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From left to right, Irene Marco-Rius, Nicolò Accanto i Benedetta Bolognesi. Image / IBEC
 27.01.2026

IBEC obtains three ERC Proof of Concept grants to drive innovations in health, neuroscience and biomedical technology

Three projects from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), based at the Barcelona Science Park, have been awarded a prestigious ERC Proof of Concept grant. The three awarded projects range from new platforms for discovering anti-amyloid drugs to advanced metabolic analysis technologies and optical tools for studying the brain in naturally moving animals. This is prestigious funding awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) to explore the commercial and social potential of research projects carried out in European institutions.

Doctors Benedetta Bolognesi, Irene Marco-Rius and Nicolò Accanto have been selected in the latest call for this prestigious grant awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) and whose aim is to explore the commercial and social potential of research projects that are or have been previously funded by this organization.

AMALIA: A scalable platform to accelerate the discovery of small anti-amyloid molecules

The AMALIA project, led by Dr Benedetta Bolognesi, leader of the Protein Phase Transitions in Health and Disease group, addresses one of the greatest biomedical challenges of our time: the development of effective treatments against diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, driven by the formation of protein aggregates known as amyloids. Despite decades of research, the first events that trigger this aggregation process remain extremely difficult to study, and currently there are no scalable assays capable of systematically assessing amyloid nucleation.

It is a dual, massively scalable screening platform combining two complementary assays. The first is aimed at identifying molecules that can stabilise the native structure of globular proteins, thereby preventing their aggregation. The second is designed to detect inhibitors of amyloid nucleation in both folded and intrinsically disordered proteins. “I’m thrilled that with AMALIA we are bringing the speed and scalability of platform technologies to amyloid drug discovery – building a pipeline designed not to deliver just one drug, but to enable multiple therapeutic programs in parallel.”, says Dr Bolognesi.

CAMP: a magnetic resonance platform for high-sensitivity metabolic analysis in rare diseases

The CAMP project, led by Dr Irene Marco-Rius, leader of the Molecular Imaging for Precision Medicine group, seeks to bring to market a technology that combines microfluidics and hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging. This development is based on the technology generated in the LIFETIME project, focused on pediatric liver cancer models. The project will allow the simultaneous analysis of up to 30 samples by integrating microfluidic chips with magnetic resonance technology, which significantly increases sensitivity.

This combination reduces the number of cells required per sample by over 50%, which is highly relevant for rare diseases such as hepatoblastoma, where available material is limited. The team will validate the system in preclinical and clinical settings, and define a robust intellectual property and commercialisation strategy. “Boosting throughput is key to taking hyperpolarised magnetic resonance beyond specialised labs; CAMP will make it possible,” explains Marco-Rius.

NeuroBRIDGE: technology for studying the brain during natural behaviours

This project, led by Dr Nicolò Accanto, leader of the Nonlinear Photonics for Neuroscience group, aims to transform two-photon microscopy, an essential technique in neuroscience to visualize and manipulate neuronal activity in vivo with cellular resolution. Currently, most two-photon microscopes do not allow the study of neuronal circuits in natural behavioural tasks. To overcome this barrier, Accanto and his collaborators have developed a miniaturized microscope based on optical fibres that allows high-resolution studies to be performed under free-motion conditions. With NeuroBRIDGE, the team seeks to turn this innovation into an accessible product that is widely compatible with multiple platforms.

“Advancing our understanding of the brain is not just about creating powerful technologies; it’s about making them accessible. NeuroBRIDGE seeks to remove barriers and unlock new possibilities for neuroscience laboratories worldwide,” states Dr Accanto.

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