Online IBEC Seminar: Stefano Pulchino
2022-03-04 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/Madrid)
Regenerative Neuroimmunology – new generation molecular approaches to restore maladaptive inflammatory responses in the persistently inflamed CNS
Stefano Pulchino, University of Cambridge
There are currently no approved therapies to slow down the accumulation of neurological disability that occurs independently of relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS). International agencies are engaging to expedite the development of novel strategies capable of modifying disease progression, abrogating persistent CNS inflammation, and support degenerating axons in people with persistent inflammation of the, such as that occurring in progressive MS.
Understanding why regeneration fails in the progressive MS brain and developing new regenerative approaches is a key priority for the Pluchino Lab.
In particular, we aim to elucidate how the immune system, in particular its cells called myeloid cells, affects brain structure and function under normal healthy conditions and in disease.
Our objective is to find how myeloid cells communicate with the central nervous system and affect tissue healing and functional recovery by stimulating mechanisms of brain plasticity mechanisms such as the generation of new nerve cells and the reduction of scar formation.
Applying combination of state-of-the-art omic technologies, and molecular approaches to study murine and human disease models of inflammation and neurodegeneration, we aim to develop experimental molecular medicines, including those with stem cells and gene therapy vectors, which slow down the accumulation of irreversible disabilities and improve functional recovery after progressive multiple sclerosis, stroke and traumatic injuries.
By understanding the mechanisms of intercellular (neuro-immune) signalling, diseases of the brain and spinal cord may be treated more effectively, and significant neuroprotection may be achieved with new tailored molecular therapeutics.

I have received my MD and PhD degrees at the University of Siena, Italy, and additional training at Cambridge University, UK. I am currently Professor of Regenerative Neuroimmunology and Honorary Consultant in Neurology, within the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at Cambridge University.
I have a strong interest in Regenerative Neuroimmunology, and my research over the last 20 years has recalibrated the classical view that cellular grafts only function through structural cell replacement and opened up a new therapeutic avenue by which to use exogenously delivered stem cells, or even stem cell-derived acellular therapies that include extracellular vesicles and exosomes.
The Pluchino team studies whether the accumulation of neurological disability observed in patients with chronic inflammatory neurological conditions can be slowed down using next generation molecular therapies. The overarching aim is to understand the basic mechanisms that allow exogenously delivered stem cells, gene therapy vectors and/or exosomes to create an environment that preserves damaged axons or prevents neurons from dying. Such mechanisms may be harnessed and used to modulate disease states in an effort to repair and/or regenerate critical components of the nervous system.
I am recipient of numerous national and international awards, among which the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (FISM) Rita Levi-Montalcini prize for outstanding research in MS (2007), the 2009 Italian Ministry of Health Young Investigator Award and the 2010 European Research Council (ERC) Starting Independent Award.
My laboratory research on Regenerative Neuroimmunology is documented in >230 publications in international journals, including many recent articles in highly prestigious journals, such as Nature, Cell, Cell Stem Cell, Nat Cell Biol, Nat Chem Biol, PNAS, PLoS Med, Brain, Ann Neurol, and J Neurosci, as well as invited review articles in Nat Rev Neurosci, Physiol Reviews, Trends in Mol Med and Trends Immunol. My publications have to date received >14.000 citations (ISI-WOK), having a Hirsch Factor of 52.

This seminar will take place online, using the go to meeting app

PhD Thesis Defence: Andrés Marco Giménez
2022-03-14 11:00 - 13:00
Generation and Validation of a CRISPR Platform for Rapid and Inducible Genome Editing in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells and Kidney Organoids
Andrés Marco Giménez, Pluripotency for organ regeneration group
This thesis defence will start at 11AM. If you wisth to attend to this PhD thesis defence, you can join here via zoom.

IBEC Seminar: André Körnig
2022-03-14 16:00 - 17:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower I, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
NanoWizard® V BioScience – The latest Generation AFM for Automated Structural and Mechanical Analysis & NanoRacer® – High-Speed AFM for dynamical processes
André Körnig, JPK BioAFM, Bruker Nano GmbH
The ability of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to obtain three-dimensional topography images of biological molecules and complexes with nanometer resolution and under near-physiological conditions remains unmatched by other imaging techniques. Bruker BioAFM has recently launched the NanoWizard® V BioScience AFM that combines high spatio-temporal resolution with a large scan area, flexible experiment design, and outstanding integration with advanced optical microscope systems.

This talk will focus on how the advances in Bruker’s latest BioAFM can be applied to study a wide-range of biological samples: from individual biomolecules to mammalian cells and tissues in-situ. It will be presented how we are able to resolve the nanoscale structure of individual biomolecules, at high-speed scan rates (400 lines/sec), follow the dynamic reorganization of the membrane-associated cytoskeleton of living cells at high temporal and spatial resolution. It will be highlighted, how the topography of cells across the entire area of the microscope stage can be automatically mapped. Special part will be dedicated to the suite of BioAFM modes, probes and accessories for studying nanomechanical properties of cells and tissues, including direct correlation with super-resolution microscopy techniques (STED).
In the past, investigating large and rough samples such as tissues and hydrogels using AFM was challenging due to the limited z-axis of the AFM. Using osteoarthritic cartilage as an example, we will demonstrate how a newly developed hybrid of a motorized and piezo stage enables multi-region AFM probing over a large, rough sample area while providing additional correlative optical data sets.
The newly developed NanoRacer® High-Speed AFM enables scanning speeds of up to 50 frames per second. In this way, the high-speed study of the time-resolved dynamics associated with cellular processes and the binding mechanisms of individual biomolecules is possible, e.g. the dynamics of single molecule binding behavior, two-dimensional protein assemblies, motor proteins and membrane trafficking.
We will present data on DNA origami nanostructures containing biotin binding sites, imaged in fluid in the presence of streptavidin, as well as data on DNA metastable bubble formation and closure (~30 nm in length), imaged in fluid in closed-loop at 2000 lines per second.

This seminar will be held at Tower I, 11th floor Baobab room, there will be 30 avialable seats, the free spots will be assigned on a first come first served basis.

IBEC Seminar: André Körnig
2022-03-14 16:00 - 17:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower i

PhD Complementary Skills Session: Fernando T. Maestre
2022-03-18 10:00 - 12:00
Fernando T. Maestre, Dryland Ecology and Global Change Lab at Universidad de Alicante.
This seminar will be held using the GoToMeeting app

PhD Complementary Skills Session: Alicia Calvo-Villamañán
2022-03-18 10:00 - 12:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower i
Making your science accessible with illustrations and humour

Alicia Calvo-Villamañán, CNB – CSIC.

As researchers we are accustomed to sharing our science mostly with people that have similar sets of skills to ours. But what happens when we have to share our science with people whose backgrounds are radically different to what we’re used to? In these cases, we enter the domain of science communication and science outreach, a radically different way of communicating science that requires equally radically different skills of communication.

Scientific illustration is a great way to make one’s science more accessible to the general public, as it helps others visualise complex scientific concepts that would be totally foreign to them otherwise. Being able to convert what we do every day in the lab into approachable illustrations takes a bit of imagination, a lot of trial and error, and why not, a bit of humour as well.

From very simple stick figures to more complex illustrations, from digital art to more classical media, helping others visualise your work will help you keep your audience more engaged with your work, as well as help them understand it better.

Alicia a postdoc in the lab of Dr. Álvaro San Millán. Her current research focuses on the understanding of sucessful plasmid-bacteria associations in nosocomimal infections to try to prevent the further dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in hospitals.

Past research topics have included the study of CRISPR-Cas systems and the development of synthetic biology tools to tackle the challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

“I am a sleepy, caffeinated molecular biologist by day and a hyper scientific illustrator by night. You can learn more about my science outreach and scientific illustration work in this website.”

You can check here her publications

This seminar will be held at Tower I, 11th floor Baobab room, there will be 30 avialable seats, the free spots will be assigned on a first come first served basis.

ICMS-IBEC Joint Online Symposium
2022-03-23 14:00 - 17:00
This is the 6th symposium that the two institutions are celebrating together. This Mini-Symposium will take place online, using the Teams app, on 23 March from 14.00 – 17.00.

Speaker
Title

14.00
Chair: Jan van Hest (ICMS)
Samuel Sánchez (IBEC)
Opening and welcome

Successful joint ventures

14.05
Shidong Song and Richard Post (IBEC & ICMS)
Partnership between:
Group lead IBEC: Samuel Sánchez
Group lead ICMS: Remco van der Hofstad and Jan van Hest
Engineering transient dynamics of artificial cells by stochastic distribution of enzymes

14.30
Sertan Sukas (IBEC & ICMS)
Partnership between:
Group lead IBEC: Josep Samitier (IBEC)
Group lead ICMS: Vito Conte, Jaap den Toonder and Regina Luttge
Advanced flow control and quantification of forces for mechanobiology studies

14.55
Tania Patiño Padial (IBEC→ICMS)
Tania was a member of the group of Samuel Sánchez at IBEC and is now a member of the group of Jan van Hest at ICMS
Bioengineering life-like nanosystems for biomedical applications

15.20
Break

Flash talks Exchange program

15.30
Robert Dassen (ICMS→IBEC)
Partnership between:
Group leads IBEC: Veronika Magdanz and Samuel Sánchez
Group lead ICMS: Hans Wyss
3D printing of organ models for in vitro testing of microrobots

15.38
Lisa van Slagmaat (ICMS→IBEC)
Partnership between:
Group lead IBEC: Josep Samitier
Group lead ICMS: Jaap den Toonder
Microfluidic herringbone device with self-assembled antibody monolayer for CTC separation

15.46
Floor Ummels (ICMS→IBEC)
Partnership between:
Group lead IBEC: Giuseppe Battaglia
Group lead ICMS: Willem Mulder
Crossing the blood-brain barrier

15.54
Lisa Pomp (ICMS→IBEC)
Partnership between:
Group leads IBEC: José Antonio Del Río and Karen Wells
Group lead ICMS: Vito Conte
Establishment of an in vitro blood-brain barrier model on transwells for transendothelial transport studies

16.04
Stan van Wetten (ICMS→IBEC)
Partnership between:
Group lead IBEC: Sílvia Pujals
Group lead ICMS: Arthur de Jong
Correlating Light and Electron Microscopy for PLGA-PEG nanoparticle charactization

16.12
Laura van de Koppel (ICMS→IBEC)
Partnership between:
Group leads IBEC: Elisabeth Engel and Bárbara Blanco
Group lead ICMS: Patricia Dankers
Engineering a 3D model of lymphoma using a hydrogel for precise screening of therapeutics

16.20
Break

16.35
Roger Riera Brillas (IBEC & ICMS)
Roger was a member of the group of Lorenzo Albertazzi at IBEC and is now a member of the group of Lorenzo Albertazzi at ICMS
Live-cell uPAINT imaging of receptors

17.00
Closing remarks

ICMS-IBEC Joint Online Symposium
2022-03-23 14:00 - 17:00
This is the 6th symposium that the two institutions are celebrating together. This Mini-Symposium will take place online, using the Teams app, on 23 March from 14.00 – 17.00.

SpeakerTitle14.00Chair: Jan van Hest (ICMS) Samuel Sánchez (IBEC)Opening and welcomeSuccessful joint ventures 14.05Shidong Song and Richard Post (IBEC & ICMS)Partnership between:Group lead IBEC: Samuel SánchezGroup lead ICMS: Remco van der Hofstad and Jan van HestEngineering transient dynamics of artificial cells by stochastic distribution of enzymes14.30Sertan Sukas (IBEC & ICMS)Partnership between:Group lead IBEC: Josep Samitier (IBEC)Group lead ICMS: Vito Conte, Jaap den Toonder and Regina LuttgeAdvanced flow control and quantification of forces for mechanobiology studies14.55Tania Patiño Padial (IBEC→ICMS)Tania was a member of the group of Samuel Sánchez at IBEC and is now a member of the group of Jan van Hest at ICMSBioengineering life-like nanosystems for biomedical applications15.20Break Flash talks Exchange program 15.30Robert Dassen (ICMS→IBEC)Partnership between:Group leads IBEC: Veronika Magdanz and Samuel SánchezGroup lead ICMS: Hans Wyss3D printing of organ models for in vitro testing of microrobots15.38Lisa van Slagmaat (ICMS→IBEC)Partnership between:Group lead IBEC: Josep SamitierGroup lead ICMS: Jaap den ToonderMicrofluidic herringbone device with self-assembled antibody monolayer for CTC separation15.46Floor Ummels (ICMS→IBEC)Partnership between:Group lead IBEC: Giuseppe BattagliaGroup lead ICMS: Willem MulderCrossing the blood-brain barrier15.54Lisa Pomp (ICMS→IBEC)Partnership between:Group leads IBEC: José Antonio Del Río and Karen WellsGroup lead ICMS: Vito ConteEstablishment of an in vitro blood-brain barrier model on transwells for transendothelial transport studies16.04Stan van Wetten (ICMS→IBEC)Partnership between:Group lead IBEC: Sílvia PujalsGroup lead ICMS: Arthur de JongCorrelating Light and Electron Microscopy for PLGA-PEG nanoparticle charactization16.12Laura van de Koppel (ICMS→IBEC)Partnership between:Group leads IBEC: Elisabeth Engel and Bárbara BlancoGroup lead ICMS: Patricia DankersEngineering a 3D model of lymphoma using a hydrogel for precise screening of therapeutics16.20Break 16.35Roger Riera Brillas (IBEC & ICMS)Roger was a member of the group of Lorenzo Albertazzi at IBEC and is now a member of the group of Lorenzo Albertazzi at ICMS Live-cell uPAINT imaging of receptors17.00Closing remarks

IBEC Seminar: Alejandro Mayorca
2022-03-25 10:00 - 12:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower I, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Mapping the structure of the extracellular matrix and engineering matrixbased disease models
Alejandro Mayorca, Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen
Understanding disease necessitates a precise representation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), a vast, intricate structure made of ~1300 interwoven proteins and glycans supporting all organs and acting as a master cell regulator. In spite of its importance, there are no high-resolution maps of ECM topography. I will present methods to isolate ECM from mammalian organs and generate a precise, quantitative, three-dimensional representation of the ECM in human organs during health and incurable conditions. Further development of these methods uses ECM scaffolds to engineer experimental models that recreate cell niches associated to advanced disease, aiming to break down the rules of their assembly.

Alejandro Mayorca is an assistant professor at the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre of Copenhagen University. His work focuses on extracellular matrix research and cancer bioengineering. He is an alumnus of the Central University of Venezuela, obtained his PhD in medical sciences from the University of Ehime, Japan and later became a postdoc in Janine Erler’s lab at the University of Copenhagen. He isolated and characterised the structure of the extracellular matrix in primary and metastatic tumours (Nature Medicine, 2017), developed techniques for whole-body ECM mapping (Nature Protocols, 2019) and then designed ECM-based bioreactors to model lung and liver metastasis (Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2022).
Sala Baobab, Tower I, 11 Floor, IBEC

IBEC Seminar: Alejandro Mayorca
2022-03-25 10:00 - 12:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower i

IBEC Seminar: Miguel Holgado
2022-04-01 10:00 - 13:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower I, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Technologies for highly multiplexed in-vitro diagnostic systems and organ on chips. Cases studies for COVID-19 and neurodegenerative diseases
Miguel Holgado, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica-Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos
Technologies for biomarkers screening are of very high importance, particularly when they are reliable, cost effective, easy to use for measuring multiples biomarkers in a single diagnostic KIT working with real biological samples such as serum, saliva, wastewater or culture medium. In this paper we report technologies for the development of a highly multiplexed kit for detecting biomarkers of COVID19 in serum, saliva[1] and wastewater analyzing their correlation with the severity of the COVID19 and showing relevant figures about the severity (90 patients in serum), immunity (200 volunteers in saliva donating sample every 10 days in three months), and wastewater. This technology has also demonstrated for measuring particular proteins of the SARS-COV-2 in wastewater, which results have been compared with Polymerase Chain Reaction. Recently we are using these technologies for detecting Alzheimer Disease (AD) biomarkers in serum.
In concrete, we have achieved to detect the total tau protein at the level of 10 pg mL-1 in serum as a biomarker for early detection of the AD[2]. Other biomarkers are also under development right now. In this term, the use of advanced in vitro diagnostic systems with organ-on-chip based technologies are of a high relevance because can be used for monitoring relevant biomarkers secreted by the cells, tissues or biopsies in these types of bioreactors. We have recently developed microfluidic chips acting as bioreactors for neuronal circuits on a chip for biological network monitoring[3] and brain slice-on-a-chip for organotypic culture and effective fluorescence injection testing[4]. Cultured neuronal networks (CNNs) are a robust model to closely investigate neuronal circuits’ formation and monitor their structural properties evolution. Typically, neurons are cultured in plastic plates or, more recently, in microfluidic platforms with potentially a wide variety of neuroscience applications. As a biological protocol, cell culture integration with a microfluidic system provides benefits such as accurate control of cell seeding area, culture medium renewal, or lower exposure to contamination. In this paper it is presented a novel neuronal network on a chip device, including a chamber, fabricated from PDMS, vinyl and glass connected to a microfluidic platform to perfuse the continuous flow of culture medium.
As a step forward, we employ this technology as an alternative brain slice-on-a-chip, integrating an injection system inside the chip to dispense a fluorescent dye for long-term monitoring. Hippocampal slices are cultured inside these chips, observing fluorescence signals from living cells, maintaining the cytoarchitecture of the slices. Having fluorescence images of biological samples inside the chip demonstrates the effectiveness of the staining process using the injection method avoiding leaks or biological contamination. The technology developed in this study presents a significant improvement in the local administration of reagents within a brain slice-on-a-chip system, which could be a suitable option for organotypic cultures in a microfluidic chip acting as a highly effective bioreactor.

[1] Developing an Optical Interferometric Detection Method based biosensor for detecting specific SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins in Serum and Saliva, and their corresponding ELISA correlation. Sensors & Actuators: B. Chemical 345 (2021)
[2] A new optical interferometric in-vitro detection for Alzheimer´ disease diagnostic in Serum. To be published elsewhere.
[3] Neural circuits on a chip for biological Network Monitoring. Biotechnology Journal 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/biot.202000355
[4] Alternative Brain Slice-on-a-Chip for Organotypic Culture and Effective Fluorescence Injection Testing. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 2549.

IBEC Seminar: Miguel Holgado
2022-04-01 10:00 - 13:00 | IBEC, floor 11, tower i

PhD Thesis Defence: Francina Mesquida Veny
2022-04-01 11:00 - 13:00 | Aula de Graus, Faculty of Biology, Diagonal, 643, Barcelona, Spain
Activity-dependent mechanisms of axonal growth
Francina Mesquida Veny, Molecular and cellular neurobiotechnology
This thesis defence will take place at “Aula de Graus” Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona” at 11AM.
If anyone is interested in attending online, you can contact Francina here

PhD Thesis Defence: Francina Mesquida Veny
2022-04-01 11:00 - 13:00 | Aula de Graus, Faculty of Biology

PhD Thesis Defence: Ignasi Casanellas
2022-04-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Satisfaction survey
Cell-adhesive nanopatterns for musculoskeletal tissue engineering
Ignasi Casanellas, Nanobioengineering Group
This thesis defence will take place at “Sala de Graus Eduard Fontseré, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona” at 3PM. If you wish to follow this defence online, you can contact Ignasi here.
More information here
