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The IBEC and West China Hospital hold their third joint conference on precision medicine in Barcelona

Barcelona hosted the third IBEC-WCH Precision Medicine Conference this week, an event that further strengthened the strategic alliance between the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the West China Hospital of Sichuan University (WCHSU). The Chinese delegation visited Spain from 26 to 29 November, taking part in a busy schedule of scientific and institutional activities and exchanges between the two centres.

IBEC research takes third place in the 2025 Vanguardia de la Ciencia Awards

A study led by IBEC has won the 3rd Vanguardia de la Ciencia 2025 Prize. The research, led by Samuel Sánchez Ordoñez and with Meritxell Serra-Casablanca as lead author, proposes an innovative bladder cancer therapy based on nanorobots loaded with radiopharmaceuticals. These nanorobots are capable of moving around the bladder using urine as a source of energy.

Bioengineering for precision medicine at the 18th IBEC Symposium

The 18th annual IBEC Symposium focused on ‘Bioengineering for Precision Medicine’, which is one of IBEC’s key areas of application. The event was attended by nearly 300 people, including local and international researchers. The multidisciplinary environment provided experts from other centres and the IBEC community with the opportunity to present their projects and exchange knowledge.

Scientists discover a key role of protons and superoxide ions in the respiratory chain

A study led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has revealed that protons and reactive oxygen species mediate long-distance charge transport in the mitochondrial respiratory chain — a fundamental process in cellular respiration in organisms. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial, given that mitochondria are the powerhouses of all cells and alterations to them are associated with numerous diseases.

IBEC to co-lead two projects awarded Solidarity Nougat Grants by RAC1 and Torrons Vicens

The presentation ceremony for the Solidarity Nougat Grants by RAC1 and Torrons Vicens took place yesterday. In this second edition, the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has been selected to co-lead two of the four winning projects. The 2025 call aims to stimulate research and innovation in rare paediatric diseases at the SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital, as part of the ‘ÚNICAS’ project.

IBEC to lead two biomedical projects under the CaixaImpulse programme

Anna Lagunas and Daniel González-Carter, who are both senior researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), will be leading these projects as part of the 2025 edition of the programme. This initiative by the “la Caixa” Foundation aims to accelerate the commercialisation of biomedical innovations to make them available to patients who need them more quickly. The two IBEC projects focus on treating diseases that affect the brain.

New advances in the fight against the most common form of lung cancer

From left to right, Fernando Martín and Joan Montero at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. / Credit: University of Barcelona

A study led by the University of Barcelona in collaboraiton with the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia reveals that the functional assay dynamic BH3 profiling (DBP) can predict whether specific treatments will be effective in non-small cell lung cancer patients. The technique helps determine which therapy will be most effective by testing it directly on living cells, improving personalised therapies.