University of A Coruña
Field: Chemistry and biology
The Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA), inaugurated in 2015 at the Universidade da Coruña, brings together experts in chemistry and biology. Its mission is to foster discovery and generate innovative knowledge, addressing challenges in health, agriculture, food, new materials and environment.
It aspires to be a reference in research and innovation, standing out in technology transfer and scientific dissemination, with a holistic and multidisciplinary vision focused on global health.
It has a building with 24 research laboratories, 9 shared equipment laboratories and collaborative areas designed to stimulate creativity and the exchange of ideas, creating an inspiring environment for science.
RESEARCH AREAS
Biomedicine
Nanoscience and advanced materials
Food, pollution and health
publications in 2020-2023, 78% in Q1
active ERCs (2020-2023)
from competitive projects (period 2020-2023)
total staff of the center, 55% women
Ramón y Cajal and 3 Beatriz Galindo
KEY PROJECTS
Proteins are the workhorses of cells.These amino acid chains twist themselves into complex 3D structures that change dynamically to expose or hide binding sites or otherwise alter their functionality depending on cellular needs.They respond to numerous stimuli and are perhaps the ultimate smart material.Endowing synthetic, bioactive, self-assembled nanoarchitectures with this dynamic ability to reconfigure themselves will allow for enhanced control and tuning of their properties and thus be of value to various applications.
The EU-funded SENSE project has set out to do just that, engineering stimuli-responsive self-assembled nanostructures, starting from building blocks based on small chains of amino acids. The goal is to integrate them into living cells to control cellular behaviours, using them as both bioactive scaffolds and smart delivery vehicles for a variety of agents.
Centre PI: Elena Pazos Chantrero
Financing institution: Comisión Europea. Horizonte-Europa, ERC Starting Grants
Total funding: 1.494.375€
Centre budget: 1.494.375€
Execution period: 01/02/2020-31/01/2025
Year granted: 2020
This project, led by CICA, coordinates 7 institutions from four countries, BCMaterials-The Basque Centre on Materials (Spain), CIC biomaGUNE (Spain), Graphenea (Spain), VTT Technical Research Centre (Finland), The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology – ICGEB (Italy) and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory INL (Portugal).
The aim of the FLUFET project is to develop and evaluate as a proof of concept the construction of a fully automated and rapid detection device designed for continuous surveillance of a wide range of viruses in animal farms. The project focuses on the use of transistors developed from graphene, recognised as highly sensitive analytical platforms, combined with microfluidics and cell-specific receptors. With its adaptive detection approach, the device is able to identify unknown and unexpected viruses, rapidly triggering an alarm to alert and prevent possible risks of spread.
Centre PI: Alejandro Criado Fernández
Financing institution: European Comission. European Innovation Council, EIC-Pathfinder.
Total funding: 3.200.092,25 €
Centre budget: 763.000 €
Execution period: 01/03/2024-31/08/2027
Year granted: 2023
This project develops a synthetic methodology to prepare new DNA release agents in primary cell cultures. Despite advances in nucleic acid delivery, the catalogue of non-viral delivery agents is still very limited. This has a major impact, especially in fundamental research, as these agents present problems of toxicity and efficiency in primary cells. The project develops new cationic and amphiphilic poly(acetylene)s, which mimic the secondary structure and chemical functionality of naturally occurring release agents (e.g. cell-penetrating peptides), without the problems of cost and degradation in biological media. The ability of these poly(acetylene)s to induce reporter gene expression will be evaluated first, identifying compositions that minimise toxicity and maximise efficiency. These poly(acetylene)s will be used as a basis for assessing the ability to induce cell differentiation through gene delivery.
Centre PI: Francisco Fernandez Trillo y Ana Rey Rico
Financing institution: Agencia Estatal de Investigación. Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
Total funding: 163.350€
Centre budget: 163.350€
Execution period: 01/09/2022-31/08/2025
Year granted: 2022
3D bioprinting is a rapidly evolving technique that has broad applications in disease research, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It can also be used to generate cell patterns for the manufacture of new tissues and for building superior disease models.
The overall goal of the HOT-BIOPRINTING project is to overcome these limitations and provide a methodology that enables the biofabrication of artificial tissues and organs that faithfully replicate human organ tissues. The innovation of HOT-BIOPRINTING lies in the development of a new disruptive technology called Holographic Optical tweezers bioprinting (HOTB) that allows cellular 3D bioprinting and manipulation together with the automation of the process in clinically relevant times.
As a biological challenge they propose within the project the biofabrication of a fully functional lymph node, including the vascular network, the lymphatic network as well as the different components and cell types that make up the nodule, replicating the structural properties while maintaining its morphological properties.
Centre PI: Daniel Nieto García
Financing institution: European Commission. Horizon-Europe, ERC Consolidator Grants
Total funding: 1.755.525€
Centre budget: 1.755.525€
Execution period: 30/01/2024-31/01/2020
Year granted: 2023
This project advances in the creation of organic-inorganic hybrid composites with solid-solid phase transitions, which involve a remarkable absorption or release of latent heat, thus constituting innovative thermomaterials. These materials are essential for the development of new technologies for both barocaloric cooling (BC) and thermal energy storage (TES).
The purpose of the project is to validate the successful implementation of such hybrid thermomaterials in practical applications, particularly in solid-state thermal batteries designed for TES. The project adopts an interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach, capitalizing on the knowledge and synergy between experts in solid state chemistry, electromagnetics, as well as industrial and energy engineering.
The importance of developing these technologies lies in their ability to address contemporary climate and energy challenges, promoting the transition to a climate-neutral and decarbonized economy that prioritizes energy efficiency and relies on renewable energy sources.
Centre PI: M. Antonia Señarís Rodríguez
Financing institution: Agencia Estatal de Investigación. Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
Total funding: 242.000€
Centre budget: 242.000€
Execution period: 01/09/2022-31/08/2026
Year granted: 2022
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Contact
Address. As Carballeiras, s/n
Campus de Elviña
15071 A Coruña
España
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