Nanobioengineering
Prof. Dr.
Samitier, Josep
Group Leader
Ed. Modular | Baldiri Reixac 10-12 | 08028 | Barcelona
Email : jsamitier
ibecbarcelona.eu
Research Topics
Microfluidics and lab-on-chip devices / Biosensor functionalisation and anion impedance sensors / Electrochemical biosensors / Nanotechnology applied to the study of bio/non-bio interfaces / Study of single biomolecule interactions
The main research lines and projects carried out by the group, focused on clinical and industrial issues, are summarized below:
Schematics (A) and microscopic image (B) of a microfluidic device with 3 integrated biosensors. From Parra-Cabrera et al., 2012.
Cell Culture platform containing microenvironments based on highly tunable gradients of covalently bound proteins (fibronectin) on topographically modified poly(methyl methacrylate). (Right) High-magnification confocal image of 3T3 cells at a “high” fibronectin density region on a microstructured surface ( 100 ng cm–2). (Inset) Detail of formation of focal contacts at the cell periphery. White arrows point to the interaction of cell protrusions with the topography. From Comelles, J., et al., 2012.
- Prof. Dr. Josep Samitier | Group Leader
- Dr. Xavier Fernández-Busquets | Senior Researcher
- Dr. Antoni Homs | Senior Researcher
- Dr. Elena Martínez | Senior Researcher
- Dr. Mònica Mir Llorente | Senior Researcher
- Dr. Mateu Pla-Roca | Senior Researcher
- Dr. Anna Lagunas | Senior Postdoc
- Dr. Margarita Alvira | Postdoctoral Researcher
- Dr. Maria Bulwan | Postdoctoral Researcher
- Dr. ZiQiu Tong | Postdoctoral Researcher
- Juan Pablo Agusil | PhD Student
- Wilmer Alfonso Pardo | PhD Student
- Gizem Altay | PhD Student
- Marilia Barreiros dos Santos | PhD Student
- Luís Botaya | PhD Student
- Beatriz del Moral | PhD Student
- Teresa Galán | PhD Student
- Albert Garcia | PhD Student
- Verónica Hortigüela | PhD Student
- Joana Marques | PhD Student
- Ernest Moles | PhD Student
- Ana Mª Oliva Brañas | PhD Student
- César Parra | PhD Student
- Luís G. Rigat Brugarolas | PhD Student
- Mafalda Rodrigues | PhD Student
- Marta Sanmartí | PhD Student
- Andreu Saura | PhD Student
- José Luis Sebastián | PhD Student
- Bogachan Tahirbegi | PhD Student
- Maria Valls | PhD Student
- Rosa Letizia Zaffino | PhD Student
- Roberto Paoli | Master Student
- Érika Paola Ramos | Master Student
- Juan Manuel Álvarez | Laboratory Technician
- Miriam Funes | Laboratory Technician
- David Izquierdo | Laboratory Technician
- Dr. Reyes Malavé | Laboratory Technician
- Javier Soraluce | Laboratory Technician
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Alicia Reyes | Visiting StudentEd. Clúster | Baldiri Reixac, 10-12 | 08028 | Barcelona
Former Members
- Ricoult, S. G., Pla-Roca, M., Safavieh, R., Lopez-Ayon, G. M., Grütter, P., Kennedy, T. E. & Juncker, D. (2013). Large Dynamic Range Digital Nanodot Gradients of Biomolecules Made by Low-Cost Nanocontact Printing for Cell Haptotaxis. Small, e-print ahead of pub.
- Lagunas, A., Comelles, J., Oberhansl, S., Hortigüela, V., Martínez, E. & Samitier, J. (2013). Continuous bone morphogenetic protein-2 gradients for concentration effect studies on C2C12 osteogenic fate. Nanomedicine: NBM, in press.
- Tahirbegi, B., Mir Llorente, M. & Samitier, J. (2013). Real-time monitoring of ischemia inside stomach. Biosensors & Bioelectronics, in press, 40(1), 323–328.
Projects
- BOND: Bioelectronic Olfactory Neuron Device (2009-2013) Josep Samitier
- Industrial project with Fundación Marcelino Botín Desarrollo de Tecnologías en Bionanomedicina para diagnóstico y terapia
- Industrial project with Genòmica Desarrollo de una nueva tecnología lab-on-a-chip para la detección y cuantificación de secuencias de ADN/ARN (biomarcadores)
Collaborations
- Tallers Fiestas S.L.
- Enantia S.L.
- Biokit S.A. (Werfen group)
- Nanofabrication and nanomanipulation
Automatized microcontact printing system (custom-made)
Dip-Pen Nanolithography system (DPN)
Nanoplotter NPM
Nanotechnology Platform (PCB): equipment for hot embossing lithography, polymer processing and photolithography, chemical wet etching, e-beam evaporation - Characterization
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)
Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)
Optical Waveguide Lightmode Spectroscope (OWLS)
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
Optical Microscopes (white light/epifluorescence)
Impedance spectroscopes
Precision Impedance Analyzer
Sub-femtoamp Remote SourceMeter Instrument - Molecular/cell biology
Biological safety cabinet (class II)
Microwell plate readers
Protein and DNA electrophoresis systems
Nanodrop spectrophotometer
06/12/2012
A promising strategy to target malaria
A paper by the Nanobioengineering group reveals a new strategy for targeted malaria treatment that doesn’t rely on the use of expensive antibodies.
12/06/2012
New generation robots – inspired by plants
Last week saw the start of the three-year European project PLANTOID, of which IBEC’s Nanobioengineering group is a partner, which aims to design and develop robots inspired by plants.
27/04/2012
A journey through the technological revolution
IBEC associate director Josep Samitier officially opened the Tecnorrevolución exhibition at Barcelona's CosmoCaixa museum last night.
11/04/2011
"Sin un andamio de apoyo"
IBEC associate director Josep Samitier is an expert opinion quoted in El Periodico last week regarding a story about a Japanese study that succeeded in growing an embryonic eye from the stem cells of mice. He describes this first successful attempt to obtain a complex three-dimensional structure spontaneously as an important breakthrough, as it opens new avenues into coaxing the growth of cells using a method that the researchers describe as an 'inside job' rather than using a support structure as is usually the case.
14/03/2011
3rd BOND Consortium Meeting at IBEC
The members of the BOND consortium met at IBEC at the beginning of last week for the 3rd technical meeting of the EU-funded international project.
09/02/2011
Better tools for food safety
On 2 February the kick-off meeting of a transnational project coordinated by postdoc Beatriz Prieto of the Nanobioengineering group took place at IBEC. The project, ‘Development of innovative tools for Ochratoxin A’, will evaluate and tackle the threat to humans and animals of exposure to mycotoxins (fungal metabolites) in food.
09/02/2011
Spanish Minister for Education visits Nanobioengineering group
On a tour of the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB) earlier this week, the Minister for Education, Ángel Gabilondo, paid a visit to IBEC’s Nanobioengineering lab and spoke at length to Associate Director Josep Samitier about his group’s research.
20/01/2011
E-News Biocat: "Nanomedicine: Where Nanotechnology, biotechnology and the health sciences come together"
IBEC associate director Josep Samitier is a contributor to the January edition of Biocat's e-newsletter.
05/10/2010
El Pais: "Cuestión de límites"
"A Question of Limits" - an article written by associate director Josep Samitier to accompany a feature by El Pais journalist Mónica López Ferrado, "Los 'nanoriesgos' no son tan diminutos" ("'Nanorisks' are not so small').
01/10/2010
IBEC lends nanotech expertise to national exhibition
If you’ve ever wanted to move an object using the power of your mind, predict the spread of a virus and the development of a pandemic, or watch a mini robot travel through the body to deliver a drug, you need look no further than the new Tecnorevolució exhibition, which has been created with IBEC’s associate director Josep Samitier as scientific adviser.
23/09/2010
Famous for five minutes: TV3
IBEC Project manager Juan Fran Sangüesa made the news on 22 September when he was interviewed for the midday bulletin on TV3, the Catalan television channel.
15/03/2010
El Periódico de Catalunya: “Estamos desarrollando una nariz bioelectrónica que será capaz de diagnosticar enfermedades”
In an interview, Josep Samitier, IBEC’s associated director and group leader of Nanobioengineering research group, explains the scientific basis and the development of a bioelectronic device to detect diseases.
14/03/2010
La Vanguardia Sunday debate section: "El reto de la nanotecnología – Aportación minúscula, mejora grande"
Josep Samitier, IBEC’s associated director and group leader of Nanobioengineering research group, analyzes the challenges and contributions of nanotechnology.
15/10/2009
Novel Evolutionary Theory for the Explosion of Life
The Cambrian Explosion is widely regarded as one of the most relevant episodes in the history of life on Earth, when the vast majority of animal phyla first appear in the fossil record. However, the causes of its origin have been object of debate for decades and the question of what was the trigger for the single cell microorganisms Precambrian Age (500 Mio. Years ago) to assemble and organize into multicellular organisms (Metazoans) has remained unanswered until now.
07/10/2009
Project Kick-off for a New Bioelectronic Nose
Advances in odour sensing technologies and artificial intelligence have given impetus to the use of smell in various fields, such as food safety, disease diagnosis, security, and the environment. Current electronic noses, based on electronic sensors, have considerable limitations in terms of sensitivity, reliability, and selectivity.
27/08/2009
The Guardian Supplement: Nanotechnology 2009 – Part 2
"Ask the Experts": In an interview, Josep Samitier, Associate Director of IBEC, talks about the potential, the impact and the contributions of nanobiotechnology.
21/04/2008
Josep Samitier appointed Rector of the University of Barcelona
Josep Samitier, head of the IBEC nanobioengineering group, was appointed Acting Rector of the University of Barcelona (UB) on 21 April.
15/01/2008
La recerca al Laboratori de Nanobioenginyeria de l'IBEC a El Periódico
La recerca al Laboratori de Nanobioenginyeria de l'IBEC a El Periódico El passat dilluns 14 de gener, el diari El Periódico de Catalunya, dins la secció de Societat i Ciència, destacava la actualitat i la rellevància de la recerca en cèl·lules mare per a aplicacions terapèutiques, i concretament la recerca que es porta a terme a l’IBEC, dins el grup de recerca de Micro/nanosistemes per aplicacions biomèdiques dirigit pel Prof. Josep Samitier.
12/07/2007
The textbook Molecular Cell Biology selects a figure from a nanobioengineering researcher at IBEC
The prestigious reference textbook Molecular Cell Biology (Lodish et al.) has selected for its 6th edition (2008) a figure from the researcher at the nanobioengineering laboratory at the IBEC, Dr. Xavier Fernández-Busquets. Thanks to this important recognition of scientific excellence, the IBEC is the only Spanish institution appearing in the acknowledgements of the textbook, out of a total of 150 universitites and research centres.