The Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Luis Escobar as Junior Group Leader through ICIQ’s Advanced Tenure Track Programme. In this role, he will establish an innovative research programme centred on hybrid supramolecular systems with biomedical relevance.

The new research group will focus on the design and development of hybrid supramolecular systems that integrate biological scaffolds, such as nucleic acids and peptides, with synthetic host-guest complexes based on macrocyclic receptors. By combining precise molecular design with the programmability of biological scaffolds, his team aims to generate hybrid oligomers and supramolecular nanostructures. These systems will be explored for their long-term potential in health-oriented applications, while advancing the fundamental principles of molecular recognition and self-assembly in complex environments.

Dr Escobar’s recruitment has been made possible thanks to the Severo Ochoa Excellence Grant CEX2024-001469-S, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, which supports strategic talent incorporation at ICIQ.

A trajectory shaped by excellence and international experience

Originally from Albacete, Dr. Escobar completed his PhD in Organic Chemistry and Supramolecular Chemistry at ICIQ and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), including a research stay at the University of Texas at Austin, supported by an FPU Fellowship. He subsequently held postdoctoral positions at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich, funded by a Humboldt Fellowship, and at the University of Cambridge, where he gained expertise in Chemical Biology, Prebiotic Chemistry, and Polymer Science.

In 2024, he was awarded a Junior Leader Fellowship from the “la Caixa” Foundation and a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship from the Spanish Government, enabling him to return to ICIQ and launch his independent research career. His work has been published in leading journals such as Nature, PNAS, and Chemical Reviews, and he has received several distinctions, including the Extraordinary PhD Award from URV, the Postdoctoral Research Award from the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ), and recognition as an Emerging Talent in Systems Chemistry.

“I am deeply honoured and genuinely excited to take on the role of Junior Group Leader at ICIQ. This appointment represents a significant milestone in my academic journey and a unique opportunity to consolidate and expand my independent research program within an environment that fosters excellence, creativity, and scientific rigor. ICIQ’s commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration and international impact resonates strongly with my ambition to develop innovative hybrid systems that bridge synthetic and biological chemistry. I look forward to building a dynamic research team, contributing actively to the institute’s scientific community, and helping to shape the next generation of research at the chemistry-biology interface,” states Dr. Escobar.

With this incorporation, ICIQ reinforces its commitment to nurturing emerging scientific talent and advancing frontier research in Organic Chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry, and Chemical Biology.

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The NANORADIOMED project, a collaboration involving ICN2, UAB, the ICO-Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), and CARINSA Group, aims to prevent and treat some of the most common side effects associated with radiotherapy. Its technology is based on the controlled release of active ingredients through microcapsules integrated into clothing, with the goal of improving patients’ quality of life.

Reunido el patronato en su sesión extraordinaria del 27 de febrero de 2026 ha quedado informado de la renuncia del gerente del CNIO, así como de un escrito firmado por 27 jefes de grupos de investigación del Centro relativo a la gestión del mismo.

El patronato, por decisión propia, celebrará una nueva reunión a la mayor brevedad posible para analizar la situación actual y el futuro del Centro.

La entrada Comunicado del Patronato del CNIO se publicó primero en CNIO.

• The study, published in the journal Cornea, shows that this rare disease not only alters the structure of the cornea but also affects the function of the sensory nerves that protect and maintain it.
• Through a clinical study conducted in children and adults with aniridia, the researchers found that the loss of sensitivity is not static, but rather progresses with age.

Photo: Researchers Mª Carmen Acosta and Juana Gallar, who lead the Ocular Neurobiology laboratory at IN UMH-CSIC

Congenital aniridia is a rare disease caused, in most cases, by mutations in the PAX6 gene, which is essential for the development of ocular structures. Although the most visible feature is the total or partial absence of the iris, its effects go far beyond this, as those affected often experience focusing problems, photophobia, and various complications that may worsen over time. Now, a clinical study led by the Ocular Neurobiology Group at the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and published in the journal Link YouTube: https://youtu.be/uM8NerQd7tY

Until now, previous studies have shown that nerve density in the corneas of adult patients with aniridia is reduced. However, no one had analyzed whether these nerves were fully functional: “We knew there were fewer nerves, but we still needed to understand whether the remaining ones were working properly and what consequences this had for the eye”, explains Professor Mª Carmen Acosta, who led the study. To carry out this research, the team evaluated a group of patients with aniridia, including both children and adults, and compared them with individuals without the ocular condition.

Since aniridia is a rare disease, assembling a clinical cohort that included different age groups posed a significant challenge. The study was made possible thanks to collaboration with ophthalmologist Nora Szentmáry, a specialist at Semmelweis University (Hungary), whose research background and clinical expertise in aniridia make her an international reference in this field. Her unit facilitated patient recruitment and evaluation, a key factor in enabling the analysis of how nerve function evolves from childhood to adulthood.

The researchers measured corneal sensitivity to very mild mechanical stimuli applied through controlled air pulses, as well as sensitivity to cold. They also analyzed tear production under basal conditions and after activating the lacrimal reflex through CO₂ microstimulation using the i-Onion device, developed from a patent held by the research group itself.

The results showed a clear pattern: in childhood, corneal sensitivity is very similar to that of healthy individuals. However, in adulthood, a significant decrease appears, and patients require stronger stimuli to perceive contact, showing difficulty distinguishing stimulus intensity. “The most relevant finding is that the deterioration is not static, but progressive. Children still retain a function quite close to normal, but in adults, we observe a clear loss of sensitivity”, Acosta notes.

Current Eye Research, 2024. doi: 10.1080/02713683.2024.2320779

Cornea of a healthy eye (left) and of a patient with aniridia (right), showing changes in the tissue’s defensive cells that reflect corneal alteration. Source: Csorba et al., Current Eye Research, 2024.

The study also reveals alterations in the tear response. Although basal tear production is comparable to that of people without aniridia, the ability to increase secretion in response to a protective stimulus is reduced, limiting one of the eye’s main defense mechanisms. “Sensory information not only allows us to detect contact or cold. It is what activates protective mechanisms such as blinking and tear production. If the nerve signal weakens, the eye’s defense system also weakens”, explains Professor Juana Gallar, head of the Ocular Neurobiology Group.

The cornea loses its ability to regenerate

Another relevant aspect of the study is that the team focused on the trophic function of sensory nerves. Beyond their role in the perception of sensations, these nerves actively contribute to maintaining and regenerating tissue. When innervation decreases or deteriorates, the cornea loses its ability to repair itself, which promotes the appearance of small lesions, loss of transparency, and persistent pain. “Nerves are essential for keeping the cornea healthy. If their function becomes altered over time, the tissue no longer regenerates properly, and complications arise that affect both vision and quality of life”, adds Gallar.

This work is part of a broader project in which the team studies aniridia, both in patients and experimental models. In the next phase, the researchers will further analyze nerve function in a mouse model carrying a mutation in the PAX6 gene, which will allow them to study in greater detail the cellular mechanisms involved in the progressive degeneration of corneal innervation. Understanding these processes at a basic level is essential for designing more precise therapeutic strategies in the future to help slow deterioration and improve patients’ quality of life.

This research was possible thanks to funding from the Spanish State Research Agency – Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF/European Union) “A Way of Making Europe”, and the Generalitat Valenciana. It also received support from the Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Foundation, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and the National Research, Development and Innovation Office of Hungary.

Age Impairs Corneal Sensitivity and Reflex Tearing in Congenital Aniridia. Acosta MC, Náray A, Csidey M, Maka E, Nagy ZZ, Jávorszky E, Zobor D, Tory K, Cortón M, Kovács I, Gallar J & Szentmáry N. Cornea (2026)

DOI https://doi.org/10.1097/ico.0000000000004117

Source: Institute for Neurosciences UMH-CSIC (in.comunicacion@umh.es)

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Researchers at ICN2 have explored the use of 2D materials, in particular hexagonal boron nitride, to help reduce excess heat in electronic and photonic chip components. Their results could play an important role in the development of future nanodevices.

Professor Antonio M. Echavarren, Group Leader and Director of the Severo Ochoa Scientific Programme at ICIQ, has been appointed Chemistry Europe Fellow for the 2024–2025 edition. This award represents the highest distinction granted by Chemistry Europe, an association that brings together 16 scientific societies from 15 European countries.

The Fellows programme, established in 2015, recognises every two years a select group of scientists whose contributions have been fundamental to the advancement of chemistry and to strengthening the European scientific community. This cohort has been chosen for its outstanding contributions, representing excellence in research, creativity and innovation.

The new Fellows will be formally recognised at the 10th EuChemS Chemistry Congress in Antwerp, scheduled for July this year.

A career of excellence

Professor Echavarren is internationally renowned for his pioneering work in homogeneous catalysis, particularly in gold chemistry, where his research has opened up new avenues for the synthesis of complex molecules and natural products that are essential for the development of pharmaceuticals and sustainable materials.

Echavarren’s research excellence has always gone hand in hand with his commitment to the advancement of organic chemistry and his service to the international scientific community. In addition to his achievements, Professor Echavarren is well known for his dedication to the training of young researchers: he has supervised numerous doctoral theses and his guidance has helped shape the next generation of scientists in organic chemistry.

“It is a great honour to join the distinguished list of Chemistry Europe Fellows, which includes Professor Pau Ballester, who was the first of our colleagues at the ICIQ to be honoured by Chemistry Europe,” said Professor Echavarren following the announcement of his appointment.

About Professor Antonio M. Echavarren

Professor Antonio M. Echavarren is an internationally recognised leading figure in the field of catalysis, particularly in gold-catalysed reactions. Throughout his career he has received numerous awards, including the Janssen-Cilag Prize in Organic Chemistry (2004), the Gold Medal of the Royal Spanish Chemical Society (2010), the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award of the American Chemical Society (2015), the Enrique Moles National Research Award (2022) and the Rei Jaume I Award for Basic Research (2023). More recently, he was awarded an Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Huelva (2025).

He has been awarded two ERC Advanced Grants and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a member of the Academia Europaea and a former President of the Royal Spanish Chemical Society. He has also served as principal investigator on 13 projects funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, in addition to other international projects, including two ERC Advanced Grants, one ERC Proof of Concept grant and six Marie Skłodowska-Curie research staff grants.

Over the course of his career, he has supervised 60 doctoral theses, 47 master’s projects and 61 postdoctoral researchers. He is the author of more than 300 scientific publications in high-impact international journals.

About Chemistry Europe

Founded in 1995, Chemistry Europe is an association of 16 chemical societies from 15 European countries, representing over 75,000 chemists. It publishes a family of high-quality scholarly chemistry journals, covering a very broad range of disciplines. ChemistryEurope is its flagship journal, publishing high-impact, authoritative research on all aspects of chemistry. Wiley-VCH is its publisher.

The mission of Chemistry Europe is to evaluate, publish, disseminate, and amplify the scientific excellence of chemistry researchers from around the globe in high-quality publications. It supports its members at every stage of their careers as they strive to solve the challenges that impact humankind. In all its work, Chemistry Europe values integrity, openness, diversity, cooperation, and freedom of thought.
https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

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