The PCB Toxicology Platform has participated in a study that describes a new antibacterial mechanism Blog Post

An international team led by the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona has identified a new antibacterial mechanism that protects macrophages – defense cells in the immune system- from the infection of the bacteria Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, a pathogen associated with several gastrointestinal diseases. This discovery –published in the journal Cell Reports– could open new exploration channels for pharmacological treatments of some bacterial infections. Joan Serret, researcher at the Experimental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology Technology Platform of the Barcelona Science Park (UTOX-PCB) is one of the co-authors of the study.

 

Omega-3 fatty acids stimulate brown adipose tissue metabolism Blog Post

Omega-3 fatty acids are able to stimulate the activation of brown and beige adipose tissues, a discovery that would promote the development of new therapies for obesity and other metabolism diseases, according to a research study published in the journal Nature Communications under the supervision of Professor Francesc Villarroya, from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine and member of the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB) –located at PCB– and the Biomedical Research Center Red-Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) of the Institute of Health Carlos III.

 

Avizorex Pharma submits Clinical Trial Application for its lead compound AVX-012 for Dry Eye Syndrome Blog Post

Avizorex Pharma –an ophthalmology biotech company with offices at Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– announces the submission of a Clinical Trial Application (CTA) to the Spanish Competent Authority, requesting clearance to initiate a Phase I/II clinical trial investigating the use of AVX-012 Ophthalmic Solution, a small molecule with a novel mechanism of action to treat patients suffering from mild to moderate Dry Eye Syndrome (DES). 

 

EIT Health launches two funding calls for innovative health projects Blog Post

EIT Health has lunched two funding initiatives: the grants Headstart and Proof of Concept and the Business Plan Aggregator program. As part of the EIT Health accelerator, both ideas are geared to innovative business ideas, SMEs, spin-offs and start-up committed to the social challenges defined by EIT´s principles: promoting a healthy lifestyle, supporting active ageing and improving quality of life through better healthcare. EIT Health Spain is based at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) and at presently brings together 18 leading public and private organizations in the three areas of the innovation triangle: research, education and business creation.

 

The fair “Live Research” takes off at CosmoCaixa Blog Post

Bringing science to society, fostering communication between the public and researchers and promote scientific vocation among the young are the aims of the Live Research fair, that started yesterday at CosmoCaixa Barcelona until Saturday 9th April. The exhibit has been organized by the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) and Obra Social ”la Caixa” with the support of the Barcelona City Council and the collaboration of the University of Barcelona (UB).

 

Mind the byte concludes the biggest round of biotech crowdequity in Spain Blog Post

In just 43 days, bioinformatics company Mind the Byte, which specializes in products and services for computational drug design and is located in the Barcelona Scientific Park (PCB), has concluded an investment round totalling €234,310 through the crowdequity platform (for investment crowdfunding) Crowdcube. This figure represents not only more than double the funding target set by the company (234%), but it is also the largest round of crowdequity achieved in the biotech industry in Spain, with 115 private investors. The average investment amount was €2,037, with a maximum investment of €80,000.

 

Spain and France join the European Consortium Elixir for managing and analysing biological data Blog Post

At their meeting today in Hinxton (UK), the Board unanimously accepted Spain and France as full members of Elixir, the largest infrastructure of life science data in Europe. The National Bioinformatics Institute (INB), which acts as the Spanish scientific node, will coordinate the Spanish scientific partner institutions. These comprise top-level institutions such as CNAG-CRG and IRB Barcelona, located at PCB. The National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCII) will coordinate the Spanish scientific partner institutions.

 

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

 

Iproteos closes the first ‘crowdfunding’ campaign of the Spanish biotech sector Blog Post

The biotech Iproteos -located at the Parc Cientific de Barcelona- has managed to successfully close an innovative funding campaign based on equity crowdfunding with the aim of raising € 100,000 for the development of a new drug to stop progression and reverse the cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia: IPR019. The funds raised will allow the biotech -a spin-off from the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) – complete the preclinical non-regulatory stage of the compound to begin clinical trials in 2016.