In Vivo - Issue 32 (October 2015)

in vivo October 2015 | Issue 32

NEWSLETTER OF THE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN BIOMEDICINE

Happy birthday IRB Barcelona, per molts anys!

Diagnosing breast cancer bone metatasis

s this issue of In Vivo goes to print, we are putting the

A

Physicians lack tools to help them detect which breast cancer

final touches on the celebrations of a decade at IRB

patients will suffer metastasis to the bone, a process that occurs in

Barcelona. On 26 October, the extended IRB Barcelona

15-20% of cases. A study led by Roger Gomis and published in the

community, including current and former staff and researchers,

Journal of National Cancer Institute has uncovered a gene that al-

patrons, supporters, and friends, will gather in downtown Barcelona

lows breast cancer cells to invade bones and create new tumours, or

for a day of science and festivity to mark IRB Barcelona’s 10th

to metastasise.

anniversary.

Over the past decade, IRB Barcelona has grown from a seedling in the minds and hearts of a handful of visionary people with big dreams to a thriving research institute that has taken up solid footing on the landscape of international research in the life sciences, and has made vital contributions to the health and well-being of society.

More on page 2.

Charity backs liver cancer research at IRB Barcelona The AECC, Spain’s larg-

Turning 10 provides us with a unique opportunity. It is a time

est cancer charity, has awarded

to recognise and be thankful for the dedication and vision of all

ICREA researcher Rául Méndez

those who contributed to establishing IRB Barcelona in its early

a €1.2 million grant to coordinate

days, and those who have contributed to helping it to grow along

a 5-year study on hepatocellu-

the way. It is a time to celebrate the research we have accomplished

lar carcinoma, the main type of

and successes we have achieved. It is also a time to remember and

liver cancer and the third cause of

reflect on the lessons we have learned over the years, and to ensure

death by cancer worldwide.

that we take those forward to help us shape an even brighter future

More on page 2.

for the institute.

We welcome the chance to share this special day in our history with the entire IRB Barcelona

Back to school with IRB

family,

and look forward with anticipation to

Students and teachers at the Mare de Déu de Montserrat

an exciting decade to

elementary school in the nearby district of Cornellà are beginning

come.

the school year in good company. IRB Barcelona is working with

Happy Birthday

them to launch ‘Tandem Schools’, a 3-year project aimed at bringing

IRB Barcelona, per

biomedicine into the schools’s teaching programme.

molts anys!

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More on page 5.

100xCiencia and science communcation

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Design thinking at IRB Barcelona

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Marta goes to Münster

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A new president for IUBMB

Towards a diagnostic test for breast cancer metastasis to the bone

P

hysicians currently have no tools to help them detect which breast cancer patients will suffer metastasis to the bone, a pro-

cess that occurs in 15-20% of cases. A study led

by ICREA researcher Roger Gomis at IRB Barcelona and published in the Journal of National

Cancer Institute has uncovered a gene that allows breast cancer cells to invade bones and create new tumours, or to metastasise.

Experiments have focussed on the analysis of estrogen-receptor-positive breast tumours since they specifically tend to metastasise to the bone, and represent 80% of all breast cancers.

The results indicate that the gene MAF triggers a set of functions in the cell that allow metastasis to take place.

The researchers analysed more than 900

A study published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute by Roger Gomis may be key to the early detection of patients at risk of developing metastasis to the bone (Graphic: Formales Naturales by Inbiomotion; Photo: G. Battista).

clinical samples of primary breast tumours. In tumours in which the MAF gene is altered, the

late. Preliminary studies indicate that the same

to distinguish that wasn’t possible before,” ex-

risk of metastasis to the bone is 14 times higher

drugs used to treat metastasis could also be used

plains Gomis.

than in those in which it is unaltered. “This gene

to prevent it, and identifying those patients at risk

This discovery has been patented and trans-

reliably predicts metastasis to the bone,” explains

of developing bone metastasis is therefore very

ferred to Inbiomotion, an IRB Barcelona and

Gomis.

important.

ICREA spin-off. Inbiomotion, led by the venture

.

Bone metastasis is the only type of metas-

“This is where the discovery made at IRB

investor Ysios Capital, has developed the tech-

tasis that can be controlled, but not cured, by

Barcelona could be of great use to clinicians and

nology necessary to validate the marker in clinical

drugs. Treatment is only given once the metas-

would avoid unnecessary treatment of patients

trials, which are already underway. (sa)

tasis has been identified, which is normally too

who are not at risk. Our discovery offers a way

SCIENCE BITES

➲

New actor in beta amyloid cols describes a forgotten technique used modulation The Advanced in Drosophila melanogaster dating back 80

technology opens possibilities for research-

years. The ‘recovered’ method allows tissues to be transplanted from larvae to adult flies, thus allowing research into tumour growth and other biological processes, such as tissue regeneration.

them a neater, unbiased method to track pro-

Digital Microscopy facility, in collaboration with the VIB in Belgium, published a study in Science Translational Medicine in October that reveals the GPR3 protein as key in the modulation of beta amyloid and its accumulation in diseased brains. Using Lightsheet Microscopy technology, the team provided

➲

Protein tagging Researchers at

ers in cellular biology, as they will provide teins inside the cell.

➲

Moving closely together with E-Cad The protein E-Cad-

herin (E-Cad) is a kind of glue that keeps cells bound together, thus favouring the

IRB Barcelona, BSC, CSIC and UB

organisation of tissues and organs and im-

and quantification of beta amyloid plaques in

have developed a new tool for innocuous

peding cell movement. IRB Barcelona’s Kyra

whole-mount adult mice brains.

protein tagging. The method called Inntags

Campbell and Jordi Casanova reveal a new

provides a new approach to track cell pro-

function for E-Cad that contrasts with its

teins more closely. The study published in

accepted role of keeping cells static. The re-

Nature Methods reveals that target proteins

searchers report in Nature Communications

labelled with Inntags show no detectable

that this protein is crucial for the coordinat-

alterations in function or localisation. The

ed movement of diverse cell types. This new

3D Imaging and Analysis for visualisation

➲

Long-lasting tumours in flies A study conducted by ICREA

researcher Cayetano González and postdoc Fabrizio Rossi published in Nature Proto-

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Spain’s largest cancer charity grants €1.2 million to liver cancer research

T

he Spanish Association against Cancer

obesity epidemic. In this regard, 75% of obese

the evolution of chronic liver disease, regulat-

(AECC in the Spanish acronym) has

subjects and 95% of subjects with morbid obe-

ing different pathogenic processes associated to

granted €1.2 million to fund a cutting-

sity have non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis (fatty

each disease stage, and being, therefore, attrac-

edge research project on liver cancer led by

liver), and a high percentage of these patients

tive therapeutic targets for chronic liver disease,

ICREA researcher Raúl Méndez. Méndez will

develop cirrhosis and finally hepatocellular car-

including liver cancer. To test this hypothesis,

coordinate a 5-year study on hepatocellular

cinomas.

they propose an integrated approach to assess,

carcinoma, the main type of liver cancer and the third cause of death by cancer worldwide, with a patient survival rate of less than 10% five years after diagnosis. His project is one of the four principal research studies selected by the AECC to receive grants this year. The ceremony took place in Burgos on 22 September.

Recent years have witnessed an increase in the incidence of liver cancer as a result of the

Headed by Dr. Méndez and in collaboration with Dr. Mercedes Fernández from the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiquess August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), and Dr. Jordi Bruix from the Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica (FCRB), the team seek to identify new ways to treat hepatocellular carcinoma.

Based on prior studies, the team hypothesise that CPEB proteins could play a role in

in a synergistic manner, the role and therapeutic potential of the proteins CPEB as regulators of key processes involved in the progression of chronic hepatic disease, from hepatic steastosis to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

In the same ceremony, the AECC presented 8 postdoctoral fellowships worth €135,000 each to outstanding young researchers, among them Isabel García Cao from IRB Barcelona. García Cao will focus her study on colon cancer resistance to chemotherapy. The project aims to analyse tumour cell response to genotoxic stress when subjected to various kinds of chemotherapeutic agents combined with inhibitors of key protein kinases, namely p38 MAPK, and ATM. The team will study the efficacy of this combined treatment on tumour cells with distinct genetic profiles.

The AECC is the social and private entity that devotes the most funding to cancer research

.

in Spain. Since 2009, this organisation has allocated €29 million to 161 research projects unRaúl Méndez receives an AECC award at a ceremony presided by Queen Letizia of Spain. The €1.2 million grant will allow Raúl and collaborators to study the role of CPEB proteins in liver cancer. (Image: AECC)

function of E-Cad may explain why tumours that express intermediary levels of this protein have a poorer prognosis.

➲

Controlling the growth of neighbours The TOR and PI3K

signalling pathways regulate tissue growth according to nutrient availability and are frequently over-activated in human cancer.

In a PLoS Biology study, PhD student Ana Ferreira and ICREA researcher Marco Milán report that the over-activation of these pathways causes excess growth of cells and tissues, and restricts growth of neighbouring cell populations. The study may shed light on the early events of tumourigenesis and the selection of the tumour-initiating cells.

derway in 46 centres around Spain. (sa)

20 Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence meet for science communication in La Palma “Science must be communicated to society in order for it to thrive.” This was the clear

sation activities and the role of science in the media.

and unequivocal message delivered at the first

The New York Times journalist Ken-

summit for science communication in Spain,

neth Chang opened the event with a lecture in

‘100XCiencia: communicating frontier sci-

which he maintained that in science journalism

ence,’ which took place in La Palma on 6-9

clarity should take precedence over precision.

October.

The journalists in attendance asked scientists

Organised by the 20 Severo Ochoa

to open up and give clear messages to achieve

Centres of Excellence, the 4-day encounter

more effective and interactive communication

brought together scientists, journalists, com-

with the public.

municators and members of the public for

The event concluded with the heads of the

lectures on the cutting edge science being con-

Severo Ochoa Centres issuing a joint request

ducted at the Severo Ochoa Centres, as well

for an ‘Agreement on Science’ in Spain and ur-

as debates about current scientific challenges,

gent amendment of the laws that govern science

science policy, the impact of science populari-

(Find out more here: http://bit.ly/1OydQVn).

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October 2015

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Bringing biomedical science to the classroom, hand-in-hand with teachers

T

o use biomedicine to design the teaching programme of a prima-

two partners work together to design a school curriculum around a given

ry school from first year (ages 5-6) to sixth year (ages 11-12) and

theme and to boost academic results, the standing of the school, and so-

across the full range of subjects. This is the goal and challenge of

cial cohesion. This is the 9th Tandem Programme to be promoted by the

a three-year project that IRB Barcelona has launched in the academic year

Catalunya-La Pedrera Foundation since 2011, and the first to involve a

2015-16 in collaboration with the school Mare de Déu de Montserrat, in

research centre and a primary school.

Cornellà. This initiative forms part of the ‘Tandem Schools Programme’

“Being the first to undertake such a project is an additional challenge

and receives counselling, follow-up and funding from the Catalunya-La

for all those involved,” says Helena González, Public Engagement and

Pedrera Foundation, with the support of the Department of Education

Science Education Officer and coordinator of the Tandem Project at IRB

of the Catalan Government.

Barcelona.

Tandem Schools are innovative educational projects involving a part-

“A school and a research centre operate in totally different spheres

nership between a school and a centre of reference. In this regard, the

and have different ways of going about things, which means that we will have to make a big effort to adapt to each other,” she explains.

Without overlooking the basic skills that students have to acquire, the curriculum of the school will be based upon the project “Discovering biomedicine together,” in such a way that pupils end up gaining in-depth knowledge of the topic, while at the same time the general academic results of the school are improved.

The activities undertaken during this first term will focus on teacher training. IRB Barcelona will instruct educators about the scientific method and in specific concepts of the subjects that will be covered. Furthermore, the teaching programme will be discussed with the aim to transfer the knowledge acquired to the classroom.

The activity programme for the students has been drawn up taking into account the school’s calendar, such as visits to museums or the care

.

of a vegetable plot. The activities will be used to teach the children about diseases such as diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, fields in which IRB Barcelona has extensive experience. (sa) Helena González takes students at the Mare de Déu de Montserrat school through the ins and outs of DNA structures as part of the new Tandem School project (Photo: L.T. Barone)

Second edition of Maths4Life brings in four new

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au de Jorge, 22, is an enthusiast. He is a student of maths and physics at the University of Barcelona, and in 2014 he learnt about the Maths4Life programme for summer internships at

the IRB Barcelona. “I was attracted by the possibility of applying what I was studying to real problems with an impact on society,” he says. Pau was one of the 4 students who joined the programme in 2014.

He worked with Oscar Flores, in Modesto Orozco’s lab, in molecular modelling. In particular he worked on chromatin and on creating a 3D model of DNA. After his stay last year, he continued to collaborate with the lab, first with the Passa l’estiu al Parc programme this summer, then currently with the ‘Future in biomedicine,’ programme, both of which are aimed at encouraging young undergraduate students to find their inspira-

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Felipe Cano (on the left) and Jorge de Pau spent several months at IRB Barcelona thanks to the Maths4Life training programme. After their stay, Modesto Orozco asked them to continue working on chromatin modelling.

Inspiring science-savvy entrepreneurs

Training treaty with Trento

I

usiness angels sometimes meet scientists.

B

It is a change in the philosophy from ‘push’

At least at IRB Barcelona, this happens

(something you create the need for) to ‘pull’

frequently. As part of the Innova-

(where you identify the need). In other words, as

tion workshop series, on 13 October, Mathieu

Carenzo puts it, it is “adapting the design meth-

heritage, and a love for good, healthy food.

Carenzo, partner at Venture Hub and professor

odology to business creation, which is the only

And they both offer great opportunities for

at IESE, led a handful of young scientists through

way that guarantees it will work.”

young scientists in world-class research in-

taly and Spain have several things in common. They both lie on the coastline of

the Mediteranean Sea, share a rich culture

the secrets any good entrepreneur-to-be needs to

Working with scientific discovery-based

know. Alba Olivares, from the Innovation De-

products is a challenge. “It is difficult because

partment, points out that one of the goals of the

Two such institutes, IRB Barcelona and

in the case of most of these products we use a

Institute is to offer students “a business mind-

the Center for Integrative Biology at the

‘push’ model,” he says. “It is also complicated to

set” that can be useful if they want to explore dif-

University of Trento, have now a established

apply usual financing criteria, because these are

ferent careers outside academia, and that “these

a direct line of collaboration in the form of

products that often need long timescales, and the

workshops are valuable because, through realistic

an agreement, signed at the end of July, to

benefits are not always clear.”

support the exchange of PhD students be-

simulations, they offer the opportunity to learn about real problems in the marketplace.”

But Carenzo thinks scientists have an enor-

stitutes in the biomedical sciences.

tween the two centres.

mous opportunity. “The percentage of scientists

Carenzo explains that “Design Thinking is a

Students will participate in exchanges,

among MBA students is very low in Europe,”

methodology that structures ideas for new prod-

have easy access to seminars, workshops and

he emphasises, “and business people who have a

ucts truly needed by end-users. It is a customer-

courses of interest and, given the mutual in-

deep understanding of the science and its poten-

focussed design based on analysis and observa-

terests of the two research centres, explore

tial is extremely limited. Business-savvy scientists

tion of the users of a potential new technology.”

scientific collaborations.

have an incredible competitive advantage and can

The objective is to find a product that “users are

rise to the top of the field!” (ltb)

happy to pay for.”

.

.

This agreement brings the total number of partnerships that IRB Barcelona has with international institutes to five. (ss)

Researchers learn about Design Thinking at the latest Innovation workshop on 13 October. (photo: LT Barone)

maths students tion in science. “I’m thrilled by all the opportunities IRB Barcelona offers to young enthusiastic students as myself,” says Pau. Felipe Cano is even younger than Pau: he is only 20, and this summer we was one of the 4 new students who took part in the second edition of Maths4Life. He is also studying Maths and Physics, at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and he joined Pau and PhD student Jürgen Walther in their research on chromatin.

P

roteomics experts from across the globe gathered at IRB Barcelona for the ‘Top Down Mass Spectrometry’ conference, organised by Core Facility Manager Marta Vilaseca on 21-25

September 2015, as a COST Action for European Cooperation in Science and Technology.

Top down mass spectrometry has emerged as a powerful proteomic approach that provides unique information on proteins at the molecular

“For the first time in my life I had a chance to see what research is truly like,” he says. “Sometimes we tend to idealise it, and instead it often can be frustrating. Sometimes you go blindly looking for solutions. But once

.

something works, that is really a nice moment!”.

Felipe is also going to extend his stay at IRB Barcelona thanks to an agreement with his university. (ltb)

Mass spec, top down

level. The 74 participants learned from leading experts in top-down MS and proteomics about the current state of top-down MS, the instruments available, and applications and potential for the technique.

.

“The goal of the meeting was to speed up the use of top-down MS in proteomic laboratories,” says Marta, “and to maximise results by improving experimental procedures and data analysis.”

in in vivo vivo

October October 2015 2015

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EXCHANGES

Marta Rodríguez travels to Münster to learn

M

ünster is a well-known university town, full of students and historical landmarks in the heart of Germany. Marta Rodríguez, from Lluís Ribas’ lab, chose it as her home away from

home for six months earlier this year, when she visited the MPI for Molecular Biomedicine from April to August. She came back full of exciting things to say about her research exchange.

“My goal was to learn more about ribosome profiling,” Marta explains. “This is a new technique that gives you a sort of snapshot of the messenger RNA being translated in all ribosomes in a cell at a specific moment, something we call ‘translatome.’ And the MPI is one of the best places in Europe to learn about it.” Thanks to this technique, researchers are able to identify the location of translation start sites, their distribution, and the speed of the translating ribosomes.

It was at the 2013 Barcelona BioMed Conference on Gene Translation, organised by Lluís, that Marta, who hadn’t even yet started her PhD, learnt about the technique. At the time, a new collaboration was in the works with this German institute. Once Marta took up her position as a student in Lluís lab, he offered her the possibility to go to the MPI to learn more about the technique, and she enthusiastically accepted.

Marta visited the MPI for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster earlier this year, on a German-government sponsored exchange, where she discovered the translatome.

IRB

Barcelona

Director

Joan

Of bee venom, ambulances and medieval walls

The secrets of our genes at TEDx

M

future is not written anywhere. Our DNA

ore than 100 members of the pub-

J.

Guinovart has assumed the presidency of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. For the next three years he will serve the organisation that brings together biologists and biochemists from 77 countries with the aim to promote research and education in these disciplines worldwide. Accepting his new mandate at

lic, students, and science aficionados

gathered at the CCCB on 29 September where IRB Barcelona researcher Ernest Giralt guided them on a trip from medieval walls to the deepest reaches within the human brain.

In his talk, he conjured up eloquent examples to explain the structural barriers that prevent medicines from reaching neuronal networks (the medieval walls), the shuttles

the IUBMB’s General Assembly, held every

that can help them pass through (the ambu-

three years, at the end of August, Guinovart

lances), and recent examples of compounds

declared, “it is a great honour

being explored in his lab as effective peptide

to chair the Union” and that “there is a need to change the

Ernest spoke as part of the year-long

way we teach, communicate

Barcelona BioMed Perpectives Series, “Sci-

and assess science and I would

ence today for the medicine of the future,”

like the IUBMB to take on

organised in celebration of IRB Barcelona’s

.

this challenge.”

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carriers of the drugs (the bee venom).

in vivo

October 2015 O

| Issue 32

10th year anniversary.

“Not in the stars nor in our genes - our doesn’t make us human but ‘humanizable’. The environment and the life we live shape the way our genes talk to us.”

With these key messages, Helena González, IRB Barcelona’s public engagement and science education specialist, left a sold-out TEDx talk audience of more than 400 well on their way to understanding how DNA and epigenetics contribute to making us who we are.

Helena was invited to take part in the TEDx talk held on 3 October in Barcelona. TEDx talks are independently organised events - covering an enormous range of topics - designed to help

.

communities, organisations and individuals to spark conversation and connection. Check out Helena’s talk online at www.tedxgracia.com

.

Photo: J. Castaño

New president for the world’s biochemists and biologists

“I am convinced that having the opportunity to spend time in another lab is a very valuable experience,” she emphasises. “It gives you a chance

all about translatome to gain expertise in new fields with lots of potential that we may not necessarily have at IRB Barcelona. Other benefits of these research exchanges are that you get to know new labs, and get new input and points of view that end up being very useful for your research.”

Mission accomplished!

Carlos crosses the Strait

O

n Wednesday 23 September, 44-year-old Carlos Romero accomplished the goal of a lifetime. He swam 17 km in open waters to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. In doing so, he rasied

awareness and support for IRB Barcelona’s research into cancer and me-

Marta took advantage of a grant from the German government, given through the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), that

tastasis.

In April, Carlos, resident of Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Barcelona, launched the campaign Nadarcontracorriente (Swim against the current)

funds foreign PhD students’ stays in the country.

As always when you delve into a new experience, it is inevitable

to raise awareness of the project. After 5 months of grueling preparations

that you will make comparisons. “I noticed that here at IRB Barcelona

and numerous activities to gather support from

we have more interaction among different research groups, and that

individuals, companies and busi-

these interactions are encouraged institutionally,” she says. “I missed

nesses in the area, Carlos fin-

that a bit at the MPI. It’s useful for your day-to-day research. On the

ished the swim, reaching Punta

other hand, my lab there was so big and diverse that we had enrich-

Almansa in Africa, in a near re-

ing meetings that always involved different groups of people within the

cord 3 hours and 51 minutes.

His first words as he climbed

lab.”

The best of Marta’s life outside the lab? “Münster has a great cul-

aboard his support boat? “Mis-

tural life, especially in the summer season. There is a nice lake and river

sion accomplished. For the re-

that people enjoy swimming in. There were parties, concerts, open-air

searchers at IRB!”

.

markets. My most memorable experience was listening to a concert on the shores of the lake, and watch fireworks afterwards.” (ltb)

PRIZES & AWARDS Adriana Lorente, a PhD student in Fernando Albericio’s Combinatorial Chemistry for the Discovery of New Compounds lab, has received the prize for the Best Chemistry Doctoral Thesis in 2014 from the University of Bar-

Check out the chronicle of Carlos’ crossing at http://www. nedarcontracorrent.org

The return of the IRB Barcelona PhD Student Symposium

A

fter a year and a half of prepara-

many opportunities for interaction, such as

tions, 14 student organisers are

the ‘tapas with the speakers’ event, the poster

ready to welcome participants to

session or the round table discussions.”

‘Science fights back: Tackling disease to re-

Of the 10 top speakers, we ask Júlia and

cover homeostasis,’ the 4th IRB Barcelona

Jesús point out two. Jesús has very high ex-

PhD Students Symposium. Júlia García and

pectations of Dirk Trauner, who leads a

Jesús Herraiz explain why this is an un-

group in Munich. “He works on a broad

missable opportunity. “The symposium is

have attracted the attention of the Spanish

scope of topics within biomedicine, biology,

very interdisciplinary; people will hear things

biochemistry and synthesis of natural prod-

Foundation for Fundraising (AEFr), who has

they don’t hear in the conferences we usually

ucts, and will talk about photopharmacology,

recognised the video campaign with two top

attend,” explains Júlia. “This will open our

or the activation of drugs by light.” Júlia is

honours: Best Fundraising Campaign for enti-

minds, and lead to new scientific collabora-

excited about Linda Partridge, who directs

ties with larger budgets, and the Jury’s Grand

tion.” Jesús points out that the conference

the Institute of Healthy Ageing at the Uni-

is designed for scientists at the beginning

versity College in London. “She is going to

of their careers. People will be coming “to

tell us truly impressive stuff on how to miti-

learn but also to share knowledge during the

gate the effects of ageing.” (ltb)

celona. Her thesis focussed on the synthesis of natural products and was directed by Fernando and Mercedes Álvarez.

IRB Barcelona’s dancing

scientists

Prize. The jury praised the “entrepreneurial spirit of the initiative which aims to foster collaboration from the private sector in biomedical research in Spain, which is unusual in

.

healthcare in our country and sets a new trend.”

They also applauded “the participation of the entire organisation in the making of a video that brings together technical quality with a simple, clear and charming message that draws the citizen, and potential donor, into an area of utmost importance.”

in vivo

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October 2015 Issue p7who The organisers of the 4th IRB Barcelona PhD Students Symposium are ready to welcome the more than 18032 scientists will gather in Barcelona on 12-13 November. (Photo: G. Battista/M. Minocri)

NEW AT IRB

SPOTLIGHT Clara Caminal, the international collaboration network creator

After Modesto Orozco was awarded the coordination of Multi-Scale Complex Genomics, a project within the Horizon 2020 programme, Anna Montràs (Girona,

1977) joined IRB Barcelona as Project

C

lara has been a part of the IRB Barcelona family for many years. She began as a postdoc in Ramón Eritja’s lab in 2006, and a year later, joined the Administration team with the task

of building up the then-new PhD programme. As Academic Coordinator she quickly became known among the students as ‘Auntie Clara.’

After a 2-year break, she is back with a new challenge: to strengthen IRB Barcelona’s global ties as International Scientific Affairs Coordinator.

She explains what is it about.

Manager to help coordinate the 6 institutions from 4 countries that participate in the European project. “I’ll make sure that reports are correctly prepared from all sides,” she explains, “and I need to ensure smooth coordination among the institutes. I’ll distribute tasks and receive input from all partners.” Anna trained as a chemical engineer and holds a PhD in biotechnology. She has worked managing European projects for different companies. “I began to realise that I liked to coordinate complex international projects,” she notes. “I am motivated by the relevance and impact of Modesto Orozco’s projects.”

“On one side, I will be responsible for increasing and consolidating the internationalisation of IRB Barcelona and to help our scientific community apply for competitive international funding.”

What does this mean practically?

We’ll establish concrete initiatives to make sure our existing collabo-

Isabel García Cao (Foz, 1975) is a new postdoctoral fellow in Travis Stracker’s Genomic Instability and Cancer Lab. Her expertise is in tumour suppression mechanisms in animal models, which she began

rations and alliances with international research centres have an impact

working on during her PhD in molecular

on our researchers, for example by creating or reinforcing exchanges

biology at the Autonomous University of Madrid. After two more years

programmes that allow our students to visit our partner institutes, and

at CNIO in Madrid, where she continued to generate animal models to

their students to come here. I will also find new ways for our research

evaluate new therapeutic treatments, she moved to the Sloan Kettering

community to collaborate within existing partnerships.

Institute in New York and subsequently to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She demonstrated that the PTEN gene is key

What about new alliances?

This is a priority for us. We plan to build an international network, establishing new strategic alliances and collaborations with key scientific centres throughout the world. To do so, we’ll involve Group Leaders

not only for tumour suppression but also for metabolic control. At IRB Barcelona, her research, financed by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), is aimed at finding new drugs that target the metabolic requirements of tumour cells. “I joined the Institute because of the qual-

and explore their contacts and collaborations with foreign scientists to

ity of the Oncology programme,” she says. “The position gave me the

possibly turn them into strategic institutional partnerships. Another im-

perfect excuse to come back to Spain to do research.”

portant source will be our alumni: many of them work in top research centres in different fields, and involving them be a very powerful way to construct a network.

Your also mentioned another area of responsibility.

ON THE MOVE After just over 4 years at IRB Barcelona in Xavier Salvatella’s lab, ”La Caixa” Fellow

crease collaborative projects, especially

Bahareh Eftekharzadeh (Teheran, 1985) left to cross the ocean and join the

in the framework of Horizon 2020. This

Neurology Department at the Massachusetts

I’ll be helping the Grants Office to in-

is another important strategic task for the Institute. I’ll assist research groups in submitting applications, and will also be on the lookout for potentially interesting calls to participate in. Finding partners is also critical. I’ll be able to match up needs and expertise and help build new relationships. (ltb)

General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston, where she will work on structural properties of the tau protein involved in Alzheimer’s Disease. In Salvatella’s lab, she studied the polyQ protein, involved in a rare neurodegenerative disease called spinal bulbar muscular atrophy, using NMR and animal models. She takes with her fond memories. “I loved the freedom I had in choosing my projects and my collaborators,” she says, “and I very much appreciated the support I received during my stay in Barcelona.” Bahar took part in the first edition of Crazy About Biomedicine in 2013. “It was an amazing experience. I leave IRB Barcelona inspired to support education for the next genera-

In her new position, Clara Caminal will work to forge new relations with international partners and strengthen exisiting ones.

tion of scientists and to help bring science and society closer together.”

In vivo, issue 32. Published by the Institute for Research in Biomedicine. Office of Communications & External Relations. Barcelona Science Park. c/Baldiri Reixac, 10. 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Web: www. irbbarcelona.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/irbbarcelona - Twitter: @IRBBarcelona Editorial committee: Luca Tancredi Barone (ltb), Sarah Sherwood (ss) (editors), Sònia Armengou (sa). Graphic Production: Grupo Sifu. Legal deposit: B 19148-2014. This document has been printed on recycled paper. To subscribe or unsubscribe from in vivo, e-mail: info@irbbarcelona.org. © IRB Barcelona 2015.