Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia

IBEC Seminar: Prof. Saman K. Halgamuge
2015-07-06 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Madrid)
Big Data Analytics in Metagenomics
Saman K. Halgamuge, Melbourne School of Engineering, University of Melbourne, Australia
In collaboration with researchers in Academia Sinica and Metabolomics Australia/Department of Botany at Melbourne, we have been working in two areas of Bioinformatics: Metabolomics focusing on microbes and Metagenomics focusing on plants. Profiling large sets of data resulted from technological advances in whole genome sequencing and MALDI Imaging type technologies that can reveal vital information about the environment and plants, which is our major or primary source of food on Earth. Recently we have demonstrated considerable success in using unsupervised clustering techniques to analyse genetic and metabolomic data. This includes analysis of viral quasi species, metabolomics and microbial metagenomes.
Some microbes in the environment appear to look very similar and found “living together” in communities in non-separable ways, making them harder to culture in a lab. To make matters worst, considering our belief, if it is correct at all, that we know only about up to 2% of the microbes around us. When we know only so little about the data labels, in this case, about the identity of the species. It is even more challenging to recognise patterns associated with the genomes of the quasispecies (a set of genetically related but non-identical viral mutant types, which can also be referred to as strains,) that are able to co-exist within the host. Uncovering information about quasi-species populations of microbes significantly benefits the study of disease progression, antiviral drug design, vaccine design and viral pathogenesis. We present a new analysis pipeline called ViQuaS for viral quasispecies spectrum reconstruction using short next-generation sequencing reads. ViQuaS is based on a novel reference-assisted de novo assembly algorithm for constructing local haplotypes.

Phd Discussions Complementary Skills Session: Elisabeth Pain, Science Careers
2015-06-26 10:00 - 11:00
Planning for an Academic Career: A postdoc and beyond

Elisabeth Pain, Contributing Editor for Science Careers, Europe
Academic careers have become very competitive these days, and the career decisions you make as a Ph.D. student or postdoc may greatly influence your chances of success later on. Choosing well your first postdoc is particularly important, as you must ensure that you will be developing your skills while starting to make a name for yourself. When you should you start looking for a postdoc? What aspects should you consider? Where is the best place for you? In this session we will explore how to plan ahead and secure a successful postdoc, and how to prepare for the next steps on the career ladder.

After obtaining an engineering diploma in biotechnology from her native France, Elisabeth went to the United Kingdom to pursue her Ph.D. in immunology at the University of Bristol. Finding her calling in science journalism, she went on to obtain a postgraduate diploma in journalism studies from Cardiff University, with a bursary from the Association of British Science Writers. Since 2002, Elisabeth has been working for Science Careers, the online jobs and career guidance magazine of the journal Science – first in Cambridge as U.K. Editor and, starting in 2004, in Barcelona as Contributing Editor for Europe. Elisabeth has extensive experience covering a broad range of topics relevant to young scientists, going from job and funding opportunities in academia to alternative careers and work-life balance. Elisabeth also regularly contributes Spanish and French news stories for Science and its policy blog Science Insider.

Kids' Day
2015-06-26 09:00 - 13:30 | IBEC, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
On Friday, 26th June IBEC, in collaboration with IRB, will celebrate its first edition of Kids’ Day, when staff and researchers from the two institutes are invited to bring their children for a morning of science activities.
Kids’ Day is an opportunity for IBEC members to show their children their workplace, and gives them the chance to be a ‘little scientist’ for a day.
Who can participate?
To make sure that we have a manageable and safe number of kids in the lab, we have limited the number of participants to 60. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis and priority will be given to the children of IBEC scientists and staff, and then extended to nieces and nephews until all spaces are filled.
The activities will be targeted to children between 3 and 12 years old, with the kids sorted into activity groups based on their ages. It’s recommended that kids be at least in P3 to assure that they will enjoy the whole event.
All 3-year-old kids need to be accompanied by a parent or a guardian. The other small children (4-5 years) can be accompanied by a parent only if they consider it necessary. Due to space restrictions, parents of older children do not need to be present during the activities. Volunteers will look after the kids at all times. (If you are interested in volunteering for this, please let us know at ibecevents@ibecbarcelona.eu)
https://ibecbarcelona.eu/events/Kidsday

Kids' Day
2015-06-26 09:00 - 13:30 | IBEC, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
On Friday, 26th June IBEC, in collaboration with IRB, will celebrate its first edition of Kids’ Day, when staff and researchers from the two institutes are invited to bring their children for a morning of science activities.
Kids’ Day is an opportunity for IBEC members to show their children their workplace, and gives them the chance to be a ‘little scientist’ for a day.
Who can participate?
To make sure that we have a manageable and safe number of kids in the lab, we have limited the number of participants to 60. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis and priority will be given to the children of IBEC scientists and staff, and then extended to nieces and nephews until all spaces are filled.
The activities will be targeted to children between 3 and 12 years old, with the kids sorted into activity groups based on their ages. It’s recommended that kids be at least in P3 to assure that they will enjoy the whole event.
All 3-year-old kids need to be accompanied by a parent or a guardian. The other small children (4-5 years) can be accompanied by a parent only if they consider it necessary. Due to space restrictions, parents of older children do not need to be present during the activities. Volunteers will look after the kids at all times. (If you are interested in volunteering for this, please let us know at ibecevents@ibecbarcelona.eu)
http://ibecbarcelona.eu/events/Kidsday

IBEC Seminar: Matteo Palma
2015-06-19 10:00 - 11:00
Bio-inspired self-assembly for single-molecule investigations

Matteo Palma, Queen Mary University of London
One of the ultimate goals in nanotechnology is the ability to produce efficient devices based on individual molecules and nanostructures. Despite the many potential benefits envisioned for single-molecule technology (in electronics and biotechnology) the strategies employed to date suffer from various limitations. Principal among these limitations is the poor control over the molecular assembly of nanostructures and individual molecules with respect to one another, as well as their position on devices with respect to other material components.
I will first discuss techniques based on the combined use of lithographic nanopatterning and bio-molecular self-assembly to control the immobilization of biomolecules in arrayed nanodomains. I will show how this allows us to produce highly ordered, self-assembled arrangements of nano-objects, ranging from proteins to DNA nanostructures, and bio-inorganic assemblies, for a variety of (nanoscale) investigations.
I will show how by specific design of the biomolecular nanoarrays, it is possible to simultaneously monitor hundreds of protein/DNA binding events at the single-molecule level. Moreover I will discuss the use of our nanopatterned biomimetic surfaces to probe the importance of transmembrane proteins (integrins) clustering and geometric arrangement of binding sites, in the formation of cell focal adhesions
I will then highlight the broader utility of such nanopatterned surfaces for the self-organization (on surfaces) of bio-inorganic assemblies as well as DNA nanostructures and carbon nanotubes. In particular, I will discuss how the combination of high resolution patterning with end-functional chemistry enables the assembly of 1D functional nanostructures in an orderly fashion.
Finally, building on our novel bottom-up assembly strategy for the formation of (chemically and geometrically) versatile carbon nanotube (CNTs) junctions, I will present a universal approach for the generation of multifunctional nanomaterials that employ molecular building blocks assembled between DNA wrapped CNT electrodes. We will demonstrate single-molecule control in the formation of nanohybrids via the in-solution assembly of classes of molecular materials (organic, and inorganic which display promising attributes) to DNA wrapped CNTs. We believe this may be a viable avenue towards the integration of these materials in complex and functional nano-architectures.
Our findings are of general interest for the controlled assembly of a broad range of functional molecules and nanostructures, towards the fabrication of solution-processable nanoscale devices. Moreover, we believe that the knowledge developed makes a significant contribution towards the facile fabrication of nanohybrid materials for single-molecule investigations. Future technologies will require devices of this type in a variety of key areas, including biodiagnostics, ultra-high speed computation, bioelectronics, and for renewable energy applications.

IBEC Seminar: Javier G. Fernández
2015-06-16 16:00 - 17:00
Bioinspired materials

Javier G. Fernández, Assistant Professor and Founder Academic Member · Singapore University of Technology and Design
Nature is abundant with materials that possess extraordinary mechanical characteristics. New techniques in biochemistry and advances in microelectronic engineering are boosting our knowledge of biological materials, and providing tools to fabricate at the scale at which these materials are made in nature. This investigation of the structural organization of these materials leads to understanding of the principles of natural materials design that are beginning to be harnessed to fabricate biologically-inspired composites for materials engineering with tunable properties that mimic living materials, which might provide useful for environmental challenges, as well as medical applications.

IBEC Seminar: Alexandra P. Marques
2015-06-12 10:00 - 11:00
Driving skin wound healing: stem cells and extracellular matrix role

Alexandra P. Marques, 3B’s Research Group, University of Minho, Portugal
Wound care products have evolved into skin tissue engineered substitutes, which despite the longest history of application and the highest record of marketing, proved to represent replacement strategies instead of promoting tissue regeneration.
Current research indicates that the interactions between resident progenitor cells and their niche dictate the triggering of skin regeneration pathway. In alignment, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based therapies, have been proposed to enhance cutaneous wound healing. The rationale lies on transplanted cells ability to interact/respond to the wound microenvironment, which is advantageous when compared to the exogenous administration of healing factors. However, the involved mechanisms are still elusive and poor outcomes were achieved in terms of attainment of functional skin tissue due to low cell survival rates, and poor engraftment or cell fusion upon transplantation. Extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking is currently seen as the “Holy Grail” of Tissue Engineering in the sense that by recreating natural tissues microenvironments researchers will be able to increase the residence time and consequently the action of the transplanted cells and thus uncover “therapeutic niches”.
Under this context we have been exploring two perspectives; one takes advantage of the tunable ECM-like properties along with the 3D support that hydrogels can provide, and the second benefits from an intact native ECM offered by cell sheet engineering technology. Hydrogels features such as high hygroscopic nature, tunable elasticity and facilitated mass transportation, render such materials attractive for the development of skin ECM-analogues. Although succeeding in improved cell engraftment, hydrogels fail to provide biological instructive cues as well as cell adhesion sites, only overcome by cell adhesive peptides bonding to polymers backbone. We developed a new method of processing gellan gum-based materials, having as start material gellan gum-based hydrogels, to obtain structures that exhibit features of both sponges and hydrogels depicting intrinsic cell-adhesive properties. By creating constructs comprising adipose tissue cells and artificial and natural ECM we were able to demonstrated that skin healing is dependent on tissue engineered constructs self cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions, as well as on constructs cell-cell interactions and paracrine signaling with resident cells. In particular, our results suggest that cell-ECM and cell-cell interactions have a dramatic effect over re-epithelialisation. In opposition, neo-vascularisation did not seem to be dependent on the nature of the cell-ECM interactions, but was significantly improved with the incorporation of microvascular endothelial cells.
Ultimately the generation of knowledge on how to direct skin regeneration lead the creation of “off-the-shelf” 3D stem cell-based engineered products inspired by the role of wound healing microenvironments.

PhD Discussions Sessions: Lorena de Oñate & Anita Kosmalska
2015-05-29 10:00 - 11:00
Research on cardiac differentiation from pluripotent stem cells: how to get beating cells in a dish
Lorena de Oñate, Pluripotent stem cells and activation of endogenous tissue programs for organ regeneration group
Probably, the gain in organ complexity and cell function has led to a decrease in healing capacities in the adult mammalian heart. In an effort to generate new venues for the generation of functional cardiac cells we have explored the possibility to manipulate cell fate and plasticity making use of different cellular systems. First, taking advantage of pluripotent stem cells we have defined chemically based protocols in order to generate cardiac cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). Second, by a cell conversion approach, we have been able to produce cardiomyocyte-like cells from human fibroblasts by overexpression of specific lineage transcription factors. In parallel, to overcome several drawbacks related to both processes (i.e: purity of final cell populations), we have efficiently developed a reporter cell line for the cardiac gene alpha Myosin Heavy Chain (MYH6) by both TALEN and CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing approaches that will help us to define accurate protocols for cardiac differentiation, and more importantly, to underscore the molecular and cellular events driving human cardiomyocyte differentiation.

Physical principles of membrane remodelling during cell mechanoadaptation
Anita Kosmalska, Cellular and respiratory biomechanic group
Biological processes in any physiological environment involve changes in cell shape, which must be accommodated by their physical envelope – the bilayer membrane. However, the fundamental biophysical principles by which the cell membrane allows for and responds to shape changes remain unclear. Here we show that the 3D remodelling of the membrane in response to a broad diversity of physiological perturbations can be explained by a purely mechanical process. This process is passive, local, almost instantaneous, prior to any active remodelling, and generates different types of membrane invaginations that can repeatedly store and release large fractions of the cell membrane. We further demonstrate that the shape of those invaginations is determined by the minimum elastic and adhesive energy required to store both membrane area and liquid volume at the cell-substrate interface. Once formed, cells reabsorb the invaginations through an active process with duration of the order of minutes.

Workshop: Financiación de KETs en Salud
2015-05-26 10:00 - 16:00 | Sala Polivalente, PCB, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona
10:00h-10:30h Bienvenida
Josep Samitier, Coordinador científico de la Plataforma Española de Nanomedicina
José Luis Fernández, Presidente de Fenin Catalunya
Carles Pizarro, Vice-Presidente de la Plataforma Tecnológica Española de Fotónica
10:30h-10:55h Estrategia industrial de Cataluña: programa de impulso del ámbito de las industrias de la salud y ciencias de la vida. (Montserrat Alavedra, ACC1O)
10:55h-11:20h Visión general de los instrumentos de CDTI (Cecilia Hernández, CDTI)
11:20h -11:35h Pausa Café
11:35h-12:00h Recomendaciones útiles para el sector de salud y tecnologías sanitarias (Juan Luis Romera, CDTI)
12:00h-13:30h Mesa redonda- Instrumentos de financiación para empresas
SME instrument (Miguel Roncales, ALPHASIP; Javier Bezares, BCB*)
Financiación CDTI (Eduard Diviu, Sagetis Biotech; Eli Diez, Progenika)
Compra Publica Innovadora (Gloria Palomar, Directora de Gestió de la Fundació Parc Taulí)
Financiación de Spin-offs y Start-ups (*)
13:30h-14:00h Debate y clausura de la sesión
14:00h-15:00h Almuerzo y Networking
15:00h-16:00h Encuentros bilaterales con técnicos de CDTI y ACC1O (necesaria solicitud previa por email a mprades@ibecbarcelona.eu)

Asistencia gratuita. Enlace para registrarse:
http://www.plataformatecnologiasanitaria.es/forosempresariales/ver/evento/216

IBEC Seminar: Thomas Graf
2015-05-22 10:00 - 11:00
Mechanisms of transcription factor induced transdifferentiation and reprogramming to pluripotency

Thomas Graf, Gene Regulation, Stem Cells and Differentiation Programme, CRG / Pompeu Fabra University
Work by many laboratories has shown that even fully differentiated cells are remarkably plastic and can be reprogrammed into alternative fates. This discovery has revolutionized our understanding of how cell decide what to become and has major implications for the modeling and therapy of diseases that affect the production of differentiated cells.
Our earlier work has shown that the myeloid transcription factor C/EBPa induces B cells to transdifferentiate into macrophages at high efficiencies. We have now found that the process forces the intersection of two enhancer pathways that become activated during normal hematopoietic differentiation.
Recently we reported that the transient expression of C/EBPa in B cells, followed by expression of the pluripotency factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc (OSKM), poises the cells for very rapid and highly efficient reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells. Our findings have removed a major obstacle in studying cell reprogramming and permitted us to investigate how C/EBPa leads to the almost immediate accessibility of pluripotency genes to binding by Oct4. Our new data provide unprecedented insights into the earliest events leading to activation of the pluripotency gene regulatory network, resulting in somatic cell reprogramming.

Pint of Science: "The forces that drive cancer cells” and “Cell, the force be with you”
2015-05-20 20:00 - 22:00 | Café de les Delícies, Rambla del Raval 47, Barcelona, Spain
Pint of Science

Café de les Delícies, Rambla del Raval

Group leader Xavier Trepat and postdoc Laura Casares are set to take part in a global science outreach event taking place simultaneously in 9 countries and 50 cities all over the world.
The Pint of Science festival on 18th-20th May aims to deliver interesting, fun and relevant talks on the latest scientific research by the people who carry it out – in the pub!
Xavi and Laura will giving talks on “The forces that drive cancer cells” and “Cell, the force be with you” on Wednesday 20th May from 20:00 at the Café de les Delícies on Rambla del Raval. Other scientists taking part in Barcelona pubs include researchers from the UB, ICFO, CRG and several other centres, covering topics from “El nanomundo perdido” and “El aire de Barcelona” to “Is God playing dice?” at venues including the Michael Collins, Garage Beer and the Black Lab.
Pint of Science, which was established by a community of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers at Imperial College in 2012, takes place annually over three days simultaneously in pubs in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, the US, Australia, Germany and Spain.
If you’d like more information, visit http://pintofscience.es/eventos/barcelona/, or please come along to support Xavi and Laura on the night!

Symposium TAU-IBEC
2015-05-18 09:00 - 2015-05-19 17:00 | Sala Polivalente, PCB, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona
Symposium TAU-IBEC: Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine: Moving forward the convergence between life sciences, medicine and engineering at the nanoscale

Researchers from IBEC and Tel Aviv University (TAU) will come together for a joint symposium supported by AGAUR. Group leaders from both sides will present their work, and try to identify synergies and opportunities for collaboration.
Programme:
Monday, 18th May
09:00 – 09:30 Registration
09:30 – 09:40 Opening Ceremony – with Dr. Lluís Rovira (Director of CERCA Institution)
09:40 – 10:10 Presentation of IBEC. Prof. Josep Samitier
10:10 – 10:40 Presentation of TAU. Prof. Ehud Gazit
10:40 – 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 – 11:30 FTA & Harnessing nanomedicine for precision therapy. Prof. Dan Peer
11:30 – 11:55 Nanomedicines for malaria. Dr. Xavier Fernández-Busquets
11:55 – 12:20 Polymer therapeutics. Prof. Ronit Sachi-Fainaro
12:20 – 12:45 Smart nano-bio-devices. Dr. Samuel Sánchez
12:45 – 13:10 Panel discussion – synergies and possible collaboration
13:10 – 14:30 Lunch and networking
14:30 – 14:55 Optopharmacology. Prof. Pau Gorostiza
14:55 – 15:20 Controlled drug delivery. Prof. Ehud Gazit
15:20 – 15:45 NanoBiophysics. Dr. Lorenzo Albertazzi
15:45 – 16:10 Nanoscale bioelectrical characterization. Dr. Gabriel Gomila
16:10 – 17:00 Panel discussion – synergies and possible collaboration
Tuesday, 19th May
09:30 – 09:55 Drug-carrying phage nano medicines. Prof. Itai Benhar
09:55 – 10:20 Nanobioengineering for advanced in vitro diagnostics Organ on a chip. Prof. Josep Samitier
10:20 – 10:45 Biomimetic systems. Dr. Elena Martinez
10:45 – 11:05 Panel discussion – synergies and possible collaboration
11:15 – 11:35 Coffee Break
11:35 – 12:00 Biomaterials for regenerative therapies. Dr. Elisabeth Engel
12:00 – 12:25 Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Prof. Tal Dvir
12:25 – 12:50 Pluripotent stem cells and activation of endogenous tissue programs for organ regeneration. Dr. Núria Montserrat
12:50 – 13:10 Panel discussion – synergies and possible collaboration
13:10 – 13:30 Closing ceremony and working plan
13:30 Lunch (just for speakers)
All IBEC researchers are warmly invited to intend. Registrations must be received by 30th April at the following link. https://ibecbarcelona.eu/events/IBEC-TAU-Joint-Symposia
We look forward to seeing you there.

Symposium TAU-IBEC
2015-05-18 09:00 - 2015-05-19 17:00 | Sala Polivalente, PCB, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona
Symposium TAU-IBEC: Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine: Moving forward the convergence between life sciences, medicine and engineering at the nanoscale

Researchers from IBEC and Tel Aviv University (TAU) will come together for a joint symposium supported by AGAUR. Group leaders from both sides will present their work, and try to identify synergies and opportunities for collaboration.
Programme:
Monday, 18th May
09:00 – 09:30 Registration
09:30 – 09:40 Opening Ceremony – with Dr. Lluís Rovira (Director of CERCA Institution)
09:40 – 10:10 Presentation of IBEC. Prof. Josep Samitier
10:10 – 10:40 Presentation of TAU. Prof. Ehud Gazit
10:40 – 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 – 11:30 FTA & Harnessing nanomedicine for precision therapy. Prof. Dan Peer
11:30 – 11:55 Nanomedicines for malaria. Dr. Xavier Fernández-Busquets
11:55 – 12:20 Polymer therapeutics. Prof. Ronit Sachi-Fainaro
12:20 – 12:45 Smart nano-bio-devices. Dr. Samuel Sánchez
12:45 – 13:10 Panel discussion – synergies and possible collaboration
13:10 – 14:30 Lunch and networking
14:30 – 14:55 Optopharmacology. Prof. Pau Gorostiza
14:55 – 15:20 Controlled drug delivery. Prof. Ehud Gazit
15:20 – 15:45 NanoBiophysics. Dr. Lorenzo Albertazzi
15:45 – 16:10 Nanoscale bioelectrical characterization. Dr. Gabriel Gomila
16:10 – 17:00 Panel discussion – synergies and possible collaboration
Tuesday, 19th May
09:30 – 09:55 Drug-carrying phage nano medicines. Prof. Itai Benhar
09:55 – 10:20 Nanobioengineering for advanced in vitro diagnostics Organ on a chip. Prof. Josep Samitier
10:20 – 10:45 Biomimetic systems. Dr. Elena Martinez
10:45 – 11:05 Panel discussion – synergies and possible collaboration
11:15 – 11:35 Coffee Break
11:35 – 12:00 Biomaterials for regenerative therapies. Dr. Elisabeth Engel
12:00 – 12:25 Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Prof. Tal Dvir
12:25 – 12:50 Pluripotent stem cells and activation of endogenous tissue programs for organ regeneration. Dr. Núria Montserrat
12:50 – 13:10 Panel discussion – synergies and possible collaboration
13:10 – 13:30 Closing ceremony and working plan
13:30 Lunch (just for speakers)
All IBEC researchers are warmly invited to intend. Registrations must be received by 30th April at the following link. http://ibecbarcelona.eu/events/IBEC-TAU-Joint-Symposia
We look forward to seeing you there.

PhD thesis defence: Teresa Galán
2015-05-14 11:00 - 13:00 | Sala de Graus Eduard Fontseré, Martí i Franquès, 1-11, Barcelona, 08028
“Conducting Polymers for Nano and Micro Electrodes. Application to Biomolecule Sensing and Release”

Teresa Galán, Nanobioengineering Group
Teresa will be defending her PhD thesis on Thursday 14th May at 11:00 in the Sala de Graus Eduard Fontseré, Faculty of Physics, University of Barcelona.
Everybody is welcome to attend.
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If you’re an IBEC PhD student and would like to advertise your PhD defence on the IBEC calendar, please contact vleigh@ibecbarcelona.eu

6th European CellMech Meeting
2015-05-13 09:00 - 2015-05-15 17:00 | Paranimf de la Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, C. Casanova 143 · 08036 Barcelona, Spain
We are pleased to invite you to participate in the 6th European CellMech Meeting, which will take place from 13th – 15th May 2015 in Barcelona, hosted by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC).
The goal of the meeting is to bring together scientists working in cell mechanobiology with an emphasis on the integration of mechanical processes across scales, from subcellular components to tissues.
The European Cell Mechanics Meeting is held on a biennial basis and is one of the premier worldwide meetings in Cell Mechanobiology. As in previous editions, this conference will feature the most recent trends of this wide and multidisciplinary field, covering physics, mechanics, and cell biology. Topics will include innovative experimental approaches to probe cell mechanics and visualize dynamic cellular processes, together with the development of new theoretical and numerical concepts dedicated to cell and tissue engineering.
As well as keynote lectures given by renowned invited speakers, the conference will offer the opportunity for young scientists to present their work to a broad and multidisciplinary audience. It seeks to create the right conditions for the emergence of a new multidisciplinary network in this rapidly growing scientific field.
http://ibecbarcelona.eu/events/CellMech2015

6th European CellMech Meeting
2015-05-13 09:00 - 2015-05-15 17:00 | Paranimf de la Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, C. Casanova 143 · 08036 Barcelona, Spain
We are pleased to invite you to participate in the 6th European CellMech Meeting, which will take place from 13th – 15th May 2015 in Barcelona, hosted by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC).
The goal of the meeting is to bring together scientists working in cell mechanobiology with an emphasis on the integration of mechanical processes across scales, from subcellular components to tissues.
The European Cell Mechanics Meeting is held on a biennial basis and is one of the premier worldwide meetings in Cell Mechanobiology. As in previous editions, this conference will feature the most recent trends of this wide and multidisciplinary field, covering physics, mechanics, and cell biology. Topics will include innovative experimental approaches to probe cell mechanics and visualize dynamic cellular processes, together with the development of new theoretical and numerical concepts dedicated to cell and tissue engineering.
As well as keynote lectures given by renowned invited speakers, the conference will offer the opportunity for young scientists to present their work to a broad and multidisciplinary audience. It seeks to create the right conditions for the emergence of a new multidisciplinary network in this rapidly growing scientific field.
https://ibecbarcelona.eu/events/CellMech2015

PhD thesis defence: Juan Pablo Agusil
2015-05-11 11:00 - 13:00 | Aula Magna Enric Casassas, Facultat de Química, UB, Carrer Martí i Franquès, 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Fabrication of (bio)molecular patterns with contact printing techniques

Juan Pablo Agusil, Nanobioengineering Group
Juan Pablo Agusil will be defending his PhD thesis on Monday 11th May at 11:00 in the Aula Magna Enric Cassassas of the Faculty of Chemistry, UB.
Everybody is welcome to attend.
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If you’re an IBEC PhD student and would like to advertise your PhD defence on the IBEC calendar, please contact vleigh@ibecbarcelona.eu

IBEC Seminar: J. Miguel Rubi
2015-05-08 10:00 - 11:00
Somatic exocytosis of serotonin mediated by molecular motors

J. Miguel Rubi, Departament de Fisica Fonamental, Universitat de Barcelona
We quantified somatic exocytosis of serotonin in Retzius neurons and explored the possible contribution of molecular motors and the cytoskeleton on the mobilization of vesicles induced by stimulation with trains of electrical impulses. Secretion was quantified from the increase of fluorescence of FM1-43 in response to sequences of 20 mV trains of 10 impulses at 2 min intervals, produced by intracellular current injection. Somatic secretion was also evoked by a pulse of 10 mM caffeine applied to the bathing solution. Stimulation of neurons produced a gradual increase in FM1-43 fluorescence for over the next five minutes. The kinetics and latencies of these increases varied from one neuron to another but usually maintaining a sigmoidal shape in one or two steps. Neurons stimulation in the presence of colchicine to uncouple microtubules, failed to evoke fluorescence increases, thus suggesting that vesicle mobilization depended on tubulin-based motor. The kinetics of the fluorescence increases of individual neurons was accounted for by using a model based on a diffusion equation in the presence of external forces, consistent with the contribution of molecular motors to the mobilization of the vesicle clusters towards the membrane in response to electrical activity. Our data show that somatic serotonin secretion in Retzius neurons depends on a motor-based cytoskeletal mobilization of vesicles induced by electrical activity.

reSEARCH4TALENT Open Day
2015-04-30 11:00 - 13:30 | IBEC, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
On Thursday 30th April we’ll open our doors to Undergraduate & Masters students interested in a research career.
11:00 Guided tour of labs and facilities
12:30 Snack ’n’ chat – a chance to have your questions answered by researchers!
Registration required:
www.ibecbarcelona.eu/events/re-search4talent
Limited places available by order of registration
