School of Engineering
Biological and Biotechnological Chemistry
(GQBB)
2021 SGR 00535
The GQBB group (Biological and Biotechnological Chemistry Group) conducts its activity in three main areas: identification and molecular analysis of proteins and enzymes, their use as therapeutic targets and design and applications of enzymes in biocatalysis and biotechnology in microorganisms.
It is currently part of IQS Tech Transfer S.A., a TECNIO accredited agent in the category of technology developer. It has been recognised by the AGAUR as a Consolidated Research Group since 1999.
Its activity focuses on the molecular study of biological processes with an integrated vision from the identification and molecular analysis of proteins and enzymes as therapeutic targets, mechanisms of action of bioactive molecules, synthesis of bioactive molecules, design and applications of enzymes in biocatalysis and biotechnology with microorganisms.
The activity of the GQBB includes specialised training, basic and applied research, and technology transfer oriented to the businesses. The research is clearly oriented towards the industrial application of the results obtained. Thus, the group aims to respond to the technological needs of companies so that they can improve their competitiveness.
In this environment, GQBB carries out its R&D and technology transfer activities in the following areas:
- Biocatalysis
- Use of enzymes in the synthesis of bioactive products and pharmaceutical intermediates
- Characterisation of enzyme activities
- Protein analysis and determination of enzyme activities
- Bioprocesses
- Development of biotechnological processes and products
- Biotechnological applications in wastewater treatment
- Simulations of biotechnological processes
- Evaluation of food formulations
- Organic synthesis of pharmaceuticals and bioactive products
- Identification and isolation of active ingredients from natural sources
COORDINATOR:
Antoni Planas Sauter, PhD
Head of GQBB Group - Professor - Fellow of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona
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MEMBERS:
Marçal Gallemí Rovira, PhD
Research Collaborator - Researcher Beatriu de Pinós
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EXTERNAL COLABORATORS
Luis Miguel Santos, PhD
Université de Genève
Marcelo Guerin, PhD
CSIC
Bruno Moerschbache, PhD
Universität Münster
Isabelle Andre, PhD
Toulouse Biotechnology Institute
Gemma Arsequell, PhD
CSIC
BUSINESS SOLUTION AREAS
LINKED NEWS
Interview
Interview with Dr Marçal Gallemí
13/09/2023
"The Beatriu de Pinós Grant gives me the opportunity to get involved in a research project on scaling bioprocesses that has the potential for technology transfer"
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Doctoral thesis
A Platform for Sustainable Glycolipid Production
13/09/2023
Dr Bernat Miró recently completed his doctoral thesis at IQS, in which he explored the genetic and metabolic modification of microalgae for the sustainable production of bioactive glycolipids with high added value.
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Research
A Gene Therapy for Lafora Disease
13/09/2023
Dr Jordi Duran has recently obtained funding from the Ramón Areces Foundation to find an innovative gene therapy for Lafora disease, a rare disease that currently has no treatment.
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Doctoral thesis
Metabolic Engineering for Glycolipid Production
04/05/2023
Dr Marc Caballé recently defended his doctoral thesis at IQS, in which he explored metabolic engineering as a biological alternative for the production of glycolipids with high biological interest such as α-galactosylceramide.
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News
Computational Biology: discovering and optimizing new products
31/03/2023
The Bioinformatics and Molecular Modeling unit within the IQS Biochemistry Laboratory works on the development and application of computational biology, artificial intelligence, and simulation methods for the discovery and optimization of high added value products for application in various sectors of activity.
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Editorial
Dr Antoni Planas i Sauter, Scholar with the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona
27/06/2022
Dr Antoni Planas i Sauter has been named a scholar with the 3rd Chemistry section of the RACAB, a very important honour for IQS and one that recognizes the outstanding career of one of its professors.
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News
IQS Sponsors the First Biomedical Glycoscience Summer School
20/06/2022
IQS sponsored the inaugural edition of the Biomedical Glycoscience Summer School, organized by the Specialized Carbohydrates Group with the RSEQ in which over 40 researchers in the field of glycosciences participated.
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Research
Biostimulants and Alternative Proteins
15/06/2022
The CTPTI Bioprocess Pilot Plant at IQS has recently carried out various collaborative efforts with companies on projects and developing innovative products in the fields of biostimulants and alternative proteins.
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Doctoral thesis
Study of the Structure and Function of Proteasomes
14/06/2022
Dr Bernat Coll defended his doctoral thesis at IQS on 21 February, in which he characterized the SUMOylation of the Rpn5 protein within the context of the proteasome, with an additional study of protein degradation and the potential of chimeric proteins as therapeutic tools.
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News
Givaudan visits the IQS Bioprocess Plant
12/05/2022
The representatives from Givaudan Ibérica were able to take a guided tour of the Bioprocess Pilot Plant, led by Dr Planas himself, where they discovered the possibilities offered by this facility first-hand.
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Doctoral thesis
Obtaining HMOs through Enzymatic Synthesis
16/03/2022
Dr. Mireia Castejón recently defended her doctoral thesis at IQS, where she has managed to obtain the tetrasaccharide compound lacto-N-tetraose, present in breast milk, by enzymatic synthesis. This opens the door to obtaining new biocatalysts for the synthesis of HMO oligosaccharides by this route.
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News
IQS Teaches its First Bioprocesses Course for Companies
17/02/2022
The company Syva, specialized in animal health, has received the first training course in the design and optimization of bioprocesses, organized by the IQS Bioprocess Pilot Plant.
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News
Reconocimiento digital de estructuras químicas dibujadas a mano
03/06/2021
IQS Tech Transfer y la empresa Vision Arcanum colaboran en un proyecto para el reconocimiento digital de estructuras químicas dibujadas a mano, en pantalla táctil o en papel, utilizando modernas técnicas de visión por ordenador (Modern Computer Vision Techniques) basadas en Machine Learning.
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7 Questions for...
PAU LEIVAR
04/04/2021
Profesor del Departamento de Bioingeniería i miembro del Grupo de Química Biológica y Biotecnología (GQBB) de IQS School of Engineering.
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News
Protein hydrolysates for animal feed
04/04/2021
The Biochemistry Laboratory at IQS has analysis techniques to verify if the protein hydrolysates comply with European standards which limits the presence of proteins with a molecular weight over 10kDa.
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7 Questions for...
MAGDA FAIJES
05/02/2021
Dra. Magda Faijes, Profesora del Departamento de Bioingeniería y miembro del Grupo de Química Biológica y Biotecnología de IQS School of Engineering.
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Doctoral thesis
New biological platform for the production of glycoglycerolipids
08/01/2021
In her doctoral thesis carried out in the Department of Bioengineering of IQS, Dr Núria Orive designed different metabolic engineering strategies to increase the production of glycoglycerolipids, interesting products due to their potential use as vaccine adjuvants or tumor suppressors.
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LATEST PROJECTS
Glycoengin (Engineered Glycozymes in biocatalysis, metabolic engineering and bio-orthogonal chemical biology)
Application of Carbohydrate Active Enzyme (or Glycozymes) by means of protein engineering and metabolic engineering to the generation of technological tools in glycoscience and the production of high-value glicoconjugates for health, nutraceuticals and food sectors.
Funding Agency:
Research Group Link:
Biological and Biotechnological Chemistry (GQBB)
RHAMNOALGA (Sustainable Production of valuable RhamnoLipid biosurfactants in green microalgae)
Development of new biotechnological applications of microalgae
Funding Agency:
Research Group Link:
Biological and Biotechnological Chemistry (GQBB)
NanoLaf (Use of mRNA-loaded polymeric nanoparticles as an innovative replacement therapy to treat Lafora Disease)
Polymeric nanoparticles to deliver mRNA as replacement therapy in Lafora Disease
Funding Agency:
Research Group Link:
Biological and Biotechnological Chemistry (GQBB)
