Samuel Sanchez

Samuel Sanchez has broken his own Guinness World Record for the smallest jet engine.

The ultimate authority in record-breaking achievements has recognized his and Xing Ma’s nanotube, 220nm or 0.00022 millimeters in size, as the world’s tiniest jet engine. Previously, Samuel and his collaborators from IFW Dresden held the record until this year, with a 600nm tube.

The tubular ‘engine’ is powered by an enzyme-triggered biocatalytic reaction using urea as fuel. The reaction creates an internal flow that extends out into the surrounding fluid through one of the cavities, causing a flux of fluid that results in thrust, propelling the nanotube along.

Yesterday IBEC group leader and ICREA research professor Samuel Sánchez was one of the five honorees at the ceremony of the Premis Nacionals de Recerca 2016 of the Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació (FCRI).

Samuel received his Young Talent award from president of the Generalitat Carles Puigdemont, Minister for Business and Enterprise Jordi Baiget, actress Silvia Bel, and FCRI president Antoni Esteve at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya.

IBEC group leader and ICREA researcher Samuel Sánchez has been announced as the winner of this year’s Premi Nacional de Recerca al Talent Jove (National Research Award for Young Talent) from the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI).

The prestigious honour and cash prize of €10,000 is awarded annually to the most accomplished young researcher in Catalonia.

Yesterday evening, an audience of nearly a hundred enjoyed a special public seminar by IBEC group leader and ICREA research professor Samuel Sánchez.

The Smart nano-bio-devices group leader’s talk, Nanorobots de la ciència-ficció a la realitat, which took place in the PCB’s Sala Dolors Aleu, was one of this year’s Setmana de la Ciència events.

Young and old alike enjoyed Samuel’s evolution of the nanorobots he has been working on for the past few years – their shape, speed and controllability improving all the time, as well as finding new and better methods of propulsion – and he began by dispelling some science fiction myths about what sort of things such nanomachines might expect to encounter on their journeys through the human body.

IBEC group leader Samuel Sánchez is this year’s winner of the Premio Fundación Princesa de Girona Investigación Científica for his advances in in the field of nanotechnology.

Samuel’s work was recognised in particular for his pioneering design of self-propelled nanorobots that could improve the accuracy of drug delivery, as well as having potential environmental applications.

This year is the sixth edition of the national FPdGi Awards, which are given by the Fundación Princesa de Girona and which recognise the innovative and exemplary careers of young people between the ages of 16 and 35.