Vision restoration by molecular prostheses Blog Post

The groups of Pau Gorostiza, ICREA Research Professor in IBEC at PCB and Amadeu Llebaria of IQAC-CSIC have developed molecules that can be applied as light-regulated molecular prostheses to help restore vision in cases of retinal degeneration. Marina Gay, Senior Research Officer in the IRB Barcelona Mass Spec & Proteomics Facility at PCB, has also contributed to a study to develop molecular prostheses to restore sight.

 

The 15th edition of the Summer in the Park! starts Blog Post

The welcome ceremony to participants of the Spend the summer at the Park! program was held tyesterday, Monday, July 18. The aim of this initiative –organized annually by the Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– is to bring research closer to students of any university in the world through their participation in projects currently being carried out in research groups, research centers and companies based at the PCB.

 

Launch of Biodiscovery, a spin-off from IRB Barcelona and the BSC-CNS to speed up drug discovery Blog Post

This morning in Barcelona, the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) –based at Barcelona Science Park (PCB)–  and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center-National Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) have presented Nostrum Biodiscovery, a new biotech company that applies computational simulation to help new drugs and biotech molecules to reach the market. The creation of this spin-off has also been made possible thanks to the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG) of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), with the support by the Botín Foundation’s technology transfer programme.

 

The sperm tail may determine semen quality Blog Post

The annual Congress of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) has been the setting chosen by the Eugin group and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) to present new collaborative research. The study describes, for the first time, the presence of alterations in the tail of the human sperm, the so called flagellum, which will help indicate the quality of sperm and improve the diagnosis of infertility.

 

New multicomponent reactions to design active compounds against trypanosomiasis Blog Post

The high-impact chemical journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition presents a scientific work on multicomponent reactions of great interest to obtain new active compounds against parasites causing trypanosomiasis. The new research project is led by Professor Rodolfo Lavilla, from the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the University of Barcelona (UB), and member of the group ChemBio Lab (UB) with headquarters in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB).

 

Minoryx Therapeutics Initiates Phase 1 clinical trial of MIN-102 Blog Post

Minoryx Therapeutics, a drug development company specialized in the discovery and development of new drugs for orphan diseases, today announces the initiation of its first-in-man Phase 1clinical trial for its lead compound MIN-102. The company –located at TecnoCampus Mataró-Maresme, with laboratories at Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– will harness its unique mechanism of action for potential use in X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD), a genetic disease characterized by progressive neurologic deterioration with no available pharmacological treatment. 

 

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). 

 

Using 3D printing to produce crucial biomedical research tools Blog Post

IBEC Director Josep Samitier and the Technology Transfer unit introduced IBEC’s 3D bioprinting capabilities at the first IN(3D)USTRY: From Needs to Solutions event, which was held at Fira Barcelona last week. IBEC’s 3D bioprinter is the only one offering the level of precision and characteristics requred for regenerative medicine purposes in southern Europe, and one of very few on the continent. It promises to put IBEC –based at Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– at the forefront of a new revolution in regenerative medicine by allowing researchers to add biological properties to implanted tissues such as bone, and may eventually be able to manufacture entire organs for transplantation.

 

Decoding the complete genome of the Mediterranean’s most emblematic tree: the olive Blog Post

A team of researchers from the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG-CRG) –based at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB)–, the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, and the Real Jardin Botánico (CSIC-RJB) in Madrid, has brought new insight to the genetic puzzle of the olive tree, by sequencing the complete genome of this species for the first time ever. The results of this work, published this week in the groundbreaking Open Access and Open Data journal GigaScience, will facilitate genetic improvement for production of olives and olive oil, two key products in the Spanish economy and diet.

 

Around 40 migraine-related genes identified Blog Post

Up to this date only 13 migraine-related genes were known and now a study of Nature Genetics proves the contribution of these 10 genes and adds 28 more to the candidate list. In the international work, focused on the analysis of common genetic migraine variants on people, there is the participation of Professor Bru Cormand and the collaborator Cèlia Sintas, from the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics and the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), located at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB).