Biolatam, a benchmark meeting in the series of biotechnology summits worldwide Blog Post

On 16 and 17 November Santiago de Xile hosted the last edition of the largest biotechnology partnering conference in Latin-America, Biolatam 2015.The event, produced by EBD Group and ASEBIO in collaboration with ProChile and Chile Biotech, was attended by over 340 life science dealmakers from pharma, biotech and service companies representing US, Latin American and European entities.organized by the Spanish Association of Biocompanies  (Asebio), EBD Group and Chilean biotechnology companies (Asembio), with the support of ProChile and the Chilebiotech cluster. Leitat, its Biomed Division – which has located its Biomedical Division at PCB– is one of the 30 companies from the Spanish state that took part in this global partnering forum which ranks high in a relevant place in biotechnology summits worlwide.

 

IRB Barcelona develops an advanced method and the first platform of DNA simulations Blog Post

The Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics Laboratory at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), headed by Modesto Orozco, has published today in Nature Methods a new model which allows atomic-level simulations of DNA dynamics, with unprecedented accuracy. All the simulations and posterior analyses are kept in the first online tool developed to date dedicated to atomic level simulations of nucleic acids. The platform is free of charge and available to the entire scientific community through the Spanish Institute of Bioinformatics and the European network ELIXIR-Excellerate.

 

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.

 

Projects submitted by IBEC and FBG have been selected in the first call of CaixaImpulse Blog Post

A smart dressing for wound care and a library of compounds to fight multi-resistant bacterial infection, developed by the Institute of Bioengineering Institute of Catalonia (IBEC), and two UB projects submitted by means of the Boch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG) –one about developing compounds for inflammatory and cardiovascular disorders and the other about therapies to cure diseases of the liver, lung, intestine and pancreas– are four of the 15 selected projects in the first call of the CaixaImpulse program. The initiative, co-organised by the Obra Social la Caixa and Caixa Capital Risc, aims at fostering the transformation of scientific knowledge in companies that create value for society and it allocates 1.3 million euros to the creation of biotech companies. 
 

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.

 

Atrian Bakers’s bread Tritordeum, made with the new cereal Agrasys, nominated to the Carrefour Innovation Awards Blog Post

A new type of bread  produced by Atrian Bakers  and made with Tritordeum,  has been nominated for the 2015 Carrefour Innovation Awards. The new type of bread will be subjected to population vote until the 21st of June. Tritordeum cereal is the first man-made cereal without genetic modification suitable for human consumption. Developed in the late 70s by a group of scientists from the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (IAS) of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC)), and after 30 years of research, Agrasys -a spin-off company based at the Barcelona Science Park, founded by researchers from the IAS and the industry, launched the new bread to the market in April 2013.

The Forum Innovation Demand reaches Novum Blog Post

The Network of Science and Technology Parks of Catalonia (XPCAT)  in collaboration with the Barcelona City Council, FemCATPimec and Ascamm center, is organizing this Thursday, 30th April, the Demand Innovation Forum at the  Disseny Hub Barcelona. The event features an open innovation space where a series of companies will publicly launch their challenges to foster innovative responses from technology centers, research groups, entrepreneurs and spin-offs. The call for the submission of solutions will be open until 5 June. During the Bizbarcelona, to be held on 1 and 2 of July, a partnership meeting (B2B meetings) will be held between these companies and the selected projects.  

 

A meeting point aimed at changing business perceptions of research in Biomed Blog Post

More than 150 businesses, researchers and investors gathered yesterday at the  Foro Ciencia Empresa FCRi – Fundación EY, Open Innovation at Biomed, a conference organized by the Catalan Foundation of Research and Innovation (FCRi) and the Fundación EY at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site. Several projects of BEC and IRB Barcelona and business proposals from ‘EnantiaIntelligent Pharma, Miru Medical Systems and Stat-Diagnostica –based at the  Parc Científic de Barcelona– were among the 22 Catalan business and biomedical research initiatives that were presented as business opportunities to companies and investors. Montserrat Vendrell, general director of PCB, actively participated at the conference as a speaker in the panel discussion.

 

Iproteos is among the finalists for the RedEmprendia prize Blog Post

Iproteos has been selected as one of the Spanish finalists for the 2012 RedEmprendia prize for best spin-off project from a University (‘Premio RedEmprendia de la Universidad a la Empresa’). A total of 15 finalists (seven projects from Spanish Universities and eight from other Latin American countries) have been selected for the final stage of this competition, which is promoted by RedEmprendia with support from Banco Santander. The prize will be awarded during the international forum “RedEmprendia Spin2012″, at the end of November.

The PCB houses the 3rd Crea!Emprea session, an initiative from the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation Blog Post

The Bosch i Gimpera Foundation–based at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– organised the third edition of Crea!Empresa an initiative born with the objective of encouraging the university community to create technology-based companies. The event took place on the 10 of November at the Cluster Building, Fèlix Serratosa Hall at the PCB. The objective of the session was to share the experiences of the entrepreneurs of today with the entrepreneurs of tomorrow so that this exchange becomes the source of motivation for the birth of new initiatives.