Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia

Bist Career Week 2025
2025-06-30 08:00 - 2025-07-04 17:00 (Europe/Madrid)
Join the BIST Career Week! 5 days full of contents designed to help you in your career development. Learn trips and tricks in the morning, and explore new job opportunities in the afternoon. All activities are free and open to everyone.
Workshops: learn from experts and get ready for your next professional move. Every morning (Mon-Fri), online, from 10:00 to 12:00.
Roundtables: listen to professionals working in science-related jobs and ask them about their job and the paths they took. Every afternoon (Mon-Thu), online, from 15:00 to 16:30.
The BIST Career Week is an event organized by the BIST People Commission and counts with the support of the Barcelona City Council.
To register click here

5th Annual Meeting of the ISMRM IBERIAN CHAPTER
2025-07-02 08:00 - 2025-07-04 18:00 | Auditori Antoni Caparrós, PCB, Tower D, c/Baldiri Reixac 4-8, Barcelona, Spain
The ISMRM Iberian Chapter is blooming maturely as a shared environment between scientists and clinicians in the magnetic resonance imaging field. The meeting will be an opportunity for academic and social interaction, and we will be honored to have the following distinguished speakers.
In this 5th meeting, we will offer an exciting 2-day scientific program. Plenary lectures will feature leading experts in clinical, preclinical, and computational MRI. In addition, oral sessions and poster sessions will showcase the latest research findings in our community, while industry will have the opportunity to showcase their latest technological innovations in the field and contact future users.
As we believe in the importance of networking, there will be ample opportunities to connect during the coffee breaks.
I look forward to meeting you in Barcelona!

Workshop 2. NET-RARE: Humanized Models for Studying Rare Diseases
2025-07-04 09:30 - 13:30 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
NET-RARE second workshop will explore how humanized and bioengineered models can replace 2D cultures and murine models to better understand and replicate rare disorders. The goal is to examine the latest approaches for studying rare diseases in personalized human models.
The opening seminar will feature Juanma Fernández (IBEC). He will present a 3D model designed to study various muscular diseases, along with Organ-on-Chip (OOC) technology and a biosensor platform for detecting biomarkers of the pathology. Next, Anna Collado Gimbert (VHIR) will introduce their new personalized model for studying rare anaemia disorders. Her team, in collaboration with IBEC, has developed a spleen-like microfluidic filtering unit to model disease progression and create a diagnostic device for prognosis and patient stratification.
Following this, international speaker Francesco Saverio Tedesco (University College London) will present his research on enhancing muscle regeneration to develop treatments for severe and incurable childhood diseases, like muscular dystrophies. His team has developed a novel human engineered muscle model for advanced in vitro modelling of muscle disorders involving extracellular matrix, including COL6-related dystrophies.
After a networking break, the next talk will be given by Laura Siles (Instituto de Microcirugía Ocular) in Barcelona. The group develops 3D retina models using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and has extensive expertise in gene editing with CRISPR technology applied to patient-derived iPS cells. Finally, Marc Riu-Villanueva(IBEC) will share their research on neurodegenerative diseases.
Join us to explore the next steps in bioengineering using humanized models to advance biomedical research!
Workshop held in the framework of the IBEC Thematic Networks.
Registration (below) is mandatory.

Scheduled Program:
09:20 – Registration
09:30 – Welcome and introduction
09:40 – Juanma Fernández-Costa, IBEC Group “Biosensors for Bioengineering”, “Next-Gen preclinical models: Muscle-on-Chip meets nanoplasmonic biosensors for drug evaluation in muscular dystrophies”
10:10 – National invited speaker: Anna Collado Gimbert from the VHIR group “Childhood Cancer and Blood disorders”, “Deep characterization of red blood cells in sickle cell disease and other rare anemia disorders by microfluidics and machine learning algorithms”
10:40 – International invited speaker: Francesco Saverio Tedesco, professor of Neuromuscular Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UK), “Advanced in vitro modelling of neuromuscular diseases and therapeutics”
11:30 – Coffee break and Networking
12:00 – National invited speaker: Laura Siles from the Instituto de Microcirugía Ocular (IMO), “Retinal organoids and gene editing in Inherited Retinal Dystrophies: disease modeling using patient-derived iPSCs and potential therapeutic approximation”
12:30 – Marc Riu-Villanueva, IBEC group “Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology”, “Biochemistry and functional analysis of P301L Tau in human brain cortical organoids modelling tauopathies of the FTLD spectrum”
13:00 – Remarks and Closing

To register click here

PhD Discussion. Armando Cortés-Reséndiz and Maria J. Ugarte-Orozco
2025-07-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
Decoding skeletal muscle-liver axis in the context of sarcopenia: Towards the multi organ on a chip
Armando Cortés-Reséndiz (1),*, Francesco De Chiara (1), Javier Ramón Azcón (1,2)
1 Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
2 ICREA-Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
*acortes@ibecbarcelona.eu
Sarcopenia is characterized by marked reductions in skeletal muscle mass and quality, which impacts the mobility and autonomy of patients. [1] They suffer not only from low physical performance and strength but also face a greater risk of falls and further comorbidities, one of those being non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), as reported by some studies [2]. These have described a correlation between diminished muscle strength and the onset of NASH [2]. Thus, our study examines sarcopenic phenotypes in three-dimensional muscle tissues in contact with conditioned media from NASH.
This approach involves subjecting skeletal muscle tissues to incubation in culture media derived from a pre-established model of NASH. We encapsulated human hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in a collagen-based hydrogel. After treatment, our model accumulates excess lipids upon a challenge with non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), shows activation of HSC, primary drivers of fibrosis, and exhibits a proinflammatory environment. We also show the presence of apoptotic phenotypes and paracrine signaling between cell types of the liver. Such conditions trigger an atrophic phenotype in healthy skeletal muscle tissues, fabricated by encapsulating human myoblasts in a Matrigel and fibrinogen matrix using PDMS casting. Skeletal muscle tissues were functionally evaluated as well by electrical pulse stimulation (EPS). We show that treated tissues exert lower contractile forces during EPS regime compared to our control conditions.
Both of our models pose valuable tools to aid in the identification of potential drug targets and therapeutic strategies, as they mimic key features and cellular microenvironments of sarcopenia and NASH. For this reason, our investigation marks a critical step toward understanding the intricate associations between these diseases. With the multi organ on a chip in sight, we will focus on integrating both models inside an organ-on-chip device.

Plasmonic Biosensors to evaluate complement activation in serum of patients with myasthenia gravis.
Maria J. Ugarte-Orozco 1*, Javier Ramón-Azcón 1, Eduard Gallardo Vigo 2
1 Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) – Barcelona (Spain)
2 Institut de Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. U.A.B. – Barcelona (Spain)
*mugarte@ibecbarcelona.eu
Myasthenia Gravis (MG), an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder affecting nerve-muscle communication, is characterized by antibodies (Abs) targeting neuromuscular junction (NMJ) receptors. Most patients (80-90%) possess antibodies recognizing the acetylcholine receptor (AChR-MG), these anti-AChR Abs play a crucial role in the complement activation system (e.g., sC5b-9). These Abs lead to the formation of membrane attack complex (MAC) in the NMJ, representing the most critical pathogenic mechanism resulting in AChR depletion and subsequent muscle weakness. [1][2] Complement inhibitor therapies are emerging as effective treatments for anti-AChR Abs; however, the main problem is that considerable variability in treatment response exists, and current clinical tests have difficulty differentiating primary pathogenic mechanisms in each patient. [3] The identification of complement activation biomarkers could facilitate the treatment selection. To address this, we aimed to develop a throughput and scalable plasmonic biointerface as an accurate diagnostic tool, measuring the release of soluble complement (sC5b-9) after its activation by anti-AChR Abs. This biosensor focuses on detecting complement activation in patient samples, confirming the patient’s eligibility for complement inhibitor therapy, such as Eculizumab. This strategy enables label-free detection of AChR autoantibody-mediated complement activation, providing a quick and accurate diagnosis of MG.
In this study, we introduce a biosensor based on a nanostructured polycarbonate substrate from Blu-ray discs with a thin gold layer, utilizing Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) for analysis. It employs antibody-antigen as biorecognition elements to detect sC5b-9 in serum samples. We successfully optimized the biofunctionalization of cys-Protein G, an antibody-binding protein targeting the Fc region that enables orientation to the antibody, exposing the binding sites towards the analyte to enhance surface sensitivity. The biosensing potential was demonstrated by the detection of sC5b-9 in commercial human serum, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.76 ng/mL in culture media and when working with human sera 0.92 ng/mL. Additionally, the performance of the plasmonic biosensor was assessed with a cohort of sera samples from patients provided by Sant Pau Hospital.
The label-free plasmonic biosensor we developed holds great promise for future applications in POC and portable devices within the realm of precision medicine. By offering detailed insights into the specific pathogenic mechanisms underlying MG in individual patients, our biosensor contributes to more accurate diagnosis and enables the development of personalized treatment strategies. The biosensor’s high sensitivity, scalability, and compatibility with clinical workflows position it as a valuable tool for advancing bioengineering and improving patient care in the field of precision medicine.

Reformant l’avaluació de la recerca per afavorir la qualitat i l’impacte científic
2025-07-17 09:30 - 13:30 | Auditori Antoni Caparrós, PCB, Tower D, c/Baldiri Reixac 4-8, Barcelona, Spain
Hi ha un gran consens entre la comunitat investigadora en general sobre la necessitat de reformar les pràctiques d’avaluació de la recerca. L’avaluació de la recerca, els investigadors i les organitzacions de recerca han de reconèixer els diversos resultats, pràctiques i activitats que maximitzen la qualitat i l’impacte de la recerca. Això, requereix basar l’avaluació principalment en dades qualitatives, per al qual la revisió per parells és central, recolzada per l’ús responsable d’indicadors quantitatius.
Per avançar cap a aquesta reforma de l’avaluació de la recerca, ja hi ha diferents iniciatives. Entre elles, CoARA, la Coalició per a l’Avenç de l’Avaluació de la Recerca.
Es tracta d’un esforç col·lectiu en què totes les institucions, des de les universitats, les organitzacions de recerca fins a les agències avaluadores i els finançadors, han de treballar juntes.
En aquest workshop aprendrem de les experiències de diferents institucions en la implementació dels principis CoARA i discutirem com podem avançar cap a un sistema de recerca d’avaluació més just i impactant.
To register cilck here

IBEC Seminar. Sung Hoon Kang
2025-07-25 10:00 - 11:00 | Torres I, Floor -1, Room 1
Bone-inspired materials with self-adaptable mechanical properties and rose prickle-inspired sutureless anastomosis devices for resilient and healthy future
Sung Hoon Kang, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
I will present our ongoing efforts to address current challenges in materials for structural/biomedical applications and surgical procedures to connect blood vessels together based on inspiration from nature.
First, I will present self-adaptive materials that can change their mechanical properties depending on loading conditions by the coupling between loading and material synthesis [1]. Bone provides structural support for human body, and it has been a subject of study and inspiration for novel materials due to its outstanding mechanical properties including toughness, self-healing, and remodeling capability, which is desirable to mitigate the failure of materials and structures through fracture and fatigue. However, it has been challenging for synthetic materials to change and adapt their structures and properties to address the changing loading condition to prevent failure.
To address the challenge, we are inspired by the findings that bones are formed by mineralizing ions from blood onto collagen matrices. I will present a material system that triggers proportional mineral deposition from electrolytes on piezoelectric matrices upon mechanical loadings so that it can self-adapt to mechanical loadings. For example, the mineralization rate could be modulated by controlling the loading condition, and a 30-180% increase in the modulus of the material was observed upon varying the cyclic loading condition. Moreover, our results showed that minerals were preferentially formed near the crack tip where stress was concentrated so that they contribute to blunting the crack tip and mitigating the propagation of the damage. As a result, the material system showed a decrease in crack propagation speed by ~90%, compared to samples tested in deionized water without mineral ions.
To expand the environment that the material can be utilized, we have investigated synthesis of liquid-infused porous piezoelectric composites inspired by bone and pitcher plant [2]. I will present our synthesis approach and resulting mechanical properties. The material showed over 36 times increase in modulus and 30 times increase in dissipation after 12 million loading cycles, demonstrating self-adaptive behavior in air. Furthermore, the material can be (re)programmed to generate multiple shapes by self-folding based on spatial distribution of mechanical loading. [3]. We envision that our findings can contribute to new strategies for making resilient and sustainable materials for dynamically changing mechanical environments, with potential applications including infrastructure, vehicle, and healthcare [4].
Second, I will present biomedical devices that can connect blood vessels together without suture. Vascular anastomosis, the surgical connection of adjacent blood vessels, is a foundational surgical skill critical for plastic and reconstructive surgery, transplant surgery, vascular surgery, and many other surgical specialties. The current standard of anastomosis is manually suturing two tubular structures together around an opening with fine sutures often requiring a microscope or vessel loupes. This is a century old technique with many challenges. Suturing technique requires extensive surgical training in resource-intensive settings. Procedures are long (60 to 90 minutes per anastomosis), expensive (up to $35,000 per procedure), and, at times, require specialized equipment (surgical microscope costing over $100,000 per unit). Even in the hands of skilled surgeons, the anastomosis can be complicated by leakage or thrombosis; 27% of cases result in complications and 25% require reoperation. Consequently, there is a pressing need for a more efficient and safer alternative to handsewn anastomosis.
Inspired by rose prickles that are used by the plant for climbing walls, we report a sutureless anastomosis device with anchors designed to hold free vascular ends together with traction. We utilized 3D printing to find an optimum geometry of anchors by conducting ex-vivo tensile testing and flow measurements, as well as in-vivo testing with porcine models. We identified an optimum geometry from ex-vivo testing with porcine vessels, which showed the failure force of our device is comparable or better than that of the handsewn suture (4.9 N) with stretch force tolerance up to 6.3 N. Based on pulsatile flow testing with porcine vessels, we found no leakage up to 45 mL/min flow rate, well above the physiologic blood flow rate in a microvascular flap after anastomosis (13.7±5 mL/min). Compared with handsewn anastomosis, the device resulted in minimum deformation of the anastomotic site. From in-vivo non-survival porcine studies (N=10), the device showed successful anastomosis (< 5 min per anastomosis) with no leaking for both arterial and venous anastomoses. There was no thrombosis or other technical failure identified during the 4-hour observation period after device implantation. Our anastomotic device has the ability to innovate the way blood vessels are put together making current procedures faster, easier, and safer. We envision our sutureless anastomotic device will contribute to significantly improve medical readiness and make anastomotic techniques more accessible to a broad range of clinicians, researchers, and patients across the world.

Ibec Seminar. Dr. Genís Prat Ortega
2025-09-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Neurostimulation to correct neural circuit and motoneuron dysfunction
Dr. Genís Prat Ortega, PhD in Computational Neuroscience at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Neurostimulation therapies such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS) or deep brain stimulation have shown unprecedented clinical success in improving voluntary motor control. In this case the stimulation can be understood as a neuroprosthetic because it assists movement but its effect vanishes when turned off. In my presentation, I will show how neurostimulation can be used not only as an assistive neuroprosthetic but also as a therapy to correct neural network dysfunction. Specifically, I will show my postdoctoral work where we used SCS to correct motorneuron dysfunction in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). SMA is an inherited neurodegenerative disease causing motoneuron dysfunction, muscle weakness and early mortality. Three therapies can slow disease progression enabling people to survive albeit with lingering motoneuron dysfunction and severe motor impairments. Starting from preclinical evidence showing that motoneuron dysfunction in SMA originates from the loss of excitatory inputs from primary afferents, we hypothesized that artificial augmentation of sensory neural activity with electrical stimulation could compensate for this loss thereby reverting motoneuron function. To test this hypothesis we implanted three adults with SMA with epidural electrodes over the lumbosacral spinal cord to stimulate the sensory axons of the legs. We stimulated participants for 4 weeks 2 hours per day while they executed walking and strength tasks. Remarkably, our neurostimulation regime led to robust improvements in strength, walking and fatigue paralleled by reduced neuronal hyperexcitability and higher motoneuron firing rates. Our data indicates that neurostimulation can reverse a degenerative process of circuit dysfunction thus promoting disease modifying effects in a human neurodegenerative disease. Finally, I will discuss future neurostimulation applications to correct neural network dysfunction.

The Attendance to this seminar will count for the PhD Certificate of Excellence.

NET-NANO. Workshop 3: Emerging nanotherapeutic modalities
2025-09-19 08:45 - 15:45 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
The Next-Generation Nanomedicine Network (NET-NANO) is hosting its third workshop on September 19th, focusing on emerging nanotherapeutic modalities. This event will explore the latest advancements in self-adaptive, stimuli-responsive, and immunomodulatory strategies for nanomedicine. The workshop will feature talks from both internal IBEC researchers and leading external experts, including plenary sessions by Prof. Hélder A. Santos, Prof. Víctor F. Puntes, and Associate Prof. Cristina Fornaguera. Join us for a day of insightful presentations, a challenge board, and a roundtable discussion to network and explore the future of nanomedicine.
Registration (here) is mandatory (deadline 12th of September)

Scheduled Program:
08:45-09:00 – Registration
09:00-09:10 – Welcome from Network Coordinator
09:10-09:40 – Ekin Opar (Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches, IBEC)
“Triplet-Sensitized Photopharmacology for Deep Tissue Modulation of Cardiac Activity”
09:40-10:10 – Bárbara Borges Fernandes (Molecular Bionics, IBEC)
“Chemotactic Liposomes as Minimal Models of Active Navigation”
10:10-11:10 – Plenary: Prof. Hélder A. Santos (University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands)
“RNA-Based Polysaccharide Nanoformulations for Myocardium Infarction Therapy”
11:10-11:40 – Coffee Break & Challenge Board
11:40-12:10 – Dr. Juan C. Fraire (Smart Nano-Bio-Devices, IBEC/ IQAC-CSIC – Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia)
“Combining Nanocarrier Design and Self-Propulsion for Delivery of Nucleic Acids”
12:10-13:10 – Plenary: Prof. Víctor F. Puntes (ICN2 – Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia/ VHIR – Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca, Spain)
“Doping Cerium Oxide Nanocrystals with Oxygen Vacancies to Regulate Mitochondrial Function in the Context of Immune Exhaustion, Loss of Immunosurveillance and Cancer Development”
13:10-14:10 – Networking Lunch
14:10-15:10 – Plenary: Associate Prof. Cristina Fornaguera (IQS – Institut Químic de Sarrià/ URL – Universitat Ramon Llull, Spain)
“Overcoming Biological Barriers: RNA Delivery via Poly(β-amino ester) Nanocarriers”
15:10-15:40 – Roundtable Discussion
15:40-15:45 – Farewell from Network Representatives

Barcelona Blood-Brain Barrier Conference 2025
2025-10-01 09:00 - 2025-10-03 17:00 | Institut Químic de Sarrià IQS, Via Augusta, 390, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi,, Barcelona, Barcelona, 08017
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) separates the blood circulation from the brain tissue. However, despite its name, the BBB is far from a static, impenetrable barrier. Instead, this highly dynamic structure responds to and regulates the complex requirements of brain function. To advance our knowledge of how the BBB impacts health and disease, the 2nd edition of the Barcelona Blood-Brain Barrier Conference will bring together scientists from across the globe to discuss emerging topics in BBB physiology, pathology and translational research. This interdisciplinary event will incorporate neuroscience, vascular biology, protein engineering, bioengineering, and nanomedicine to provide a unique platform to foster collaboration and address challenges shaping the future of this field.
In the name of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS), we look forward to welcoming you to the vibrant and historic city of Barcelona to take part in these lively discussions, make lasting connections, and push the boundaries of the field forward.

SEMIT 2025. First conference of the Spanish Society of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering
2025-10-02 08:00 - 2025-10-03 17:00 | Auditori Antoni Caparrós, PCB, Tower D, c/Baldiri Reixac 4-8, Barcelona, Spain
The Spanish Society of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering (SEMIT) was founded as a society in 2024 to address the need to advance the development and application of these promising fields in Spain .
The inaugural SEMIT 2025 Congress, held on October 2-3, 2025, at the Parc Científic de Barcelona, will mark the beginning of a leading platform for knowledge exchange among researchers, clinicians, and companies in the field. This event will bring together prominent national and international experts to di scuss the latest advances and challenges in bioengineering, advanced biomaterials, biofabrication and many others, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and the transfer of technology into clinical practice. In addition, this year we will count with the attendance of four internationally recognized plenary speakers: Abhay Pandit, Maria Pau Ginebra, Manuel Salmerón and Aitziber Cortajarena.
Be part of the future of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering and become a member of the society. Join SEMIT 2025 and connect with the community that is transforming science into real solutions for health.
To register click here

NET QUASI. Workshop 2 : Mimicking and Reprogramming Life: From Synthetic Cells and Active Matter to Smart Therapeutics
2025-10-10 09:20 - 15:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
9:20 – Registration
9:30 – Opening — Nina Kostina

Session chair: Nina Kostina
09:40 – Keynote speaker: Prof. Bert Poolman (University of Groningen, NL) “Synthetic, out-of-equilibrium cell-like systems for directing reaction networks and maintaining homeostasis”
10:30 – Dr. Rosa Martinez-Corral (Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain) “Context-dependency in gene regulation”
11:05 – Prof. Marino Arroyo (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain) Title pending
11:40 – Dr. Mohit Kumar (University of Barcelona) “Active Phospholipid Vesicle as Cellular Membrane Mimic”
12:15 – Coffee break

Session chair: David Esporrín Ubieto
12:45 – Keynote speaker: Prof. Giuseppe Battaglia (IBEC, Barcelona, Spain) “Mimicking biological emergent properties for biomaterial design: principles and applications”
13:30 – Carles Prado (IBEC, Barcelona, Spain) “Crossing the Skin Barrier: A New Role for Enzymatic Nanobots”

14:00 – Closing remarks

18th IBEC annual Symposium
2025-10-16 08:00 - 2025-10-17 17:00 | AXA Auditorium, L'illa Diagonal, Av. Diagonal 547 , Barcelona, 08029
The 18th IBEC annual Symposium brings together high-profile international experts for an open forum for interdisciplinary discussions and networking. This year the symposium is dedicated to Bioengineering for precision medicine, one of IBEC’s three major application areas.
All scientific community is invited to participate. Attendees from IBEC and abroad are welcome to present their research or projects in poster format. Moreover, some of these contributions will be selected by the scientific committee for an oral flash presentation.
This year, the Symposium will also have a day exclusively dedicated to posters. The 16th of October the Symposium will be celebrated at the AXA Auditorium. The poster session will be celebrated the day after, 17th of October at Sant Pau Recinte Modernista.

NET-CNS. Workshop 2: Neuroengineering: Input-Output Interfaces and Interventions
2025-10-23 09:00 - 16:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
IBEC’s Bioengineering Approaches to Understand, Model, and Modify Healthy and Pathological central nervous system CNS Network (NET-CNS) brings together IBEC researchers to explore cutting-edge developments in CNS research — from fundamental studies to innovative therapeutic strategies. This initiative promotes interdisciplinary efforts to address CNS diseases and conditions and explore new therapeutic avenues.

This second workshop on October 23th will focus on emerging neurotechnologies to interface with the CNS, including innovative strategies to record, stimulate, and modulate neural activity for both fundamental research and therapeutic interventions. The event will feature three lectures by leading experts:

John Rogers (Northwestern University, Chicago) developing flexible and bio-integrated electronic devices to monitor health, interface with the nervous system, and advance medical therapies.
Josep Maria Font Llagunes (Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (IRIS-UPC), Barcelona) developing computational methods for the analysis and prediction of human movement, innovative robotic exoskeletons and wearable monitoring technology.
Aureli Soria-Frisch (Starlab, Barcelona), Director of Neuroscience at Starlab, a deep tech company that develops wireless platforms and AI tools to find biomarkers to diagnose and treat brain disorders, with applications ranging from neurodevelopment to cognitive decline in aging.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with leading experts in this field and explore groundbreaking CNS research!

When? Thursday 23/10/2025·09:00h – 16:00 h
Where? Baobab room

Registration is mandatory!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Workshop held in the framework of the IBEC Thematic Networks.

Programme
09:00 – Registration
09:20 – Welcome from Network Coordinator
09:30 – IBEC speaker: Nicolò Accanto, Nonlinear Photonics for Neuroscience Group, ” Advanced Two-Photon Microscopy for Decoding Neuronal Circuits “
10:00 – Invited speaker: John Rogers, Northwestern University, Chicago, “Bioelectronic Systems as Neural Interfaces”
11:00 – Coffee Break and Networking
11:30 – Invited Speaker: Aureli Soria-Frisch, Starlab, Barcelona, “From Starlab to Neuroelectrics, a neurotechnology transfer success case”
12:30 – IBEC speaker: Mònica Mir, “Integrated sensors in humanized models on a chip to study neurodegeneration”
13:00 – Lunch Break
14:15 – Invited speaker: Josep M. Font-Llagunes, “From Biomechanics to Clinical Impact: Exoskeleton and Monitoring Technologies in Neurorehabilitation”
15:15 – IBEC speaker: Silvia Pittolo, Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches group, “Exploiting new technologies to read and control brain cells and circuits in real time”
15:45 – End of the Workshop

Abstracts of the plenary talks will be available here (Network programme).

Innovations in High-Plex, Single-Cell and Spatial Targeted-Proteomics
2025-10-28 09:30 - 14:30 | Auditori Antoni Caparrós, PCB, Tower D, c/Baldiri Reixac 4-8, Barcelona, Spain
In a joint effort to advance proteomics research, Standard BioTools and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) are proud to present the symposium “Innovations in High-Plex, Single-Cell and Spatial Targeted-Proteomics”, which will take place on the morning of October 28, 2025, at the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB Auditorium).
This seminar will feature in-depth presentations from leading experts and industry professionals, showcasing how high-plex proteomic and cytometric technologies are driving progress in translational research.
Attendees will explore:

How high-dimensional flow cytometry enables deep immune profiling at the single-cell level

How Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) reveals spatial tissue organization and cellular interactions

How high-throughput proteomics and antibody profiling are unlocking new opportunities in biomarker discovery and disease mechanism studies

These innovative tools are already being integrated into a wide range of clinical and preclinical projects — come and discover how they are shaping the future of precision medicine.
The agenda includes expert talks on these core technologies and their applications, featuring a guest lecture by Jolanda Sarno from the Tettamanti Research Center, and will conclude with a panel Q&A session and a networking lunch to foster collaboration and exchange among participants.

Business Breakfast. Challenges and Opportunities in the development of Advanced Theraphy Medicinal Products (ATMPS)
2025-11-06 09:00 - 11:30 | Auditori Antoni Caparrós, PCB, Tower D, c/Baldiri Reixac 4-8, Barcelona, Spain
On November 6th, ClarkeModet, in collaboration with IBEC and EIT Health, will host an event focused on the current landscape of the Advanced Therapies sector, exploring its main challenges and opportunities from the perspective of funding, public-private collaboration, and the regulatory framework.
The event will feature the participation of investment funds, EIT Health representatives, and innovative start-ups involved in the development of Advanced Therapies.
Investment funds, start-ups, and companies working with ATMPs may register at the following link:
REGISTRATION
Agenda:

09:00 Registration
09:30 Welcome:

Josep Samitier IBEC
Presentation: Clara Pombo and Izabel Alfany – ClarkeModet & EIT Health

09:50 Panel Discussion: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future of Advanced Therapies. Success Stories from Catalonia

ClarkeModet – Clara Pombo
Biocat Grupo de ATMPs – Miquel Salas
Reig Jofre – Isabel Amat
IBEC – Josep Samitier

10:50 Fireside Chat: Opportunities and Challenges in Public-Private Collaborations

EIT Health – Isabel Alfany
Gyala Therapeutics – Claudio Santos

11:10 Closing Remarks: Regulatory, IP & Financing Strategy

ClarkeModet – Clara Pombo & Jose María del Valle

11:30 Networking Breakfast

The event will be held in Spanish.

Ibec Seminar. Rob Jelier
2025-11-10 15:00 - 16:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Microscopy, mechanics and modeling in multicellular systems
Rob Jelier, associate professor at CMPG, Faculty of Bioengineering, KU Leuven
Understanding how cells self-organize into functional multicellular systems is central to developmental biology. The physical behavior of cells arises from the interplay of cellular differentiation state, biochemical signaling, and mechanical inputs. A crucial aspect of investigating this process involves characterizing the dynamic generation of forces by cells. In this talk, I will present several examples from my lab where we use highly accurate cell shapes from fluorescent microscopy as the basis for model-based computational analyses. The early embryo of the nematode C. elegans is used as a model. First, the cell shapes are used to infer the forces that cells exert on each other. Force Inference by Discrete Element method Simulation (FIDES) applies a flexible mechanical model of cell shapes, with active processes such as division and protrusions. Second, the C. elegans zygote has a striking cortex, with large foci of non-muscle myosin connected with thick actin bundles. By modeling these nematic structures, we explored whether they have an actual functional role in development. Third, we leveraged the cell shapes and our modeling framework to study a dynamic morphogenetic process in detail: the start of gastrulation. We showed that ingression arises from the combined action of localized actomyosin contraction, friction-based force transmission, coordinated cell divisions, and global tissue flow. Our current work applies our toolset to the study of murine and human development.

Rob Jelier is an associate professor at CMPG, Faculty of Bioengineering, KU Leuven. His research combines computational and engineering approaches with experimental biology to address fundamental questions in genetics and embryonic development. In yeast, his group investigates how molecular network complexity interacts with predominantly additive effects of genetic variants, using experimental evolution assays to probe adaptive potential. In animal morphogenesis, his team develops computational and experimental tools for quantitative embryology in C. elegans, studying how cells coordinate and generate forces to shape tissues. This work includes the development of optogenetic tools, image analysis and cell simulation software, biophysical models, and deep learning approaches for cell shape.
He teaches across the MSc of Bioinformatics, BSc Bioscience Engineering, and MSc of Cellular and Genetic Engineering, supervising over 40 MSc theses and serving as program director for the MSc of Bioinformatics since 2023. Previously, he restructured the MSc of Cellular and Genetic Engineering, transitioning it to English and doubling enrollment, making it the largest master’s program in the faculty.
Since 2019, he has led the CMPG research unit (7 professors, ~100 staff), overseeing automation in high-throughput experiments including pipetting and screening robots, a robotized plate reader with plate hotel, and automated fluorescent screening microscopy. He held a sabbatical from September 2024 to January 2025, visiting the University of Washington (Cole Trapnell), the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (Kate McDole), and EMBL-Barcelona (James Sharpe).

NET-RARE. Workshop 3: Identification of Biomarkers and Diagnostic Models for Rare Diseases
2025-11-13 09:20 - 13:30 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
NET-RARE third workshop third workshop focuses on the latest technologies for identifying new biomarkers to enable early detection and better characterization of rare diseases. It also aims to explore strategies for using biomarkers to monitor disease progression and incorporate them as secondary endpoints in clinical trials.
The session will open with Marina Giannotti from IBEC’s Nanoprobes & Nanoswitches group, whose research explores mechanical biomarkers and evaluates therapeutic approaches for several rare conditions, including lysosomal storage disorders and collagen VI-related dystrophies. This will be followed by a presentation from Turgut Durduran of ICFO’s Medical Optics group (ICFO-MEDOPT), who will showcase his collaborative work with Sant Joan de Déu Hospital on rare paediatric diseases. This interdisciplinary group focuses on creating advanced photonic technologies to support pre-clinical and clinical biomedicine.
The plenary lecture will be delivered by international guest Pietro Spitali, from the Department of Human Genetics at Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands). His research focuses on advancing our understanding of neuromuscular disorders through biomarker-based approaches. His group combines spatial technologies to connect biomarker signatures with tissue morphology and employs a multidisciplinary strategy that integrates molecular biomarker discovery in blood samples with a range of “omics” techniques. His work spans quantitative laboratory methods, statistical modeling, and the integration of complex datasets.
After a networking break, Marc Moltó from VHIR’s Clinical Biochemistry, Drug Delivery and Therapy group will present their recent progress in biomarker identification for lysosomal storage disorders. The workshop will conclude with a talk by Aranzazu Villasante of IBEC’s Nanobioengineering group, who will present their work on biomarker discovery using engineered models of rare cancers
Join us to explore the next steps to tackle rare diseases !
Workshop held in the framework of the IBEC Thematic Networks.
Registration (below) is mandatory.

PROGRAMME
09:20 – Registration
09:30 – Welcome and introduction
09:40 – Marina Giannotti, IBEC group “Nanoprobes & Nanoswitches”, “Nanomechanics in the search for Disease Markers: Focus on Molecular Dystrophy and Lipidosis”
10:10 – National invited speaker: Turgut Durduran from ICFO-Medical Optics (ICFO-MEDOPT) group. “Non-invasive measurement of deep tissue oxygen metabolism and blood flow: background, clinical relevance and potential for personalized treatment of rare diseases”.
10:40 – International invited speaker: Pietro Spitali from Human Genetics Department of the Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands), “Circulating and local biomarkers in neuromuscular disorders”
11:30 – Coffee break and Networking
12:00 – National invited speaker: Marc Moltó from VHIR group “Clinical Biochemistry, Drug Delivery and Therapy”, “Biomarkers in Fabry disease: Challenges in clinical diagnosis and follow-up”
12:30 –Aranzazu Villasante, IBEC Group “Nanobioengineering”, “Predictive Bioengineered Niches for Biomarker Discovery in Developmental Cancers”
13:00 – Remarks and Closing
Abstracts of the plenary talks will be available here (Network programme).

REGISTRATION

Thematic Network. NET-QUASI Workshop 3: Designing Life-like Function
2025-11-21 09:20 - 16:20 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Part of the IBEC Thematic Network “Quasi-living systems: Merge and Emerge” (NET-QUASI), this third workshop explores how life-like function can be designed into synthetic and hybrid systems. By merging molecular, material, and biological approaches, researchers are uncovering how responsiveness, adaptability, and collective behavior emerge across scales—from molecular assemblies and delivery systems to tissues that sense and reorganize.
This session gathers leading voices in synthetic biology, materials science, and mechanobiology to discuss how bridging the living and synthetic worlds can inspire a new generation of functional, adaptive systems.

Agenda

09:30 – Opening Remarks. Nina Kostina (Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Spain)
09:40 – Keynote Lecture: Prof. Wilhelm T. S. Huck (Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands) “Towards Molecular Networks that Learn”
10:35 Invited Lecture: Dr. Benjamí Oller (IQS, Barcelona), “Engineering conditionally active proteins and synthetic receptors for precision delivery”
11:20 – IBEC Lecture: Dr. Subhadip Ghosh, “Motility of Enzyme-Powered Protocells”
11:55 – Coffee Break
12:25 – Keynote Lecture: Prof. Kerstin Göpfrich (Center for Molecular Biology, Heidelberg University, Germany), “RNA design for quasi-living cellular systems”
13:10 – IBEC Lecture: Prof. César Rodríguez-Emmenegger, “Phagocytic Synthetic Cells: Non-Living Predators to Fight Bacteria”
14:00 – Lunch Break
14:50 – Early Career IBEC Lecture: M.Sc. Aina Albajar, “Studying the mechanical regulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport using Single Molecule Tracking”
15:25 – IBEC Lecture: Prof. Xavier Trepat, “Synthetic mechanobiology of epithelial shape and migration”
16:10 – Closing Remarks. Nina Kostina

REGISTRATION

Ibec Seminar. Anne de Poulpiquet
2025-12-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
CHARACTERIZATION OF ENZYMATIC BIOELECTRODES BY IN SITU FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY
A. de Poulpiquet,1 A. Guessab, 1 H. M. Man,1 I. Mazurenko,1 L. Bouffier,2 E. Lojou1
1Aix-Marseille Univ., CNRS, Bioenergetics and Protein Engineering, UMR 7281, Marseille
2 Institute of Molecular Sciences, UMR CNRS 5255, Univ. Bordeaux, ENSMAC, Pessac
adepoulpiquet@imm.cnrs.fr
Redox enzymes present remarkable catalytic properties (exceptional selectivity, high kinetic constant, low overvoltage, etc.) which are particularly interesting for bio-electrochemical devices (biosensors, biofuel cells, bioreactors). In the latter, they are immobilized at the surface of an electrode to enable electron transfer. Using three-dimensional (3D) electrodes improves the performance of the devices (sensitivity, current densities). However, enzymatic catalysis is very sensitive to the local environment (pH, temperature, ionic strength, concentration of substrates, products or inhibitors, etc.) whose composition, in the case of interfacial reactions, can differ from the bulk of the solution. These disparities are exacerbated when the enzymes are confined in the pores of 3D electrodes, due to the complexity of the associated mass transport. However, electrochemistry only provides indirect information on the environment of the electrode. Therefore, there is a major interest in coupling electrochemical techniques to other methods for collecting simultaneously spatial information.1-3 Precious information about mass transport and reactivity can be obtained by investigating the concentration profiles of the different species near the electrode surface, or in the volume of a porous electrode. We show that in situ fluorescence confocal laser-scanning microscopy (FCLSM) coupled with electrochemistry enables investigation of redox enzyme reactivity involving the indirect generation of fluorogenic species.4, 5 One of the most interesting features of FCLSM is the possibility to reconstruct 3D concentration profiles. Recording fluorescence in the volume adjacent to the electrode under potential control thus enables rebuilding the diffusion layer.2-5 We show that the method can be implemented to characterize electro-enzymatic catalysis at various planar and structured 3D electrodes.4, 5 For example, enzymatic O2 reduction involves proton transfers, which was evidenced via the fluorescence change of strongly pH-dependent fluorophores. Local pH changes in the electrode plane were measured during O2 reduction catalyzed by an immobilized bilirubin oxidase. Moreover, proton gradients generated during the enzymatic electrode reaction were imaged and their expansion under various experimental conditions were determined. Finally, the method enabled direct imaging of the evolution of confined environments in porous 3D electrodes such as gas-diffusion layers during electro(enzymatic) catalysis.

Ibec Seminar. Albert Folch
2025-12-18 12:30 - 14:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
“MICROFLUIDIC AND ROBOTIC PLATFORMS FOR TME-FRIENDLY CANCER DRUG EVALUATIONS”
Albert Folch, Professor University of Washington, Bioengineering Dept.
There is a lack of confidence in present in vitro disease models and drug efficacy tests, as they do not properly recapitulate the dynamic physiology and pathophysiology of the human organism. This challenge is particularly acute in oncology: present tools to study drug responses fail to faithfully mimic the patient’s tumor microenvironment (TME) and thus have not kept up with tumor biology and drug testing needs. As a measure of this problem, on average less than 4% of oncology drugs in clinical trials end up being FDA-approved, a dismal approval rate that has dire social repercussions such as high cancer drug prices and difficult accessibility. We have developed a suite of microfluidic platforms that address this problem by multiplexing the delivery of drugs to intact-TME human biopsies, altogether bypassing animal testing. We have developed and patented a microdissection methodology that allows for producing large numbers of cuboidal micro-tissues (“cuboids”) from a single tumor biopsy. We have been able to trap cuboids in arrays of microfluidic traps in a 96-well platform and we have developed very high-throughput automated robotic placement of mouse and human cuboids in 384-well plates. With these approaches, it will soon be possible to bypass animal testing and perform direct testing of drugs using only human tumors. Since these new-generation tests preserve the TME intact, we envision that they will minimize FDA failure rates and will contribute to alleviate the cost of cancer drugs. In this talk, I will also cover innovative 3D printing approaches of general applicability to the fabrication of complex biomicrofluidic systems such as organs-on-chips.
Albert Folch’s lab works at the interface between microfluidics and cancer. He received both his BSc (1989) and PhD (1994) in Physics from the University of Barcelona (UB), Spain, in 1989. During his Ph.D. he was a visiting scientist from 1990–91 at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab working on AFM/STM under Dr. Miquel Salmeron. From 1994–1996, he was a postdoc at MIT developing MEMS under Martin Schmidt (EECS) and Mark Wrighton (Chemistry). In 1997, he joined Mehmet Toner’s lab as a postdoc at Harvard-MGH to apply soft lithography to tissue engineering. He has been at Seattle’s UW BioE since June 2000, where he is now a full Professor, accumulating over 14,850 citations (h-index 55; career average 150 citations/paper). In 25 years, he has graduated 20 postdocs (20% of whom have reached faculty rank) and 33 graduate students (11 Ph.D. students, 27% of whom faculty rank, and 22 M.S. students). In 2001 he received an NSF Career Award, and in 2014 he was elected to the AIMBE College of Fellows (Class of 2015). He serves on the Advisory Board of Lab on a Chip since 2010 and on the Editorial Board of Micromachines since 2019. In 2022 he was elected a member of the Institute for Catalan Studies, one of the highest honors bestowed on Catalan scientists, and his book “Hidden in Plain Sight” won winner of the 2022 Outstanding Academic Title Award by Choice. He is the author of 6 books (sole author), including Introduction to BioMEMS (2012, Taylor&Francis), a textbook adopted by >103 departments in 18 countries, Hidden in Plain Sight: The History, Science, and Engineering of Microfluidic Technology (MIT Press, 2022), and the recent How the World Flows: Microfluidics from Raindrops to Covid Tests (Oxford University Press, 2025). Since 2007, the lab runs a celebrated outreach art program called BAIT (Bringing Art Into Technology), which has produced eight exhibits, a popular resource gallery of >2,000 free images related to microfluidics and microfabrication, and a YouTube channel that plays microfluidic videos with music which accumulate >177,000 visits since 2009.

Ibec Seminar. Ulrich Schwarz.
2026-01-16 10:30 - 11:30 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Modelling optogenetic control of cell contractility
Ulrich Schwarz, Heidelberg University
Animal cells are highly dynamic and continuously generate force, for example for mechanosensing, cell division, cell migration, morphogenesis and regeneration. Their main force generators are non-muscle myosin II molecular motors that slide actin filaments past one another. We first discuss how myosin II minifilaments dynamically assemble on demand and how this system can be controlled by optogenetics. The resulting deformations and forces can be predicted with continuum models for active solids, which are solved with the finite element method and verified experimentally with traction force microscopy. Next, we use active gel theory combined with van der Waals theory for myosin II molecules to demonstrate that cell contractility is sufficient to explain cell migration and that optogenetics can be used to initiate, revert and stop migration. We then turn to multiple cells and show for a cell doublet how the neighboring cell actively responds to the contraction of an optogenetically activated cell. We finally introduce a finite element framework for cellularized active solids that allows us to study mechanosensitive wave propagation in optogenetically activated cell layers.

Ibec Seminar. Barbara di Ventura
2026-01-22 10:00 - 11:00 | Torres I, Floor -1, Room 3
Splice it into action! Inteins for controlling and probing biology
Barbara di Ventura, Universität Freiburg
Inteins are unusual proteins that perform a self-catalyzed protein splicing reaction. They have become valuable tools in synthetic and cell biology. In this talk, I will introduce the basic principles of intein function and present recent work from my lab on exploiting inteins and engineering light-controlled intein activity.

Transversal skills. Begonya Nafria Escalera
2026-01-23 10:30 - 11:30 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Involucrar als pacients, no és una moda passatjera
Begonya Nafria Escalera, Patient Engagement in Research Head of Department at Sant Joan de Déu Chidren’s Hospital (Spain)
La recerca i la innovació que respongui a les necessitats dels pacients, requereix involucrar-los en les fases inicials i durant la vida d’un projecte. En aquesta sessió parlarem sobre la nova ciència que és el “patient involvement”, aportant també projectes inscpiradors que demostrin els beneficis d’involucrar als pacients en l’àmbit de les ciències de la salut.

Ibec Seminar. Silke Henkes
2026-01-26 16:00 - 17:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Mechanochemical feedback in model epithelial tissues
Silke Henkes, Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University
In the development of animals, tissues self-organise starting from a single cell into layers, shapes and patterns. This active mechanical process operates beyond the theoretical framework of reaction-diffusion equations such as Turing patterns. At the same time, combining active driving with careful mechanical design of a system is distinct route to pattern formation and artificial functionality.
Here I will show how two types of active driving interacts with mechanics: First, for polar active materials where cells crawl on a substrate, even with only uncorrelated activity, elasticity leads to
the emergence of mesoscopic space-time correlations. I will show how this explains the ‘fingering instability’ at the edge of MDCK epithelial cell sheets as long lived active correlations. If we add alignment to generate a flocking state, and cell division and death, we model corneal epithelial cells well. We are then able to simulate the whole curved corneal epithelium, and show that an inflow of cells from the limbus generates a stable spiral flow pattern with a +1 topological defect at the centre.
Second, mechanochemical stress feedback in cell-cell junctions arises from the catch bond dynamics of the actomyosin cortex. It allows a junction to generate a contractile force that can overcome external pulling and thus allow for an active rearrangement or T1. In vertex and continuum models, for strong enough feedback this gives rise to convergence-extension flows where the flow is opposite the direction of mechanical polarisation, effectively generating a negative viscosity state.

Ibec Seminar. Francisco Lorenzo-Martín
2026-01-30 09:30 - 10:30 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Next-generation organoid models for colorectal cancer research
Francisco Lorenzo-Martín, University of Salamanca

Three-dimensional organoid culture technologies have revolutionized cancer research by allowing for more realistic and scalable reproductions of tumor structures. This has enabled better modelling of low-complexity cancer cell behaviors that occur over short periods of time. However, the currently available organoid systems lack the requisite multi-cellular diversity, tissue-level organization, biological durability, and experimental flexibility that are needed to capture complex oncological processes. Consequently, the study of many multifactorial cancer mechanisms is still not possible in vitro and instead requires the extensive use of animal models, which provide limited spatiotemporal resolution of cellular dynamics and come at a substantial ethical cost. To overcome these limitations, we have implemented tissue engineering and microfabrication technologies to develop topobiologically complex ex vivo cancer avatars. Focusing on colorectal cancer, we have generated miniature tissues consisting of long-lived gut-shaped colon epithelia (‘mini-colons’) that are able to undergo tumorigenesis in vitro and stably integrate cancer cells with their native tumor microenvironment. This system provides an unprecedented repertoire of experimental possibilities, which we illustrate through diverse applications. Altogether, these next-generation organoid models push the boundaries of ex vivo cancer research.

Ibec Seminar. Prof. Pierangelo Gobbo
2026-02-03 10:00 - 15:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
A search for the right scientific question: can we fabricate cells and tissues from scratch?
Prof. Pierangelo Gobbo, University of Trieste
Bottom-up synthetic biology is an emerging research field whose objectives is to design and fabricate existing biological systems from inanimate molecules, materials, and chemical reactions.[1] One of the key biological systems that bottom-up synthetic biology is trying to re-design and fabricate is the living cell. This research led to the concept of “protocell” and “prototissues”.[2] A protocell is a micro-compartmentalised system capable of imitating at least one of the key features of a living cell (e.g., enzyme catalysis, communication based on diffusible chemical signals, information storage etc.). A prototissue is instead a free-standing and covalently interconnected network of communicating protocell units that can display synergistic functions.[3, 4]
While thus far efforts have been placed in the development of methods to fabricate PCMs with complex 3D architectures and demonstrate their chemical communication properties, in this contribution I will show how I used the knowledge acquired during my entire scientific journey to move beyond the state-of-the-art in bottom-up synthetic biology, and develop the first prototissues capable of photo-mechano-chemical transduction.[5] These are prototissues capable of converting a light stimulus into complex mechanical movements that in turn can influence the biocatalysis hosted within the protocell units composing the material itself. In order to achieve this, we have designed and assembled a covalent and thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (P(NIPAM)) polymer network directly inside the lumen of the protocells composing the PCM, where we also placed poly(ethylene oxide) (PEG) stabilised gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), amyloglucosidase (AGx), and glucose oxidase (GOx). By exploiting the photo-thermal effect of AuNPs and the thermoresponsive properties of the PNIPAM network in a synergistic manner, we were able to achieve reversible light-induced contractions of the PCM. Most importantly, the contraction caused the material to become hydrophobic. This made the contracted protocell membranes impermeable to small hydrophilic substrate molecules for enzyme catalysis, and effectively shut off the hosted enzyme cascade.
The fabrication of tissue-like materials with increasingly advanced biomimetic properties will not only help us to understand the physicochemical basis of the emerging behaviours of living tissues, but will also find important applications in tissue engineering, pharmacokinetics, mechanobiology, personalised therapy, in the development of micro-bioreactors and soft robotics.
Pierangelo Gobbo received his BSc (2008) and MSc (2010) in Chemistry at the University of Padua (Italy) and his PhD in 2016 at the University of Western Ontario (Canada). In 2016 he joined the research group of Prof. Stephen Mann, FRS at the University of Bristol (UK) as an NSERC of Canada Postdoctoral Fellow first, and then as an EU Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow. In 2019 Pierangelo started his independent research career at the School of Chemistry of the University of Bristol under a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellowship (Assistant Professorship). In October 2021 Pierangelo moved to the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Trieste (Italy) where he is pioneering the first strategies to use synthetic cells (or “protocells”) as foundational units to assemble free-standing tissue-like materials with complex 3D architectures and programmable bio-inspired emergent behaviours such as contractility, phototropism, and biochemical sensing. During his academic career Pierangelo was awarded numerous awards for excellence in research. The most recent are Italy’s Giacomo Ciamician Medal for Organic Chemistry (2021), UK’s EPSRC New Investigator Award (2020), and the Canada’s Governor General’s Gold Medal (2017). He is currently PI on an ERC Starting Grant 2021, co-coordinator of an EIC Pathfinder Open 2022, and the coordinator of other National research projects.

Nano Cancer Day
2026-02-03 12:30 - 17:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
El Nanodía Mundial Contra el Cáncer es un evento organizado en el marco del Día Mundial contra el Cáncer donde se darán a conocer las últimas innovaciones en materia de NANOMEDICINA contra el CÁNCER, con temas que van desde el diagnóstico precoz, la liberación controlada de fármacos o la radioterapia con nanopartículas.
Un año más, expertos en NANOMEDICINA de diferentes campos -investigadores, empresarios, médicos oncólogos, 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 del cáncer y como podemos contribuir en la misión Europea contra el cáncer.
NANOMED Spain organiza la edición de este año con el Hospital del Mar Research Institute Barcelona

09:30
Bienvenida e Inauguración ·
Josep Samitier · Coordinador Científico de NANOMED Spain
Joaquín Arribas · Director del Hospital del Mar Research Institute Barcelona (HMRIB)

09:40
Nanomedicina y cáncer
Josep Samitier · Coordinador Científico de NANOMED Spain

10:00
Iniciativa en terapias avanzadas: Programa de Terapia Celular y sustancias de Origen Humano
Luís Álvarez Vallina · Director del Programa de Terapia Celular y Sustancias de Origen Humano del Hospital del Mar Research Institute Barcelona (HMRIB) y director de Investigación del Banco de Sangre y Tejidos (BST)

10:25
TBC

10:50
Café

11:25
Plataformas y Capacidades para la fabricación de Terapias avanzadas de uso clínico
Núria Gavalda · Directora de Estrategia e Innovación del Banco de Sangre y Tejidos (BST)

11:45
TBC
Giuseppe Battaglia · Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC)

12:10
Apoyando la Investigación e Innovación en Cáncer
Sofía Cabezudo · Gestora de Proyectos Asociación Española contra el Cáncer (AECC)

12:30
Clausura

Para registrarse hacer click aquí.

Ibec Seminar. Monika E. Dolega
2026-02-16 11:30 - 12:30 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Nucleolar mechano-adaptation and its role in epithelial homeostasis
Monika E. Dolega, Institute for Advanced Biosciences IAB, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR5309, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France

Epithelial tissues experience constant mechanical stimuli tied to normal physiological functions, but how they maintain homeostasis under such dynamic conditions remains unclear. Our previous RNAseq study on in-plane compressed epithelial monolayers revealed altered transcripts of ribosomal proteins essential for ribosome biogenesis in nucleoli—membrane-less, sub-nuclear biocondensates that challenge classical mechanotransduction concepts. Although few studies confirm nucleolar sensitivity to external cues, detailed mechanisms are lacking. Using advanced microscopy, omics, and biophysical approaches, we uncover a new mechanism of nucleolar mechano-adaptation. Mechanical confinement over minutes reorganizes nucleolar structure and downregulates pre-rRNA transcription. Central to this process is the nucleolar protein Nucleolin, which translocates to perform two roles: it leaves the rDNA promoter region to down-regulate ribosome biogenesis and participates in DNA repair at damage sites caused by compression. This study introduces the nucleolus as a mechano-sensitive organelle, advancing mechanobiology and cancer research by revealing a new potential therapeutic target

Innovació científica i tecnològica en salut: transferència de resultats per a la medicina del futur
2026-02-17 09:00 - 15:30 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
i millorar la qualitat de vida de la ciutadana, però sense transferència no hi ha impacte. Catalunya és un referent en recerca biomèdica i biotecnològica, però el gran repte és transformar aquest coneixement en solucions reals que arribin a la clínica i al pacient.
En el marc de la Barcelona Health Innovation Week 2026, des de l’Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC) organitzem aquesta jornada per demostrar que és possible connectar l’ecosistema de recerca amb el sistema de sanitari i empreses per impulsar la medicina personalitzada, les teràpies avançades i les tecnologies que milloren el diagnòstic i el tractament.
Aquesta sessió posa el focus en la transferència tecnològica i en l’impacte real de la recerca. Presentarem els resultats del Pla Complementari de Biotecnologia aplicada a la salut a Catalunya, un programa que ha fomentat la col·laboració entre centres de recerca i instituts sanitaris per desenvolupar solucions disruptives en salut. A més, comptarem amb experts i expertes en transferència tecnològica, inversió i gestió de la innovació que compartiran estratègies per accelerar la translació de coneixement cap al mercat i la clínica així com casos d’èxit que ja estan marcant el camí de la medicina del futur.
Si vols conèixer de prop les claus de l’èxit en la translació de la medicina personalitzada, connectar amb agents de l’ecosistema d’innovació i formar part de la conversa sobre el futur de la nostra salut, no et perdis aquesta oportunitat única per entendre com la col·laboració i la inversió en innovació poden generar valor per a la societat.
Activitat gratuïta. Registre obligatori aquí.

Thematic Network. NET-CNS Workshop 3: Overcoming Therapeutic Barriers in CNS
2026-02-27 09:00 - 13:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
This third workshop will focus on overcoming therapeutic barriers in CNS disorders, with particular emphasis on delivery strategies, biological interfaces, and translational challenges.
Schedule
09:00 – Registration
09:20 – Welcome from Network Coordinator
09:30 – IBEC speaker: Daniel Gonzalez-Carter, Molecular Bionics group Group. “Exploiting the physiology of the BBB to target therapies to the brain.”Daniel Gonzalez-Carter, IBEC Molecular Bionics Group,
10:00 – Invited speaker: Cristina Fornaguera, NanoTherapies Lab, Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS), Universitat Ramon Llull (URL). “From Bench to Brain: Polymeric Nanoparticles for Controlled Brain Delivery”
10:40 – Coffee Break and Networking
11:10 – Invited speaker: Meritxell Teixidó, Gate2Brain. “Gate2Brain blood-brain barrier shuttle peptides: From discovery to applications and going beyond small molecules”
11:50 – Invited speaker: Eloi Montañez, IDIBELL Department of Physiological Sciences .Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona. “Linking TDP-43 to Vascular Degeneration and Neuroinflammation”
12:30 – IBEC speaker: Anna Lagunas, IBEC Nanobioengineering Group, “A BBB-on-a-chip (BBB-oC) with integrated micro-TEER to evaluate brain drug delivery”
13:00 – End of the Workshop
To register, click here.
