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IBEC coordinates a project to promote skin regeneration using nanoparticles and 3D printing

Elisabeth Engel, principal investigator of the “Biomaterials for regenerative therapies” group at IBEC will coordinate a three-year project with the aim of boosting skin self-regeneration. This transnational European consortium composed of four more partners will develop the project over the next 3 years, including Dimitrios Zeugolis (University of Ioannina, Greece), Joan Pere Barret (Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Spain), Olivier Stephan (Université Grenoble-Alpes, France) and Denis Barbier (MicroLight 3D, France).

The project falls under the scope of EuroNanoMed3 programme, and the consortium will receive a total of 747.000 € through the corresponding national funding agencies of the countries involved. In particular, the “Agencia Estatal de Investigación” (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades) will fund IBEC’s contribution with 190.000 €.

IBEC receives the FEI award for its support to innovation

Yesterday, the Innovative Companies Forum (“FEI”, in Spanish) celebrated the seventh edition of the 2019 “Innovation Awards”. The awards ceremony, which aims to highlight the commitment to innovation of organizations, companies and researchers, recognized the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia’s (or “IBEC”) “Innovation Support Agency”. David Badia, executive director of the institute, received the award during the ceremony, which took place in Madrid.

During his acceptance speech, Badia noted that IBEC is accredited as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence and is dedicated to the field of bioengineering, with the objective not only to study, but to also promote the research’s application in the field of medicine, health and the improvement of people’s quality of life.

IBEC launches its Clinical Colloquia Program

As a part of IBEC’s strategy to facilitate the transfer of excellent science into health solutions for patients and hospitals, the Institute fosters relations and partnerships with clinicians and companies. Within this framework, the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia has now launched the IBEC Clinical Colloquia Program.

Thanks to the nature of the research developed in the institute, IBEC counts on an ongoing and committed relationship with hospitals, medical doctors and patients. As a result, the involved partners are able to develop joint research projects, and in other cases they are a source of information about the unmet needs in clinical practice. With the launching of this clinical colloquia IBEC wants to strengthen these collaborations and offer the opportunity to create a space for discussion between researchers and medical doctors.

IBEC counts on collaboration of medical doctors to provide input on the clinical aspects of its research, so that results are easily extended to clinical practice.

IBEC launches a challenge at the 2nd Innovation Days

Last 9th November 75 participants from different fields participated in the 2nd edition of the Innovation Days (i-Days) organised by EIT Health. Thirty-two locations around Europe hosted the i-Days and for the second time in a row, IBEC was involved in many parts of the workshop held in Barcelona.

I-Days promote health innovation among university students through one-to-two-day programmes held at academic institutions around Europe. Students receive an introduction to practical health innovation tools and work in multidisciplinary teams to tackle real life health challenges posed by EIT Health projects, local organisations and private corporations. The event counted with inspirational speakers and coaches that introduced students to practical tools in innovation, design thinking and pitching ideas.

IBEC signs an agreement with MICIU to acquire a Mask Aligner

Thanks to the signing of the agreement between the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, the Mask Aligner equipment located in the Microfab and Microscopy Characterization Facilities will be renewed. This acquisition, scheduled for the first quarter of 2020, will be co-financed by the FEDER of the 2014-2020 multiregional operational program in Spain.

IBEC presents its capabilities in 3D bioprinting and in other industrial areas at the fourth INDUSTRY edition

During the 29th to 31st of October, IBEC participated in the fourth edition of “INDUSTRY: From Needs to Solutions”, the international meeting dedicated to 3D printing, and also the HELTHIO Days where Josep Samitier moderated the round table on 3D printing applications in healthcare.

In its fourth edition, IN(3D)USTRY becomes INDUSTRY to include more industrial sectors, the main goal is to cover the entire value chain and provide intelligent manufacturing solutions. The institute had a stand in the exhibition area, where the representatives of the IBEC Technology Transfer office welcomed the interested visitors to learn more about the 3D bioprinting capabilities of IBEC.

IBEC recieves funding for three projects thanks to la Marató 2018

Three IBEC projects have been selected to receive funding from “La Marató 2018: Against Cancer.” One of the projects is led by the researcher Pere Roca-Cusachs and the other two are co-led by the researchers Xavier Trepat and Núria Montserrat.

The awarding ceremony took place on October 30 in the Auditorium of the Academy of Medical and Health Sciences of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. In this edition, over the 188 evaluated projects, 43 have been selected by an international committee of experts in cancer based on their excellence, methodology and relevance. La Marató de TV3, together with Catalunya Ràdio, broadcasts its annual telethon to raise funds for scientific research into various diseases with a different theme each year.

Josep Samitier and Núria Montserrat at the “Engineering and Manufacture of Living Systems” workshop in China

Last 9-11th of October took place in Beijing the workshop on “Engineering and Manufacture of Living Systems”. The aim of the workshop was to bring together multi-disciplinary researchers to review the latest advances and discuss the future directions in the design and manufacture of engineered living systems, and their integration amongst the researchers gathered at this international workshop.

The major topics discussed during the workshop were: to consider issues related to translation of engineered living systems from the laboratory to the clinic and to industry, review enabling and emerging techniques for using pluripotent cells from various sources such as cell spheroids, organoids and organs-on-a-chip, discuss the ethical, societal and regulatory issues associated with the development and manufacture of engineered living systems and envision future research, development and synergies at the integration and interface of biomanufacturing and engineering living systems amongst others. The meeting was organised by Tsinghua University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Rossella Castagna, postdoctoral researcher at IBEC wins the ISOP2019 prize

Rossella Castagna a postdoctoral researcher in the Nanoprobes and Nanowitches group at IBEC was awared with the ISOP2019 prize last week 9th International Symposium on Photochromism held in Paris. This recognition comes from her contribution to the field of photochromism and for the results that were collectively obtained in their group in the field of photopharmacology.

Rossella presented the group results on photoswitchable drugs at the reference international meeting for photochromism, held every 3 years, where she was awarded with the conference prize. According to the organizing committee, such a prize rewards the most talented young researchers whose contribution is expected to notably impact the field of photochromism.

IBEC and EMBL join forces

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) aim to strengthen future collaboration between the two research institutions. With this purpose, IBEC Director’s Josep Samitier and Edith Heard, Director of EMBL, have signed a 5-year agreement at EMBL Barcelona headquarters.

This collaboration is the beginning of a working framework for activities between EMBL and IBEC which support strategic long-term scientific and general collaboration in areas of mutual interest. Some of the proposed join projects are a postdoc EMBL-IBEC program and a series of EMBL-IBEC seminars. Moreover, it is also planned to reinforce visitors’ exchange whereby scientific personnel affiliated to EMBL or IBEC will have the possibility to visit the facilities of the other institution in order to study research developments and techniques and to foster interdisciplinary collaborations.