first research center in Spain to certify its laboratories as sustainable by My Green Labs.
The next 6th of June at 3pm, we will celebrate this success and share our experience and best practices.
Come and join us at the PCB!
