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Molecular Bionics

About

We are chemists, physicists, mathematicians, engineers, biologists who work alongside to design bionic units that mimic specific biological functions and/or introduce operations that do not exist in Nature. We apply a constructionist approach where we mimic biological complexity in the form of design principles to produce functional units from simple building blocks and their interactions.​ We called such an approach:  Molecular Bionics.

We are engaged in several activities involving the synthesis and characterisation of novel hierarchal materials whose properties are the result of the holistic combination of its components:

Molecular Engineering

We combine synthetic and supramolecular chemistry to tune inter/intramolecular interactions and self-assembly processes to form dynamic soft materials whose molecular, supramolecular and mesoscale structures are tuned and fit for the final application (pictured right: molecular engineering of nanoscopic structures starting from molecule passing to polymers and finally to supra molecular structures).

Physical Biology

Our materials are designed to interact with living systems and thus its biological activity is studied in high detail. We have developed and established new methodologies to study living systems and how synthetic materials interact with them combining holistically physical and life sciences (Physical Biology).

Synthetic Biology

Both know-hows are applied to study biological organisation and complexity creating synthetic surrogates that act as models, as well as to engineer novel sophisticated ways to interact with living organisms.

Somanautics

In analogy to medical bionics, where engineering and physical science converge to the design of replacement and/or enhancement of malfunctioning body parts, we take inspiration from viruses, trafficking vesicles and exosomes to apply molecular engineering to create nanoscopic carriers that can navigate the human body (Somanautics) with the final aim to improve drug delivery or create new diagnostic tools.


Visit our external website to find out more.

Staff

Projects

INTERNATIONAL GRANTSFINANCERPI
CheSSTag · Chemotactic Super-Selective Targeting of Gliomas (2020-2023)European Comission / ERC-CoGG. Battaglia
NATIONAL PROJECTSFINANCERPI
BrainPePN · Nanomedicinas de precisión que penetran el cerebro (2021-2024)MICIU / Retos investigación: Proyectos I+DG. Battaglia
FUNDRAISING PROJECTSFINANCERPI
A por la COVID-19 (2021-2022)IBEC / Faster Future 2020G. Battaglia

Publications

Equipment

  • State-of-the-art facilities for cell culture including 5 class A cell cabinets: one dedicated for LPS and RNAse free cell culture and one dedicated for infected tissues
  • Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS)
  • Confocal microscope to perform live cell 4D imaging
  • Thermocycler
  • Real-time PCR
  • Automated Western Blot
  • Gel Permeation Chromatography
  • High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
  • Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography equipped with fluorescence, UV/Vis and Infrared and light scattering detectors
  • Dynamic light scattering unit
  • Nanoparticle tracking analysis
  • UV and Fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Automated liquid handling units
  • Nanoparticle production units

Collaborations

  • Xavier Salvatella
    IRB Barcelona
  • Francesca Peiro
    Physics-University of Barcelona
  • Kostas Kostarellos
    Life Science- University of Manchester/ICN2
  • Giorgio Volpe
    Chemistry-UCL
  • Simona Parrinello
    Cancer Institute -UCL
  • Finn Werner
    Structural Biology -UCL
  • Nick Lane
    Evolutionary Biology -UCL
  • Darren Hargraves
    Pediatric Neuro-Oncology -UCL
  • Timothy McHugh
    Clinical Microbiology =UCL
  • Sebastian Brander
    Neurology -UCL
  • Joan Abbott
    Physiology -King’s College London
  • Molly Stevens
    Bioengineering -Imperial College London
  • Stefano Angioletti-Uberti
    Materials Science -Imperial College London
  • Ricardo Sapienza
    Physics -Imperial College London
  • Daan Frenkel
    Chemisty-University of Cambridge
  • Charlotte Williams
    Chemistry -University of Oxford
  • Francesco Gervasio
    Pharmacology -University of Geneve/UCL, UK
  • Francesco Stellacci
    Bionegineering -EPFL Switzerland
  • Tambet Tessalu
    Cancer Biology -University of Tartu (Estonia)/ Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
  • Darrel Irvine
    Bioengineering -MIT
  • Xiaohe Tian
    Life Sciences University of Anhui
  • Yupeng Tian
    Chemistry University of Anhui
  • Lei Luo
    Pharmacy -Southwest University, China
  • Kai Luo
    HuaXi hospital Sichuan University
  • Darren Hargrave
    Great Ormond Street Hospital, UCLH London
  • Sebastian Brander
    Queen Square National Centre for Neurology, UCLH London

News

Un equipo internacional liderado por investigadores del Instituto de Bioingeniería de Cataluña (IBEC) lleva a cabo un estudio que abre la puerta a una nueva terapia capaz de eliminar de manera rápida, y eficaz, infecciones de bacterias intracelulares, las más resistentes a la maquinaria inmunológica. Esta terapia, basada en vesículas sintéticas, reduciría considerablemente la dosis y duración de los tratamientos antimicrobianos, disminuyendo así el peligro a generar resistencia a los antibióticos de patógenos como los causantes de la tuberculosis.

Bioingeniería contra las infecciones bacterianas más resistentes y mortales

Un equipo internacional liderado por investigadores del Instituto de Bioingeniería de Cataluña (IBEC) lleva a cabo un estudio que abre la puerta a una nueva terapia capaz de eliminar de manera rápida, y eficaz, infecciones de bacterias intracelulares, las más resistentes a la maquinaria inmunológica. Esta terapia, basada en vesículas sintéticas, reduciría considerablemente la dosis y duración de los tratamientos antimicrobianos, disminuyendo así el peligro a generar resistencia a los antibióticos de patógenos como los causantes de la tuberculosis.

Un equipo de científicos internacionales liderado por el Instituto de Bioingeniería de Cataluña (IBEC) ha desarrollado una terapia «más rápida, eficaz y segura» para eliminar infecciones de bacterias intracelulares causantes de enfermedades como la tuberculosis. Entre los científicos que participan en el estudio se encuentran el investigador principal Giuseppe Battaglia y el investigador Loris Rizzello del IBEC.

Una nueva terapia «más rápida y segura» contra la tuberculosis

Un equipo de científicos internacionales liderado por el Instituto de Bioingeniería de Cataluña (IBEC) ha desarrollado una terapia «más rápida, eficaz y segura» para eliminar infecciones de bacterias intracelulares causantes de enfermedades como la tuberculosis. Entre los científicos que participan en el estudio se encuentran el investigador principal Giuseppe Battaglia y el investigador Loris Rizzello del IBEC.

Investigadores del Instituto de Bioingeniería de Cataluña (IBEC) han propuesto un modelo que ofrece información importante sobre cómo las nanopartículas interactúan con células, virus, bacterias o proteínas, entre otros. El modelo tiene en cuenta los distintos factores que determinan la afinidad de las nanopartículas con células, virus, bacterias o proteínas, lo que es clave para elaborar fármacos a medida para cada paciente.

Un investigador del IBEC desarrolla un modelo para la nanomedicina de precisión

Investigadores del Instituto de Bioingeniería de Cataluña (IBEC) han propuesto un modelo que ofrece información importante sobre cómo las nanopartículas interactúan con células, virus, bacterias o proteínas, entre otros. El modelo tiene en cuenta los distintos factores que determinan la afinidad de las nanopartículas con células, virus, bacterias o proteínas, lo que es clave para elaborar fármacos a medida para cada paciente.

Jobs

Application Deadline: 17/10/2021Ref: PhD_IB The Molecular Bionics group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for PhD student to work on the development of targeted nanotherapeutics for drug delivery with a focus on infectious diseases and cancer. The project will be jointly supervised by Dr. Iris L. Batalha (La Caixa Junior Leader Fellow) and Prof. Giuseppe Battaglia. We are looking for a Chemistry/ Bioengineering/ Biotechnology graduate to work on an interdisciplinary project at the interface of chemistry and biology. The project will include the synthesis and functionalisation of polymers and assembly into nanoparticle delivery systems, protein expression and purification, generation of peptide ligands by phage display, and evaluation of targeted nanoparticles in vitro for applications in the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer.

PhD Student at the Molecular Bionics Research Group

Application Deadline: 17/10/2021Ref: PhD_IB The Molecular Bionics group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for PhD student to work on the development of targeted nanotherapeutics for drug delivery with a focus on infectious diseases and cancer. The project will be jointly supervised by Dr. Iris L. Batalha (La Caixa Junior Leader Fellow) and Prof. Giuseppe Battaglia. We are looking for a Chemistry/ Bioengineering/ Biotechnology graduate to work on an interdisciplinary project at the interface of chemistry and biology. The project will include the synthesis and functionalisation of polymers and assembly into nanoparticle delivery systems, protein expression and purification, generation of peptide ligands by phage display, and evaluation of targeted nanoparticles in vitro for applications in the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer.