Category: Research news

Researchers identify a mechanism that explains the recurrence of many lung infections

A team of researchers from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has discovered that strains of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from patients are more persistent than laboratory strains and propose a molecular mechanism to explain intracellular survival.

The study, published in the journal Virulence, finds that the class II ribonucleotide reductase enzyme (RNR) plays a key role in frequent lung infections, for example, those that occur in patients with cystic fibrosis.

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New avenues for identifying and evaluating treatments for CDKL5 deficiency disorder

Researchers from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) have participated in a study led by Imperial College London in which the role of cyclin-dependent protein kinase 5 (CDKL5) in pain perception has been uncovered.

The defective version of the gene that produces this protein is behind CDKL5 deficiency disorder, a rare disease with no cure for which effective treatments will now be testable in mouse model, thanks to the results of this work.

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New biodegradable nanomotors for biomedical applications

A paper published in Nano Letters describes the engineering and functionality of a biocompatible and biodegradable nanomotor. This hybrid structure, which is composed of an organic exterior, propels itself using inorganic nanoparticles acting as an engine that the researchers have synthesized inside the nanomotor.

The research was led by Jan van Hest and Laoi Abdelmohsen from the Institute of Complex Molecular Systems at TU/e in collaboration with Samuel Sánchez from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Barcelona, as well as researchers based in China and the UK.

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Artificial Intelligence tools to advance in the research and development of biomaterials

Experts in bioengineering and informatics, including IBEC´s Associated Researcher Maria-Pau Ginebra, have published a paper where the researchers propose the creation of tools based on Artificial Intelligence for the development of biomaterials in Nature Reviews Materials.

Nature Reviews Materials journal has published an article signed by scientists from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) outlining the great possibilities that artificial intelligence offers towards the progress in the design and development of biomaterials.

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Bioengineering against the most resistant and deadly bacterial infections

An international team, led by Profs Giuseppe Battaglia and Loris Rizzello from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), carried out out a study that opens the door to a new therapy capable of quickly and effectively eliminating infections caused by intracellular bacteria, the most resistant to immune defenses.

This therapy, based on synthetic vesicles, could considerably reduce the dose and duration of antimicrobial treatments, thus reducing the danger of generating resistance to antibiotics of pathogens such as those leading to tuberculosis.

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Artificial systems imitate how cells move and communicate

A review published in the scientific journal Small elegantly summarises the most important cellular biomimicry research of the past few years on synthetic soft-architectures, with a view to inspiring future developments in the field.

Samuel Sánchez, Group Leader at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) co-authored this piece, alongside world-renowned experts in bioengineering and cell synthesis.

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How can we measure mechanical stress in living tissues?

A team of experts from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has published a review in the journal Nature Reviews Physics detailing the different techniques used to calculate mechanical stress in tissues, both in cell cultures and in vivo. Determining these mechanisms of mechanical stress is crucial to study processes linked to morphogenesis, homeostasis, and diseases such as cancer.

In order to work properly, living tissues need to continuously move, divide, reshape and perceive their microenvironment. In other words, they need to withstand certain mechanical stress derived from contact.

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New chemical lego blocks for health solutions

IBEC researchers develop new multi-responsive molecules able to self-assemble in water forming fiber-like structures. The so-called discotic molecules show responsiveness to temperature, light, pH, and ionic strength and they might show great potential for medical applications such as drug delivery systems, diagnosis or tissue engineering.

Edgar Fuentes is a PhD student in the Nanoscopy for Nanomedicine Group led by Lorenzo Albertazzi at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC). Within this group, Edgar and his colleagues focus on the synthesis of novel smart supramolecular materials for drug delivery.

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