DONATE

Postdoctoral Position in Biomimetic Systems for cell engineering (Ref. BS-EM)


Application Deadline: 22/06/2016
Ref: BS-SM

The Biomimetic systems for cell engineering group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to participate in the development of the project “Engineering Complex Intestinal Epithelial Tissue Models” (ERC-Consolidator Grant). The goal of this project is to engineer intestinal epithelial tissue models that mimic physiological characteristics found in in vivo human intestinal tissue, to open up new areas of research on human intestinal diseases. To do this, we propose to develop an experimental setup that combines microfabrication techniques, tissue engineering components and recent advances in intestinal stem cell research, exploiting stem cell self-organizing characteristics. We anticipate this setup to recapitulate the 3D morphology, the spatio-chemical gradients and the dynamic microenvironment of the living tissue. We expect the new device to prove useful in understanding cell physiology, adult stem cell behavior, and organ development as well as in modelling human intestinal diseases.

Another big step towards understanding the electric properties of the cell

Having measured the electric polarizability of DNA – a fundamental property that directly influences its biological functions – for the first time ever last year, IBEC´s Nanoscale Bioelectrical Characterization group has made a further breakthrough in the understanding of the dielectric properties of cell constituents by measuring the electric polarizability of the main components of the cell membrane – namely lipids, sterols and proteins – with a spatial resolution down to 50nm.

The cell membrane plays an essential role in fundamental bioelectric phenomena. Found in places such as neurons or cardiac cells, it regulates the exchange of ions between the cell and the environment, as well as enabling the formation of electric potentials that can propagate over long distances.

PhD Thesis Defense: Rosa Letizia Zaffino

“Development of a nano-sensor for the direct electrical free-label detection of DNA’s hybridisation and single nucleotide polymorphism”

PhD Thesis Defense: Rosa Letizia Zaffino

“Development of a nano-sensor for the direct electrical free-label detection of DNA’s hybridisation and single nucleotide polymorphism”

IBEC success in Human Brain Project funding call

infnwavescalesA research project involving IBEC group leader and ICREA research professor Pau Gorostiza has been chosen for funding under a Call for Expressions of Interest (CEol) on Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience by the Human Brain Project (HBP) FET Flagship.

The four selected projects from the total of 57 proposals submitted address ambitious cognitive and systems neuroscience questions and rely on the collaboration of researchers from different European countries. The project involving Pau, Wave Scaling Experiments and Simulations (WaveScalES), is coordinated by Pier Stanislao Paolucci at the Instituto Nazionale di Fisica in Rome and will study the neuronal networks underling sleep and wakefulness under normal conditions and in disease.

Learning from the experts

cedeIBEC group leader Samuel Sanchez was one of the experts and professionals invited to take part in CEDE’s “Talento en Crecimiento” event at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos in A Coruña at the beginning of the month.

He took to the stage with some of the most influential business leaders, entrepreneurs and experts in the country, including Francisco Reynes, CEO of Abertis, Juan Urdiales, co-founder of Jobandtalent, and Maria Salamero, Director of Innovation and Knowledge at Agbar, all of which were there to give the 500 young attendees advice on career advancement, personal branding, mobility and employability.

PhD Thesis Defense: Ana Guaman

“Multivariate Signal Processing for Quantitative and Qualitative analysis of Ion Mobility Spectrometry applied to Biomedical and Food Applications”

PhD Thesis Defense: Ana Guaman

“Multivariate Signal Processing for Quantitative and Qualitative analysis of Ion Mobility Spectrometry applied to Biomedical and Food Applications”