Ignacio Insua, a scientist who completed his postdoctoral training at CiQUS, receives a prestigious ERC Starting Grant

Ignacio Insua undertook his postdoctoral training at CiQUS, a member of the CIGUS Network, an initiative launched by the regional government (Xunta de Galicia) that groups together centres of accredited scientific excellence. Today, this young scientist received one of the prestigious Starting Grants awarded by the European Research Council (ERC). Dr Insua, a researcher at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), has received the backing of this highly acclaimed programme that drives cutting-edge research, providing support and backing for ground-breaking ideas and supporting young researchers in the early stages of their careers.  

The selection process for these grants is highly competitive and selective. In this latest edition, 3,474 proposals were submitted and evaluated by a panel of internationally renowned researchers. Only 14.2% of the proposals were selected for funding, with each receiving up to €1.5 million for a five-year period.

Dr Insua’s research will be centred on bacterial resistance to antibiotics. His project, ‘REPLICATE’ aims to develop self-replicating antibiotics, which are capable of forming copies of themselves to amplify their antimicrobial action. “By administering entirely harmless precursor molecules, these can combine within the membranes of pathogenic bacteria, thereby activating their self-replication and localized antimicrobial action at the site of infection,” the researcher explained. This is an innovative strategy to combat antibiotic resistance, a serious and growing global problem responsible for 1.8 million deaths a year and projected to become more lethal than cancer by 2050.

Dr Insua is currently a Ramón y Cajal researcher affiliated to the Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Technology at University of Santiago de Compostela (USC). He intends to develop his ERC project at USC, as he considers that the institution provides an excellent environment for work at the interface of Chemistry and Biology.