Secretary of State visits IBEC at the Barcelona Science Park Blog Post

This morning, Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, Carmen Vela, visited the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) at PCB, after taking part in the opening ceremony of the conference ‘Future Tools for Biomedical Research. In Vitro, in Silico and in Vivo Disease Modeling‘, organized by B·Debate, International Center for Scientific Debate – an initiative of Biocat and “la Caixa” – jointly with IBEC. 

 

Sylvie Bove, new CEO of EIT Health Blog Post

Sylvie Bove has been appointed as new CEO of the EIT Health, the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) for healthy living and active aging, promoted by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The Spanish node, EIT Health Spain, headed by the University of Barcelona (UB) with the support from Biocat, has its headquarters at Barcelona Science Park (PCB) and is composed of 50 core partners and 90 associate partners from the public and private sectors, leaders in their fields and committed to innovation in health. Bove took on the position on September 1

 

Montserrat Vendrell leaves PCB to join the new Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology as General Director Blog Post

Montserrat Vendrell leaves the direction of the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) to head the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), a new scientific institution result of the confluence of six Catalan research centres. The Chairman of the BIST is Dr. Rolf Tarrach, former dean of Physics and vice rector of the University of Barcelona (UB), and currently President of the European University Association (EUA). Dr. Vendrell will take up her new post mid-September. 

 

Anna Taratiel explores the relationship between art and science through her art work at the Barcelona Science Park Blog Post

Anna Taratiel, one of the leading representatives of the global movement of the street art, has finished the work at the  Barcelona Science Park (PCB) that was started last October. It is a large dimensions mural covering the walls of the central aisle –measuring over 80 meters in length and that connects the Cluster I and Cluster II PCB buildings, where many laboratories of the different centers, companies and research institutes installed in the park converge.

 

 

Genetic “editing” a new tool to fight inherited disease Blog Post

Researchers at the Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, the Hospital Sant Joan de Deu and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) have participated in a study, led by Dr. Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte of the Gene Expression Laboratory at California’s Salk Institute, that uses molecular scissors to remove mitochondrial mutations in mouse eggs. In the study, published today in the journal Cell (doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.03.051), researchers developed a simple technique to eliminate mitochondrial mutations in eggs or embryos at an early stage of development.

Avizorex Pharma announces Grant of U.S. Patent for its treatment of dry eye syndrome Blog Post

Avizorex Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for Dry Eye Disease, has announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for compositions and methods of treatment covering AVX-012, a topical treatment for Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) with a new mechanism of action currently undergoing late-stage preclinical studies. Avizorex Pharma is an ophthalmology biotech backed by Inveready Venture Capital with headquarters in Elche (Alicante, Spain) and offices at Barcelona Science Park (PCB).

 

El PCB hosts the presentation of EIT Health Spain, the Spanish node of the most important European initiative in health innovation Blog Post

Parc Científic de Barcelona hosted yesterday the public presentation of the Spanish node of the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) in Health or EIT-Health. Constituted by the European Institute of Technology (EIT), it is the most ambitious project ever carried out with public funds in Europe in the field of health innovation to foster healthy lifestyles and active ageing. With headquarters at PCB, EIT Health Spain –led by the University of Barcelona (UB) with the support of Biocat– is made up of 25 leading public and private organizations in their respective sectors and is committed to health innovation. 

 

 

SOM Biotech develops a drug for Amyloidosis in collaboration with the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute Blog Post

The and the biopharmaceutical , based at the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB), have signed an agreement to jointly develop the clinical phase of a drug for transthyretin Amyloidosis (ATTR). The collaboration starts with the execution of a proof of concept in 20 healthy voluntiers and patients affected by the polineuropatic form of the disease – which will confirm the efficacy and safety of compound SOM0226. The product, a repositioned drug developed by SOM Biotech, may be effective for all variants of the ATTR and has been designated recently orphan drug by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of United States.

 

One hundred twenty-five secondary teachers from across Europe participate in the 2nd course Xplore Health Blog Post

The 2nd course of Xplore Health entitled “Bringing biotechnology revolution into the classroom’, was held at the Open Lab at the Barcelona Science Park on 7, 14 and 21 November. The course was aimed secondary school teachers in Catalonia and was organized by the Public Engagement Unit of the PCB with the support of the and the collaboration of the , the of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the European School Net (EUN). On this occasion, the program was offered in parallel at the Museum of La Coruña, and through the virtual community –coordinated by the EUN– which brings together 175,000 teachers and 95,000 European schools.

Identifiquen nous gens relacionats amb el risc de fractures i d’osteoporosiTO TRANSLATE >>> Blog Post

Els professors Daniel Grinberg, Susana Balcells i Roser Urreizti, del Departament de Genètica i de l’Institut de Biomedicina de la UB (IBUB) –present al Parc Científic de Barcelona– en col·laboració amb l’Institut de Recerca de l’Hospital del Mar (IMIM), han participat en un estudi internacional per identificar nous gens que influeixen en el risc de desenvolupar osteoporosi i fractures òssies. En la recerca, que han liderat Fernando Rivadeneira i Karol Estrada, del Centre Mèdic Erasme, a Rotterdam (Països Baixos), hi han col·laborat equips científics de 50 centres d’Europa, Amèrica del Nord, Àsia i Austràlia.