Protein NBS1 is crucial for macrophage functional activity Blog Post

Protein NBS1, which plays a key role in DNA damage repair, is required for macrophage functional activity. This is one of the conclusions of a scientific paper published in the journal Blood—considered one of the best scientific publications in the field of haematology— and signed by a team of experts from the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona (UB), Consolidated Research Group Macrophage Biology –located at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– and the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona). The protein also has implications for understanding the immune defects observed in patients with Nijmegen breakage syndrome and other related disorders.

 

PCB will host the workshop ‘Financing of KETs in health’ Blog Post

On Tuesday 26 May, the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) -based at the al Parc Científic de Barcelona, will host the workshop KETs funding in healthcare, organized by the Spanish Nanomedicine Platform (NanoMed) and the Spanish Federation of Healthcare Technology Companies (Fenin), in collaboration with ACC1O, the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) and the Spanish Platform for Photonics (Fotónica21).

UB Business Forum of the faculties Physics and the Faculty of Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics and Biology Blog Post

The Business Forum, organized by the Faculty of Physics and the Faculty of Chemistry on on May, with the participation of three more faculties, Geology, Mathematics and Biology, is a very good opportunity for students to get in contact with companies whose activity is related to their studies. As part of the Bussiness Fair there is a sector aimed for spin- offs created in the UB faculties, with the intention of introducing initiatives to convert research results into business and reinvest the research into productive sector, also aims to promote entrepreneurship in the students. The event will take place on  6th of May 2015, from 10:00h to 16:00, at UB Faculty of Physics and the Faculty of Chemistry. 

European project to develop an innovative therapeutic strategy against epilepsy Blog Post

The European project ECMED (acronym of Extracellular Matrix in Epileptogenesis) has been launched recently. It is aimed to design, validate and bring into practice new innovative therapeutic strategies to further the development of a treatment and a diagnostic approach for the management of epilepsy. The project, which has a duration of three years and a budget of € 3.5 million, is co-funded by the European Union within the Horizon 2020 research and innovation framework program through a Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant. Biotech Iproteos –an spin-off the IRB Barcelona and the University of Barcelona, based at Parc Científic de Barcelona– is the only Spanish partner of the consortium.

 

With a budget of 2.1 billion euros, the largest European initiative for health innovation is set up Blog Post

Last December, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) constituted the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) in health, EIT Health. It is the most important European initiative to promote entrepreneurship and develop innovations in healthy living and active ageing. The co-location centre in Spain, EIT Health Spain, headquartered at the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB) and led by the University of Barcelona (UB), is composed by 25 leading organizations —universities, companies, research centres, hospitals and technological centres— committed to health innovation and its impact on the improvement of citizens’ quality of life. Today, the EIT Spain is presented at the PCB.

 

The Barcelona City Council awards Ernest Giralt with the “Ciutat de Barcelona” award Blog Post

Ernest Giralt, group leader of the Design, synthesis and structure of peptides and proteins Laboratory at IRB Barcelona –located at the PCB– and  professor in the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Barcelona has received  the ‘Ciutat de Barcelona’ Award in the category of Experimental Sciences and Technology. The awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, February 10 in the City Council, and will be chaired by Mayor Xavier Trias.

usMIMA, Subtilis Biomaterials and Tractivus awarded as best biotechs of the year Blog Post

The BioEmprenedorXXI award, which recognizes business projects in the field of life sciences with greater growth potential, was granted this afternoon –as part of the regional closing seminar of the ETTBio project. The start-up usMIMA – that originated from d·HEALTH Barcelona, Biocat´s post-graduate program to accelerate innovation in healthcare medical technologies – has won the current edition of the awards, and companies Subtilis and Tractivus  have been awarded as first and second finalist, respectively. The awards –promoted by Biocat, the Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa, and “la Caixa” – consist, as a whole, of a cash endowment of 21,000 euros and a package of incubation, acceleration and internationalization actions for the project. Furthermore, the three selected companies will enjoy the status of associated company at the Parc Cientific de Barcelona  (PCB) for one full year.

 

 

Iproteos, the first biotech to launch an equity crowdfunding campaign in Spain Blog Post

The Catalan biotech Iproteos –based in the Parc Cientific de Barcelona (PCB)– has launched an innovative funding campaign based on equity crowdfunding- through the Creoentuproyecto.com platform– which aims to raise 100,000 € to complete the non-regulatory preclinical stage of its compound IPR019. This compound is one of the 20 drugs in the world that are being developed to slow-down the progression of schizophrenia and revert the cognitive deficits of this condition. Iproteos is a spin-off created in 2011 by two Catalan leading scientists in the field of therapeutic peptides, Teresa Tarragó and Ernest Giralt, based on the transfer of a technology generated at Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the University of Barcelona (UB). In addition, the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG) has given advice on the definition of the business plan and negotiated the technology.

UTOX receives the Certificate of Good Laboratory Practices which covers any kind of toxicological trial Blog Post

The at the Parc Cientific de Barcelona received the , which covers the conduct of in vitro and in vivo studies on severe and chronic toxicity, mutagenicity tests, and ecotoxicological studies on human and veterinary drugs, health and cosmetic devices. The certificate was conferred by the Directorate General for Health Planning and Regulation of the Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia, in compliance with . UTOX has been supported by the of the University of Barcelona.

IBUB Symposium from whole body metabolism to cell dysfunction in diabetes Blog Post

On 29 November morning, in the Faculty of Biology takes place International Symposium ‘From whole body metabolism to cell dysfunction in diabetes’ –in collaboration with the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), located at the Barcelona Science Park–, on the occasion of the international conference of the European consortium BetaBat in Barcelona, and will feature presentations by scientific researchers in top international field research in diabetes.