Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia

Business Breakfast. Challenges and Opportunities in the development of Advanced Theraphy Medicinal Products (ATMPS)
2025-11-06 09:00 - 11:30 (Europe/Madrid) | 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.

Nano Rare Diseases Day
2026-03-05 10:00 - 13:30 | Sala Félix Serratossa, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
El Nano Rare Diseases Day es un evento organizado en el marco del Día Mundial de las Enfermedades Minoritarias donde se darán a conocer las últimas innovaciones en materia de Nanomedicina con temas que van desde el diagnóstico precoz, la liberación controlada de fármacos o el desarrollo de nuevas terapias.
Durante esta jornada, expertos en Nanomedicina de diferentes campos -investigación, empresa, práctica clínica, autoridades sanitarias, pacientes, etc.-, expondrán los últimos avances y nos darán la oportunidad de descubrir el generador de progreso que la Nanomedicina significa para la salud como creador de nuevas oportunidades en el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de las enfermedades minoritarias.

Es obligatorio registrarse aquí.

4th edition EMBL-IBEC Conference Egineering Multicellular Systems
2026-03-11 08:00 - 2026-03-13 17:00 | PRBB (Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona), Ramon y Cajal Room
EMBL and IBEC aim to contribute to the discussion on challenges and opportunities in the expanding field of engineered multicellular systems.
Recent breakthroughs in stem cell biology, organ-on-chip assays, 3D bioprinting, and cell mechanobiology have revolutionized our ability to design and assemble multicellular living systems, from organoids to embryos.
This biennial series will focus on how engineering such systems is advancing our understanding of tissue and organ function, with applications in disease modeling, developmental biology, and regenerative medicine.
To register click here

IBEC Seminar: Dr. Mykhailo Batiuk
2026-03-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Glia, Schizophrenia, and Trauma at Cellular Resolution

Dr. Mykhailo Batiuk, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

The complexity of the brain in both health and pathology stems from its immense cellular heterogeneity. Consequently, it is increasingly recognized that studying the brain at cellular resolution is essential for understanding its function. In this talk, I will present my research focused on glial diversity and the molecular perturbations underlying psychiatric conditions, investigated through the lens of single-cell genomics.

First, I will discuss the discovery of molecular and functional astrocyte heterogeneity. By leveraging single-cell RNA sequencing, we revealed that astrocytes are not a uniform population but consist of distinct molecular subtypes with unique spatial locations and physiological properties. Second, I will transition to human pathology, where I utilized large-scale single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomics to map neuronal perturbations in schizophrenia. This work identified a “hotspot” of disturbance in the upper cortical layers, providing a new map for understanding the cellular basis of the disorder. Finally, I will present my current research on the epigenetic basis of traumatic memory. Together, these insights provide a blueprint for my future research: identifying and validating novel genomic targets to alleviate the pathology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Thematic Network. NET-RARE Workshop 4: Bridging Rare Diseases Scientific Research and Clinical Needs
2026-03-27 09:00 - 13:30 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
This fourth workshop aims to bring together representatives from medical hospitals, pharma and spin-off companies, patient associations, and research groups to create an interactive panel discussion on rare diseases from multiple perspectives. Following brief presentations introducing each participant’s research area and expertise, a round-table discussion will take place after the coffee break to explore key challenges in communication and collaboration across disciplines.
The session will focus on how scientific research can more effectively address clinical needs, and how clinicians can help guide and strengthen research directions. With contributions from patient associations and pharma/spin-off representatives, the discussion will also highlight the development of effective therapies and the patient perspective, emphasizing the importance of strong cross-sector collaboration in the rare disease landscape.

Scheduled Program:
9.30-9.40: Welcome and short introduction of the workshop
9.40-10.00: Invited speaker: Daniel Natera de Benito, Neuromuscular Unit of Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (Barcelona)
10.00-10.20: Invited speaker: Nora Ventosa, Nora Ventosa, Co-founder and CEO of DELBIOS Pharmaceuticals SL and Co-founder and President of Nanomol Technologies SL.
10.20-10.40: Chiara Ninfali, IBEC group “Biosensors for Bioengineering”
10.40-11.00: Invited speaker: Maria Cols Roig, from Pediatric Pulmonology Department and the Cystic Fibrosis Unit, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital
11.00-11.20: Invited speaker: Marisol Montolio dell’Olmo, Scientific director of Duchenne Parent Project Spain Association
11.20-12.00: Coffee Break and Networking
12.00-13.00: Round Table
13.00-13.10: Remarks and Closing

To register click here

Thematic Network. NET-CNS Workshop 4: Innovations in CNS Modeling:Cutting-edge In Vitro Systems​
2026-04-10 09:00 - 16:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Join us for the fourth NET-CNS Workshop on April 10th!
This fourth NET-CNS workshop will focus on innovative experimental platforms and technologies to model central nervous system (CNS) processes and diseases. Particular emphasis will be placed on advanced in vitro systems, translational research tools, and emerging technologies that enable more physiologically relevant models for studying CNS biology and developing therapeutic strategies.
The event will bring together experts from academia, clinical research institutions, and industry to discuss new approaches for understanding CNS function and pathology and for advancing biomedical innovation in neuroscience.
Speakers

Teresa Botta Orfila – Head of the HCB-IDIBAPS Biobank (Barcelona). She leads initiatives in human biobanking, biological sample management, and translational infrastructures supporting biomedical research, precision medicine, and clinical studies.
Víctor Borrell – Research Professor at the Instituto de Neurociencias (CSIC-UMH), Alicante. His research focuses on brain development and evolution, particularly the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control neuronal migration, cortical expansion, and the formation of neural circuits.
Rosa Monge – Scientist at Beonchip (Zaragoza), a biotechnology company developing organ-on-chip technologies. Her work focuses on microphysiological systems and organ-on-chip platforms that enable the creation of advanced in vitro models for drug discovery and biomedical research.
Maria Bernabeu – Group Leader at EMBL Barcelona. Her research integrates computational and experimental approaches to study tissue architecture and cellular organization, using quantitative biology and advanced imaging to understand multicellular systems in health and disease.
Sandra Acosta – Professor at the University of Barcelona (UB) and researcher at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. Her research focuses on neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease, particularly on early pathological mechanisms, neuroinflammation, and translational strategies to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Programme
09:30 – Registration
09:50 – Welcome from Network Coordinator
10:00 – IBEC Speaker: Jorge Oliver de la Cruz – Cellular and Molecular Mechanobiologygroup, IBEC. “Mechanical cues regulate Tau axonal localization through microtubule stabilization”
10:40 – Invited Speaker: Teresa Botta Orfila – Head of HCB-IDIBAPS Biobank, Barcelona. “Biobanks as essential hubs for research”.
11:20 – Coffee Break and Networking
11:50 – Invited Speaker: Víctor Borrell – Instituto de Neurociencias (CSIC-UMH), Alicante. “Evolution of neural stem cells and lineages in the cerebral cortex of amniotes”
12:30 – Industry Speaker: Rosa Monge – Beonchip, Zaragoza.
13:15 – Lunch Break
14:15 – Invited Speaker: Maria Bernabeu – EMBL Barcelona. “Building and breaking barriers: bioengineered 3D brain microvascular models for malaria research”
15:00 – Invited Speaker: Sandra Acosta – University of Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu & Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona. “Modeling Neurological Disease Progression in vitro: The Promise and Pitfalls of Brain Organoids in Alzheimer’s and COVID-19”
15:45 – End of the Workshop
To register click here.

Ibec Seminar: Dr. Federico Fenaroli
2026-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Developing Nanomedicines Using the Zebrafish Embryo
Dr. Federico Fenaroli, University of Stavanger, Norwey
Our research focuses on the development of nanomedicines to combat bacterial infections and cancer. We investigate the dynamic in vivo interactions between nanoparticles, immune cells, and pathogenic bacteria or cancer cells. Thanks to their natural transparency, zebrafish embryos enable high-resolution imaging and real-time tracking of nanoparticles within a living organism. This model provides valuable insights into therapeutic behavior, biodistribution, and host–pathogen interactions, supporting the rational design of nanomedicines.

Ibec Seminar. Prof. Kara Spiller
2026-04-17 11:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Engineering Macrophages with Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine
Kara L. Spiller, PhD, URBN Professor of Biomedical Innovation, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
The inflammatory response, orchestrated primarily by macrophages, plays a major role in the body’s response to injury, disease, or implantation of a biomaterial. When macrophages function normally, they are a powerful force that promote tissue repair and regeneration, but when their behavior goes awry, healing is impaired. Our goal is to understand the mechanisms by which the inflammatory response orchestrates successful tissue regeneration and to develop novel biomaterial strategies that apply these principles to situations in which tissue regeneration is impaired. In particular, we study macrophages in inflammation, phagocytosis, cellular recruitment, vascularization, cell proliferation, tissue deposition, or remodeling, and we design biomaterials that leverage these findings for improved biomaterials design, enhanced macrophage cell therapy, and personalized medicine. Current projects in the lab are directed towards treatment of pulmonary fibrosis and chronic wound healing through biomaterial-enabled macrophage cell therapies.
Dr. Kara Spiller is the URBN Endowed Professor of Biomedical Innovation in Drexel University’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems. Her research focuses on the role of immune cells in tissue repair and regeneration and the design of immunomodulatory biomaterials. Her research is funded by the NIH, the NSF, private foundations, and industry. Her awards include a Fulbright fellowship, the NSF CAREER award, and the United States Dept. of State ASPIRE prize. She has published more than 85 publications in biomaterials and immune engineering, and has 18 issued or pending patents. She is the founding director of the Immune Modulation & Engineering Symposium series in Philadelphia, which is the only annually recurring meeting dedicated to convergent research in translational immunology and engineering. She serves on the board of numerous journals and is a frequent NIH study section member.

Research4talent
2026-04-30 10:45 - 13:00 | Sala Dolors Aleu, Cluster II, IBEC, Baldiri i Reixac, Barcelona
The event offers you the opportunity to engage with our researchers and inquire about their day-to-day work in the lab, career trajectories, work-life balance, mobility, etc.
In 2025, IBEC signed more than 140 internship agreements for undergraduate and master’s students with a wide range of national and international universities.

PROGRAMME · 30th April 2026

10:45
Welcome

11:00
Deputy talent and training director talk. Elisabeth Engel, “What is IBEC?”

11:20
People Management Speech

11:30
PhD Committee presentation

-Coffee break-

11:45
Careers Fair*: a chance for participants to mingle and chat with our researchers.

13:00
Labs visits

If you are interested in IBEC’s twelfth edition of reSEARCH4TALENT, please register.

Ibec Seminar: Dr Pascale Quilichini
2026-05-13 14:00 - 15:00 | Baobab room, Floor 11, Tower 1
Neuronal infra-slow rhythm in the thalamic nucleus reuniens orchestrate hippocampo-prefrontal information flow during sleep
Dr Pascale Quilichini, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, INSERM, Aix-Marseille University
The consolidation of episodic memory during sleep relies on coordinated interactions between the hippocampus (HPC) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC), although these regions lack direct reciprocal connections. The thalamic nucleus reuniens (NR), which is bidirectionally connected to both structures, is therefore a strong candidate for mediating this dialogue. Using simultaneous silicon-probes recordings from the HPC, NR, and PFC in freely sleeping rats, we identified a previously undescribed infra-slow rhythm (ISR) in NR neuronal activity predominantly during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.
HPC and PFC neurons were differentially entrained to distinct phases of this rhythm. Consistently, hippocampal sharp-wave ripples (SWRs) and prefrontal spindles occurred also preferentially during slightly different ISR phases. Coupled SWR–spindle events peaked at the onset of the ON phase.
Furthermore, this coupling was stronger during NREM epochs dominated by ISR compared to those without ISR, and, most importantly, was significantly enhanced during ISR-dominated NREM sleep following spatial learning.
Together, these findings reveal a novel infra-slow population dynamic in the NR that may temporally coordinate hippocampo–prefrontal interactions during sleep, positioning this nucleus as a key hub in this network supporting memory consolidation.
