The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia is an institution engaged in basic and applied research in bioengineering and nanomedicine, with experts working on tissue regeneration, biomechanics, molecular dynamics, biomimetics, drug delivery, organs ‘on-a-chip’, cell migration, stem cells, artificial olfaction and microbial biotechnology. The institute was created by the Government of Catalonia, the University of Barcelona and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in December 2005 and is located at the Barcelona Science Park. The director of the institute is Prof. Josep Samitier, who took over from founding director Josep A. Planell i Estany in 2013. In 2014 IBEC was named a "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
Mission
The institute aims to pursue interdisciplinary research in bioengineering and nanomedicine which is combined with specific transfer targets to produce new applied technologies in the health sciences. It fosters collaborations with local organisations and international research institutes, provides high-level training to staff and students, promotes innovation and technology transfer, and engages the public through outreach and educational activities. IBEC’s ultimate objective is to translate research results to the clinic to improve health and quality of life.
Location
Most administrative and scientific divisions of IBEC Barcelona are located at the Barcelona Science Park. The Park also hosts the research centers of several biotech and pharmaceutical companies, as well as technical services and technology platforms. The institute also has two groups located at the Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge. Some of the institute’s group leaders are also affiliated to the University of Barcelona or the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
Organisation
Research Areas
The scientific and technological research at the institute is grouped into three core application areas: Bioengineering for Regenerative Therapies, Bioengineering for Future Medicine and Bioengineering for Active Ageing.
Bioengineering for Regenerative Therapies: Molecular dynamics at the interface of cells and biomaterials; the biophysical mechanisms underlying migration at the level of cells and tissues; biomimetic systems for cell-based assays; endogenous tissue programs for organ regeneration; developmental neurobiology and regeneration; and biomaterials for regenerative therapies.
Bioengineering for Future Medicine: Nanotechnology for new biomedical systems and devices; nanoscopy for nanomedicine; nanoscale tools to study biological systems, including optopharmacology; nanomedicine-based systems for malaria; cellular and molecular mechanobiology; label-free biological characterization methods and electronic biosensors; micro- and nanorobots.
Bioengineering for Active Ageing: Developmental neurobiology and regeneration; biomaterials for regenerative therapies; signal and information processing for sensing systems; antimicrobial therapies; and biomedical signal processing and interpretation.
Core Facilities and Services
IBEC manages a Nanotechnology Platform which offers services in nanofabrication, nanomanipulation and nanocharacterization to its own scientists and to academic and industrial researchers from outside. The platform has 150m2 of class 10,000 cleanroom space and laboratories offering equipment for the fabrication and characterization of micro- and nanodevices and structures. In 2015 IBEC became the first institution in the south of Europe to acquire a 3D bioprinter that is suitable for industrial manufacture according to GMP guidelines.
Governance
Board of Trustees
IBEC’s board of trustees is composed of members of the founding institutions. It is responsible for overseeing research activities and the institutional strategy, approving the operating funds and ensuring that annual goals are met. Its President is the Minister for Health of the Government of Catalonia.
IBEC receives most of its core funding from the Government of Catalonia through the Department of Health and the Department of Economy and Knowledge. Further funds are provided through competitive grants obtained from the European Union under FP7Horizon 2020 and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, among others. IBEC’s researchers also receive financial support from the University of Barcelona or the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, AXA and several other sources.
