Iproteos launched Hip hop hooray! In focus

in vivo
July 2011
|
Issue 15
NEWSLETTER OF THE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN BIOMEDICINE
Iproteos launched
IRB Barcelona researchers establish
a new spin-off dedicated to the
discovery of next-generation drugs
After many years devoted solely to basic research, Teresa Tarragó is opening her horizons and entering the business world. From her position as
Research Associate in the Design, synthesis and structure of peptides and
proteins lab at IRB Barcelona, and together with Ernest Giralt, she has
founded the biotech company Iproteos. The spin-off will focus on using a
technology they developed based on finding drugs in a family of molecules known as peptides. Teresa tells us how the idea of the company came
about, the long way they have come to get to this point, and how this
initiative will affect her career in a Faces to Names interview on page 2.
In focus
Hip hop hooray!
A recent study by the groups of Maria
The African Clawed Frog, Xenopus Leavis, was first used in research
Macías and Joan Massagué unveils
by Aristotle to illustrate anatomical constraints on sound production
the mechanism by which a group of
and speech. Today, these plump little animals continue to fuel our
proteins named Smad contribute to
orderly cell division, thus preventing uncontrolled growth that could
lead to disorders such as cancer.
Learn more about their
study on page 3.
02
New Board of
Trustees
04
On the Spot:
Hugo Bellen
understanding of many aspects of physiology and developmental biology. With the arrival of groups of Raúl Mendez and Angel R. Nebreda, who routinely use Xenopus in their
research, these frogs have now found a
new home at IRB Barcelona.
On page 7.
04
New postdocs
selected
06
Kids Day at
IRB Barcelona
FACES TO NAMES
Teresa Tarragó,
Research Associate at IRB Barcelona
❝
A
PHOTO: N. BARBERÍA
If you have a good knowledge of
science and the skills to organize
and lead a team, you can do
other exciting and interesting
things besides research.❞
fter many years devoted solely to basic
edge Transfer – the Bosch i Gimpera Founda-
pany to your career?
research, Teresa Tarragó (Barcelona,
tion – of University of Barcelona (UB), where
It’s really important to me. At this stage of my
1974) is opening her horizons and
Ernest is Professor. We then set about drawing
career, forging ahead with a business plan, start-
entering the business world. From her position
up a comprehensive business plan, which was
ing from scratch with a project that we’ve cre-
as Research Associate in the Design, synthesis
approved by both institutions. Finally, partner
ated and that we can undertake as we please, is
and structure of peptides and proteins lab at
agreements were negotiated, under which IRB
incredibly motivating. So much so that I’m now
IRB Barcelona,
❝At this stage of my career,
and together with
forging ahead with a business
plan, starting from scratch with
a project that we’ve created
and that we can undertake as we
please, is incredibly motivating.❞
Group Leader
Ernest Giralt, she
has founded the
biotech company
Iproteos. Iproteos is
based on a technol-
Barcelona and the UB
doing an Executive MBA at ESADE to make
licence the technology
sure I have the skills I need to run a business.
we have developed to
- And what would you say to a scientist who
Iproteos for exploita-
feels the business itch?
tion in exchange for a
Go for it. People need to know that besides the
stake.
traditional path of a researcher, if you have a
- What’s next?
good knowledge of science and the skills to or-
So far, we’ve applied to
ganize and lead a team, you can do other exciting
ogy they developed centered on finding drugs in
several calls for public funding, such as ‘Inncor-
and interesting things. Sometimes scientists end
a family of molecules known as peptides. They
pora Torres Quevedo,’ in which we’ve asked for
up relating only with other scientists with pro-
plan to use these peptides to inhibit a group
funds for a postdoc, a graduate student and a lab
files similar to their own, while in the business
of enzymes called proteases, which are often
technician. Also, at the end of the year, we will
world you get to meet a wide variety of people
involved in disease. Teresa tells us how the idea
apply for space allotment in the PCB Bioincuba-
and this is a really enriching experience.
of the company came about, the long way they
tor so we can set up our first lab.
have come to get to this point, and how this
- How important is the creation of this com-
.
NAHIA BARBERÍA
initiative will affect her career.
- How and when did the idea of Iproteos
come about?
A few years ago, I participated in the ‘Bioentrepreneurs’ program (http://www.bioemprenedorxxi.cat). We learnt how to develop a
business plan, picked up the basics of marketing, and discovered how the market works.
At that time, in the lab we were working with
peptides as protease inhibitors. One particular
day in spring 2009 sticks in my mind. Ernest
and I went out for lunch to discuss our options
regarding the company and we decided to give
it the green light.
- And since then, what have you had to do to
set up the company?
First we spoke with the organizations to which
we belong: IRB Barcelona, where Ernest and
I are researchers, and the Centre for Knowl-
02
in vivo
July 2011
| Issue 15
The role of institutions in taking on the challenge of innovation
I
n order to ensure a transition to a knowl-
their institutions. Their efforts are paying off,
edge-based economy, it is crucial that
and each year they have seen the number of
potentially useful scientific results from basic
collaborations with industry, licences, and spin-
research make their way from the pages of a
offs increase.
lab book to industry. At the institutional level,
many organizations are realizing this potential,
and are taking on a much more active role in
promoting innovation activities in the lab.
As in cases like Iproteos, a collaboration
It’s not always an easy process, however,
and to overcome the early-stage difficulties of
transferring technology, the organizations take
a proactive approach. Some of the fundamental
steps that they take to bring value to the tech
between IRB Barcelona’s Innovation Depart-
transfer process include disseminating calls for
ment and the University of Barcelona’s Centre
funding among researchers, promoting good
for Knowledge Transfer, the Bosch i Gimpera
technology transfer practices in laboratories,
Foundation, and has significantly eased the pro-
training researchers in biotech-transfer policies,
cess. Their role is to identify, protect, develop
and identifying, protecting and adding value
and eventually commercialize the discoveries
to results with strong potential for success in
and inventions produced by researchers within
industry.
.
U
t
t
u
c
IN FOCUS
It’s a Smad, Smad world
recent study by Maria Macías' group
A
rial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, unveils
was chosen for the cover of the 15
the mechanism by which a group of proteins
June issue of the journal Genes and
named Smads contribute to orderly cell di-
Development. The study, a collaboration
vision, thus preventing uncontrolled growth
with Joan Massagué’s group at the Memo-
that could lead to disorders such as cancer.
tor, has devoted over 25 years to investigating
proteins that regulate them. For our part, we
the TGFb-Smad signal transduction pathway
gathered a collection of peptides and protein
that controls cell division, as well as many
fragments that allowed us to test what the
other cell functions. Because these proteins
linker did and how it altered the behaviour of
play such a critical role in the cell, they have a
the protein.”
very refined and complex regulatory mecha-
Upon activation by BMP or TGFb receptors, Smad
transcription factors become phosphorylated in
the nucleus by CDK8/9 for transcription then for
ubiquitination and destruction, creating a phosphoserine
code that is selectively read by WW-containing proteins.
The conclusion the researchers have drawn
nism; however, this mechanism has until now
from their work is that the linker plays a
remained a mystery. The structure of Smads
crucial role in the close regulation of these key
contains two subunits joined by a linker.
proteins: it acts like a switch. If there is one
Massagué suspected that the linker may have
phosphorylation signal in the linker, then the
a more important role than merely preventing
protein binds to molecules that make it active.
one part from drifting away from the other,
However, if there are two signals, then the
so three years ago he joined forces with Maria
protein is marked for destruction. Although
Macías to solve the mystery once and for all.
these findings represent a significant advance
“We decided to combine the skills of our
in our understanding of the life cycle of Smad
oan Massagué, Chairman of the Cancer
two laboratories to discover the details,” says
proteins, several steps remain unknown. This
Biology and Genetics Program at the
Macías, “Massagué’s lab used their cell biology
transatlantic collaboration will continue to take
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in
approach and began to introduce mutations at
a deeper look at the ‘big picture’ of Smads in
New York and IRB Barcelona Adjunct Direc-
specific sites to see how Smads relate to other
the cell.
J
.
New Board of Trustees gather for their first meeting
I
history and future plans of IRB Barcelona, focusing on recent activi-
research objectives. Members of IRB Barcelona's Board are representa-
excellence in biomedicine, providing high level training, participating in
tives from the Catalan Government; the local governmental elections
collaborations at the local, national and international levels, engaging in
held in November 2010 therefore brought about a new composition for
public outreach activities and fostering technology transfer. In addition,
the Board.
Board members approved the creation of the new biotech enterprise
RB Barcelona, like all public research institutes, is governed by
At their first meeting on June 23, Joan J. Guinovart presented the
a Board of Trustees charged with supervising research activities,
approving operative funds and overseeing the fulfillment of annual
ties aimed at fulfilling the Institute’s missions of conducting research of
Boi Ruiz i Garcia (Minister of Health, Government of Catalonia) has
.
Iproteos, founded by Teresa Tarragó and Ernest Giralt.
assumed presidency of the Board while Andreu Mas-Colell (Ministry
of Economy and Knowledge, Government of Catalonia) has taken up
the position of first vice-president. Other new members include: Antoni
Castellà (Secretary for Universities and Research, Government of Catalonia); Josep Maria Martorell (General Director of Research, Government
PHOTO: M. ESTEVEZ
of Catalonia); and Montserrat Vendrell (General Director, Biocat). The
Board also includes representatives from the Barcelona Science Park and
the University of Barcelona with Vice-Chancellor Dídac Ramirez as
second vice-president.
New members of IRB Barcelona’s Board of Trustees met on June 23, 2011.
in vivo
July 2011
| Issue 15
03
New postdoc fellows to join
IRB Barcelona research groups
A
T
fter six years, Joan Guin-
he first call for the IRB Barcelona In-
ovart’s tenure at the helm of
ternational Postdoctoral Programme,
Spain’s largest confederation
held in February this year, yielded a
of scientists has come to an end. COSCE,
bumper crop of excellent candidates who vied
the Federation of Spanish Scientific Societ-
to take up one of the positions available at the
institute, funded through the EU’s Marie Curie
COFUND programme. Eight researchers from
a wide range of backgrounds, both scientifi-
Guinovart ends
COSCE term
ies, was launched in 2004 to bring scientific
Sandra Colié
formerly INSERM
Toulouse, France
Samira Jaeger
Humboldt University
Berlin, Germany
bodies in the country together in a single
organization. COSCE represents more
than 30,000 Spanish scientists and has
cally and geographically, made the final cut and
served as an important lobbying platform
will join their new labs as of September this
to serve the interests of science in Spain.
Among the contributions made under
year.
Guinovart’s mandate are the programmes
The new postdocs will be working on
.
CRECE, Commissions for Reflection and
interdisciplinary research themes, often sharing
the Study of Science in Spain; CONOC-
their time between two research groups in different IRB Barcelona programmes.
Marko Marjanovic
Ruđer Bošković Inst.,
Zagreb, Croatia
Marianela Masin
CRG
Barcelona, Spain
EROS, a cooperation between parliament and scientific societies to promote
mutual understanding; and ENCIENDE,
an initiative to promote science teaching
practices in schools.
.
Guinovart is succeeded by Carlos
Andradas, Professor of Algebra at the
Complutense University of Madrid.
Irene Amata
formerly EMBL
Heidelberg, Germany
Salvatore Bongarzone
SISSA/ISAS
Trieste, Italy
ON THE SPOT
Juan M. Murillo
INB, UNAM Juriquilla,
Querétaro, Mexico
Christopher Sinadinos
Univ. Southampton,
United Kingdom
TANYA YATES
Barcelona BioMed Seminar series
❝The day I started working with
Drosophila I was happy.❞
H
ugo Bellen (Belgium, 1953) was
hand it contributes to controlling neuronal fat
first going to be a businessman. He
metabolism and on the other hand it travels
then changed his mind and became
through our bloodstream as a hormone, reach-
a researcher in mathematical economics, then a
ing the muscles and keeping their mitochondria
doctor in veterinary medicine. He finally settled
in working order. The absence of this pro-
in fruit fly biology. Hosted by Marco Milán,
tein leads to neuronal and muscular damage.
he visited IRB Barcelona on May 2 to give a
Patients with this disease usually die within 3-4
Barcelona BioMed Seminar about his latest
years after onset.
work on ‘Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS),
- Are you expecting to find a drug against
mitochondria and neurodegeneration.’
this disease?
- How are ALS, mitochondria and neurode-
It’s still too early to say, but we think that since
generation related?
ALS is a devastating neurodegenerative disease
that affects 1 in 400 people. It may or may
not be due to genetic inheritance, but either
way there is a neuronal protein –VAPB- that
is found at very low concentrations in people
with the disease. This protein presents a new
and broad mechanism of action: on the one
04
in vivo
July 2011
| Issue 15
the molecule acts as a hormone, hormone therapy would help. We are testing this possibility.
- How does your lab study ALS?
We are looking at several neurodegenerative
diseases using the fruit fly as a model animal.
Most of the neuronal mechanisms are very
similar to those of humans but its life cycle is
shorter. A healthy fly lives around 70 days,
Hugo Bellen is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Investigator at the Baylor College of Medicine.
PHOTO: I. CASTANEDO
while a sick fly won’t survive for more than
12-30 days. We produce mutations in specific
neuronal genes of the fly to see what effects
they have.
- Why did you change from wanting to be a
businessman to being a scientist?
I changed many times, and all the changes happened because I was not satisfied with what I
.
was doing. Money was never an issue and, you
know, the day I started working with Drosophila I was happy.
NAHIA BARBERÍA
N
TIO !!
A
R
IST PEN
G
RE W O
NO
SCIENCE BITES
➲
New hope in the fight
against Alzheimer’s disease
N
othing is an absolute
disease was to find a way to inhibit
truth, not even in sci-
their formation.
ence. This is what we
But what if it is small aggregates,
can gather from an article published
rather than large fibrilar ones, that
by IRB Barcelona researcher Natàlia
are actually the cause the disease?
Carulla in El Pais in June. In this
This is exactly what scientists from
article, Carulla explains how research
around the world have been ad-
on Alzheimer’s disease has shifted to
dressing over the last nine years. In
propose that small aggregates of pro-
a recent article published in May 4
teins – and not large fibrilar ones as
issue of the Journal of the American
previously thought – are responsible
Chemical Society (JACS), Carulla
for neuronal death.
and collaborators report that fibril
At the beginning of the 20th cen-
formation is not a static process but
tury, the neurologist Alois Alzheimer
a dynamic one in which proteins
discovered unusual accumulations of
making up the fibrils are continually
protein in the brain of a patient with
detaching and re-attaching to the
severe cognitive impairment. Today
fibrils. This molecular recycling sug-
we know that this patient suffered
gests that fibrils could be a reservoir
from Alzheimer’s, a disease that
of small toxic aggregates. It is hoped
involves the accumulation of proteins
that the future will bring about new
in the brain in the form of fibrilar ag-
strategies to treat this devastating
gregates. For decades, scientists have
disease.
studied these aggregates in depth
believing that the solution to this
Ab protein
Initial aggregates
.
NÚRIA NORIEGA
Final aggregates - Amyloid fibrils
Drawings: Antònia Casanovas
Unraveling chronic lymphocytic
leukemia
IRB Barcelona researchers Modesto Orozco and Josep
L. Gelpí participated in a Spanish study that sequenced
for the first time the whole genome in healthy and sick
cells of chronic leukemia patients. Their paper, published
in Nature, indicates that mutations in four genes are
responsible for the disease. Findings from this study have
also helped identify the biological mechanisms underlying
the development of this type of leukemia, which is the
most frequent in the developed world, with more than
1000 new cases each year in Spain alone.
➲
.
➲
When cells lose their leader
That groups of cells migrate in physiological contexts is
no surprise. The collective movements of cells require
organization and coordination - and they need a leader.
Sofia Araújo and Jordi Casanova have analyzed how
‘leading’ and ‘trailing’ cells establish their roles during
the development of the Drosophila tracheal system.
The study, published online in June in the Journal of
Cell Science, shows that the number of leading cells
in new branches of Drosophila trachea is established
by the genetic interaction of two genes, Sequoia and
Branchless.
.
➲
Clarifying the role of NIMA in
cell division
Each cell derives from a previous one that has split
in two. Along the way, all the components of the
original cell must divide so that each daughter cell
receives everything it needs: half of the chromosomes,
enough mitochondria, and so on. Cells build up a
‘spindle’, similar to a spider’s web, to ensure the correct
distribution of all the components. Scientists in the Cell
Signaling Laboratory, including Joan Roig and Carme
Caelles, have explained how a series of phosphorylations
– molecular modifications – performed by the NIMA
family of kinases control the formation of this spindle.
The study appears in The EMBO Journal.
.
➲
Disulphide bridges: the antidote
for cellular toxicity
In many diseases, including Alzheimer’s, cell death
has been associated with the abnormal aggregation of
proteins in the form of amyloid fibers. Computational
analysis shows that disulfide bonds are common among
proteins with a tendency to aggregate. Researchers led
by Xavier Salvatella have discovered that proteins with
disulfide bonds show a reduced risk of fiber formation,
and in cases where these fibers do develop, they are more
structured and stable, and possibly less damaging for the
cells. These results, published in Angewandte Chemie,
raise new questions about how these protein bonds have
evolved to safeguard cells against death.
.
in vivo
July 2011
| Issue 15
05
Aspiring researchers visit the lab for Kids Day
S
ixty aspiring researchers arrived at IRB
Barcelona on the morning of June 23 to
get a fun-filled taste of science. After an
entertaining hands-on science show (where
they got to make elephant boogers), the little
visitors went on a tour of the lab and learned
some basic principles of chemistry and physics, how bacteria and microbes grow, and what
fruit flies look like under the microscope.
After lots of ooohs and ahhhhhs and tons of
questions, the kids took home a tube of flies,
.
bacteria cultures from their own rather filthy
hands - and great memories of a fun day.
Thanks to all who helped out!
PHOTOS: S. SABORIT AND E. SORIANELLO
A new blog to help
solve your english
doubts!
http://tanyatheenglishdoctor.
blogspot.com/
IN BRIEF
working in industry, government and aca-
students and postdoctoral fellows from all
Albericio has been presented with the 2011
demia from 65 countries gathered to network
over the world.
Vincent du Vigneaud Award by the American
and discuss innovative healthcare, industrial
Peptide Society, given in recognition of scien-
and environmental biotechnology products.
Peptides worth prizes Fernando
tific excellence in the field of peptide chemis-
Science and Society debate
On May 10, the Societat Econòmica Barce-
Science communicators who
communicate The Heads of Communica-
lonesa d’Amics del País (SEBAP) organized
tions of the 37 research institutions within
chaired by Joan Guinovart, head of the SE-
the Associació Catalana d’Entitats de Recerca
BAP Research Committee, provided an op-
(ACER) met for the first time in June to share
portunity for the general public to participate
experiences. IRB Barcelona’s Sarah Sherwood
in the round-table discussion held by Josep
Congress of the Spanish Biophysics Society,
was on hand to present the Institute’s com-
Martorell, the Catalan Government’s Direc-
held in Murcia on June 3, Ignasi Fita received
munications strategy. Several working groups
tor of Research, Jaume Lanaspa, Obra
the Bruker Award for his study entitled ‘Large
will attempt to create synergies to explore
Social y Fundació “La Caixa” Director and
protein shells with and without icosahedral
new communication channels and strate-
Joan Massagué, IRB Barcelona Adjunct
symmetry: viruses and vaults.’ The prize is
gies to enhance public understanding of and
Director.
given in recognition of the career of a scientist
engagement in science.
try. His contributions to the development and
optimization of peptide synthesis methodologies have facilitated the synthesis of molecules
that were not available previously.
Bruker Award for Ignasi In the XIth
working in the field of biophysics in Spain.
a Science and Society debate. The initiative,
Journal recognitions IRB Barcelona
Betting on training From May 3-6,
researchers were in the spotlight in recent
BIO Washington 2011 on science
transfer IRB Barcelona participated for the
the IRB Barcelona and BSC Joint Research
issues of two journals. A recent paper by
Programme jointly organized a reference
Ramón Eritja’s graced the inside cover of the
third time in the BIO International Conven-
workshop on molecular dynamics. AM-
May 2 issue of ChemBioChem, while Ernest
tion, held in Washington on June 27-30. More
BER (Assisted Model Building with Energy
Giralt was chosen as the subject of an author
than 15,000 biotechnology representatives
Refinement) was attended by 40 graduate
profile in the May 2 issue of ChemMedChem.
06
in vivo
July 2011
| Issue 15
Hip hop hooray!
The frogs are here
“I don’t see no p’ints about that frog
that’s any better’n any other frog.”
Almost 150 years after Mark Twain
penned these words in The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, we actually do
Xenopus Laevis, African Clawed frogs, have taken up residence in their new facility at IRB Barcelona.
know why some frogs are better than others.
PHOTO: N. BARBERÍA
Both writers and scientists have brought
frogs deserved stardom. Since first used by
Aristotle to illustrate anatomical constraints
on sound production and speech, these plump
animals continue to fuel our understanding of
many aspects of physiology and developmental biology.
But fame costs and now, as many other ce-
Xenopus are a notoriously discerning creature. They need silence, an exact temperature of
18 degrees, purified water, places to hide, and
Just ask Raúl Mendez and his group at IRB
Barcelona, who have recently been working
with the Barcelona Science Park to set up a
Xenopus facility.
protein expression experiments.
At IRB Barcelona, Raúl Méndez’s group,
lots of worms to complement their regular diet
for example, will be using Xenopus to decipher
of meal, which they eat every two days. If these
the molecular mechanisms controlling mRNA
conditions aren’t strictly controlled, the frogs
translation. Research groups led by Ángel
likely won’t lay good eggs - which hold the
R. Nebreda and Jens Lüders are also taking
secret to their usefulness in lab experiments.
advantage of this model system to gain new
lebrities, the tongueless African Clawed Frog,
Xenopus laevis, has become a picky animal.
els, and thus are a good system for gene and
Xenopus oocytes and eggs are very large,
measuring 1 mm in diameter, and are easy to
culture and use in experiments, making them
ideal tools for developmental and cell biology
insight into cell proliferation and microtubule
.
organization.
Welcome frogs, we hope you like your
new home. Now, go make eggs!
studies. They also have greater similarity to
ITZIAR CASTANEDO
humans than many other popular animal mod-
NEWS FROM THE PARK
Somewhere over the lab bench
Getting closer to the labs
N
T
ot everyone who plugs their way
Bench,” organized jointly by IRB Barcelona
through a PhD in the biomedical sci-
and the Barcelona Science Park on June 9.
hough they may work day-in and
day-out with scientists, IRB Barcelona
admin staff may not necessarily know how
ences will end up with a flourishing career at
Panelists Susanna Baqué (Director Support
the bench and achieve the ever-elusive posi-
& Market Development – EMEA, AB SCI-
to run a PCR or what the structure of a pro-
tion of independent group leader. The fact of
EX), Antoni Párraga (Knowledge Manage-
tein looks like. ‘Descubre dónde trabajas’,
the matter is that some will not even want to.
ment and Modelling Director, Esteve), Paula
a workshop series aimed at familiarizing
García Nogales (Scientific Project Manager,
admin staff at IRB Barcelona with the world
Stiff competition for advanced research
positions, combined
with the growing need
scientific backgrounds in
areas related to research,
means that more and
opening up to the possibility of turning in their
of scientific research, is doing an excellent
K. Scheper (R&D
job at filling them in.
Project Man-
for professionals with
more young scientists are
AROMICS), Johanna
Panelists and organizers of the Career
Progression in Science Day, held on June 9.
lab coats and changing career tracks.
But how does one go about switching
gears? What kind of skills do scientists need
to acquire to be able to make the change?
And where in the world do you start to
look? Providing answers to these questions
was the aim of the fourth edition of “Career
Progression in Science – Options Beyond the
PHOTO: M. VALLE (PCB)
on June 14, participants found out first hand
Xavier Rubies (Head
from Nahia Barbería, Núria Noriega and
of Technology Trans-
Cristina Horcajada about DNA, the secret
fer, CRG), and Sarah
code of life. With presentations by research-
Sherwood (Head of
ers Helena González and David Rossell,
Communications and
the session revealed that the fruit fly and
External Relations,
humans share more than 60% of their genes.
IRB Barcelona) each discussed their professional experiences and gave their take on
the possibilities of embarking on careers in
science beyond the bench.
.
In the latest of these presentations, held
ager, CIBER-BBN),
The relevance of technology took on a
new dimension as David, head of the Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Unit, explained
how computational tools allow scientists to
.
The clear consensus of the day? The panel-
analyze in weeks what was once achieved in
ists agreed: When opportunity knocks,
years. Attendees agreed that the session was
answer the door.
eye-opening and highly informative.
in vivo
July 2011
| Issue 15
07
NEW AT IRB BARCELONA
Markus Muttenthaler (Austria, 1978) is a new postdoc
in Fernando Albericio’s lab. Granted a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship, Markus will spend two years in a
lab outside Europe – in this case the Scripps Research Institute
in San Diego – and then a third year at IRB Barcelona. Markus
will first gain some expertise in the use of peptide dendrimers
as molecular probes, and then arrive in Barcelona by June 2013.
When asked why he chose IRB Barcelona and Scripps as his destinations, Markus confirms, “definitely because of the great science conducted in both
places.” One thing is clear: this 32-year-old scientist loves travelling the world. He has
already lived in Vienna, New York and Brisbane, with Barcelona next on the list.
SPOTLIGHT
A new title for Roger
A
fter a postdoc fellowship in Joan Massagué’s group at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, in 2006,
Roger Gomis moved back to his native Barcelona
to set up a lab to study metastasis at IRB Barcelona.
Under the guidance of Massagué, he worked as
Managing Director to ensure that the lab produced
great science and to learn the ropes about leading a
research team. In May, he successfully completed a
comprehensive external evaluation and was officially
appointed Group Leader
Lluis Palenzuela (Spain, 1968) has recently taken up
the position of Research Assistant/Lab Manager in Travis
Stracker’s lab. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Biology
from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and did a
postdoc from 2003 to 2006 at Colombia University (USA).
In January, Lluis left the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute,
where he had spent five years working on liver diseases, and in April he joined IRB
Barcelona. “The technical duties of this new post attracted me, together with the rich
scientific atmosphere at the Institute.” In a just a few months, Lluis has settled and is
enjoying the opportunities IRB Barcelona offers.
- What’s the future of research in your lab?
We work on deciphering the molecular mechanisms that govern metastasis, trying to figure out
how metastatic cells navigate and survive their trip
through the body to colonize a new organ. We’ll
keep working on breast cancer - it’s a good model to
understand basic processes that may be taking place
in other types of cancer. We will, however, focus less
on what is happening in the primary tumour and take
a deeper look at how disseminated cells survive long
periods of time in different tissues to eventually cause
secondary tumours.
ON THE MOVE
- Any a-ha! moments in your career so far?
There have been instances, when I was work-
After completing a PhD on Drosophila DNA binding proteins, IRB Barcelona and ICREA researcher Alfred Cortés
(Barcelona, 1971) “felt the need to step into a field with
an enormous impact on global public health.” Invisible to the
naked eye, the human malaria parasite causes more than one
million deaths a year. Like the great explorer naturalists of the
nineteenth century, Alfred has devoted his scientific career
ing on TGFb in Massagué’s lab for example, where I
had a result and suddenly realized that one molecule
actually explained several different things we had
been observing. It was like finding a key piece to the
puzzle that made everything fit. It’s quite remarkable when that happens. It makes the long and hard
journey worthwhile.
to the study of malaria all over the world. He has worked in
- What’s the best advice you have received in mak-
Switzerland, Australia, Papua New Guinea and England to finally land here. Now, five
ing your transition from a junior researcher to an
years after joining IRB Barcelona, he is moving on to the CRESIB institute to continue
independent Group Leader?
deciphering the genetic peculiarities of this parasite.
I’ve had lots of good advice,
especially since most researchers
are trained to be good scientists,
IRB Barcelona visiting researcher Karin Weidner (Ger-
not managers. I’ve learned how
many, 1980) became a scientist because she “always wanted
to handle the timing of things,
to do something special.” For four years she worked among
how to deal with human relations
flasks and organic reactions in Professor Renaud’s lab in the
effectively. But by far the most
University of Bern, where she defended her PhD in radical
important advice I’ve received is
chemistry. In June 2011 she was due to begin a postdoc stay
to always make sure you do things
in Phil Baran’s lab at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla,
the best you can, no matter what.
but what was she to do in the meantime? Working in a “dif-
Don’t panic if things go wrong,
.
ferent environment on a great project sounded perfect,” so she applied for a short
and stay focused. Everything
stay in Antonio Riera’s lab. Karin spent three months working on natural product
else will come together
synthesis here at IRB Barcelona.
...hopefully!
In vivo, issue 15. Published by the Institute for Research in Biomedicine. Office of Communications & External
Relations. Barcelona Science Park. Baldiri Reixac, 10. 08028 Barcelona, Spain. www.irbbarcelona.org. Editors:
Nahia Barbería and Sarah Sherwood. Contributors: Itziar Castanedo, Núria Noriega, Tanya Yates.
Graphic Production: La Trama. Legal deposit: MU-951-2011. This document has been printed on
recycled paper. To subscribe or unsubscribe from in vivo email [email protected].
© IRB Barcelona 2011.