ICMS-IBEC Joint Online Symposium
2022-03-23 14:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Madrid)
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

PhD Thesis Defence: Ignasi Casanellas
2022-04-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Molecular and cellular neurobiotechnology

PhD Thesis Defence: Ignasi Casanellas
2022-04-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Home

PhD Thesis Defence: Ignasi Casanellas
2022-04-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Sala de Graus Eduard Fontseré

PhD Discussions: Sefora Conti
2022-04-15 10:00 - 12:00 | IBEC, floor 11, tower i
Mechanical phenotyping of colorectal cancer patient derived organoids based on LGR5 expression

Sefora Conti, Integrative cell and tissue dynamics group

Colorectal cancer (CRC) tumors are composed by heterogeneous cell populations comprising differentiated cells and a small pool of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The link between cancer cell differentiation states and their metastatic potential has been the focus of extensive investigation, with some studies pointing to microenvironmentally defined plasticity as a mechanism indispensable for metastasis formation. Another aspect that might be determinant in tumor cells ability to successfully disseminate, intravasate, survive in the blood stream, extravasate, colonize distant organs and form secondary tumors is their mechanical phenotype.

Adopting a bottom-up approach, we performed a broad biophysical characterization of CRC patient derived organoids (PDOs), engineered to fluorescently label cells expressing LGR5, a well-established marker for CSCs. We show that CRC cells differentiation states are associated with distinct biomechanical phenotypes, with potential repercussions on their metastatic ability.

At the single cell level, LGR5+ cells display a more elongated and polarized shape while the LGR5- cells exhibit higher roundness and a smaller asymmetry in the stress field. LGR5+ are stiffer compared to their differentiated counterparts and more prone to adopt a fast amoeboid-like migration under confinement. At the molecular level, cancer stemness is related to differential expression of the ERM protein family, responsible of tethering the cell membrane to the underlying actin cortex.

These distinct mechanical phenotypes translate to different migratory and morphological phenotypes at a cluster level. Clusters expressing high levels of LGR5 showed a more spread and flattened shape compared to more differentiated clusters. Moreover, LGR5 expression in clusters is negatively correlated with their migration speed and their polarization state. Hence, clusters containing more differentiated cells migrate faster, display higher roundness and higher polarization state.

At higher complexity levels, such as interactions with endothelial cells, LGR5 expression in CRC clusters affects their ability to adhere to an endothelial monolayer and form a gap through which they attach to the underlying collagen coating. Notably, we found that clusters expressing more LGR5 have an advantage while attaching to the endothelium as indicated by higher attachment rate and shorter time to form a gap.

Based on these findings relating distinct mechanical phenotypes to LGR5 expression, we speculate that mechanical adaptability coupled with cancer plasticity may be an indispensable mechanism for cancer progression.

Open BIST Seminar: Dr. Wiktor Szymanski
2022-04-27 00:00 - 13:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower I, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Molecular basis for the use of light in medicine
Wiktor Szymanski, Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen
Light is a unique control element in chemistry and biology, because it can be safely delivered with very high precision to modulate processes in space and time. In this educational lecture, aimed at Master students but hopefully of interest to all academics, I will discuss the main processes that a molecule can undergo once it has been promoted to the excited state under light irradiation. Using the Jablonski diagram as the starting point, I will outline how these processes are or could be used in the clinic for diagnostics (optical and optoacoustic imaging) and therapy (photodynamic therapy and photopharmacology).

Wiktor Szymanski received his PhD degree from The Warsaw University of Technology, Poland, in 2008, working under the supervision of Prof. Ryszard Ostaszewski. He spent two years working on the use of biotransformations in organic chemistry with Prof. Ben L. Feringa and Prof. Dick B. Janssen at the University of Groningen. Since 2010 he has been working on the construction of photoactive protein- peptide- and DNA-bioconjugates and photopharmacology in the Feringa Labs. In 2014, he joined the Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, where he was appointed in 2015 as tenure track assistant professor and in 2019 as associate professor (adjunct hoogleraar).

Fira Recerca en Directe 2022
2022-04-27 10:00 - 2022-04-30 15:00 | CosmoCaixa
Fira Recerca en Directe

La Fira Recerca en Directe es planteja com a un tastet de projectes de recerca que estan en curs sobre diferents disciplines amb un format de proximitat, on es presenta l’oportunitat de parlar cara a cara amb els mateixos investigadors, així com de realitzar petits experiments amb la instrumentació científica i part del laboratori que desplacen fins a la Fira.

Va néixer el 2003 per establir un canal de comunicació on es pogués transmetre a la població el mètode científic i la recerca que es porta a terme als laboratoris de tot Catalunya.

Participa el grup de “Nanobioenginyeria” amb un stand on parlaràn sobre les nanopartícules i com viatgen pel nostre cos.

Open BIST Seminar: Dr. Wiktor Szymanski
2022-04-27 12:00 - 13:00 | IBEC, floor 11, tower i

PhD Discussions: Sefora Conti
2022-04-29 10:00 - 12:00 | IBEC, floor 11, Tower I, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

Pint of Science 2022
2022-05-09 18:30 - 2022-05-11 21:00 | Careers at IBEC
Monica Mir de Nanobioengineering, Agustín Gutierrez de Signal and Information Processing for Sensing Systems y Silvia Pujals de Nanoscopy for nanomedicine participarán en el evento global de divulgación científica Pint of Science.
El festival Pint of Science, que se celebrará del 09 al 11 de mayo, tiene como objetivo ofrecer charlas interesantes, divertidas y relevantes sobre las últimas investigaciones científicas de la mano de las personas que las llevan a cabo.

Lunes, 9 de mayo:

Monica Mir “¿Como funcionan los test para detección de COVID?”
Agustín Gutierrez “Una nueva inteligencia para controlar el mundo”

Martes 10 de mayo:

Silvia Pujals “Nanopartículas para la medicina. ¿Promesa o realidad?”

Si quieres más información, visita: Eventos de Barcelona | Pint of Science ES.
Podéis ver el cartel aquí.
