News

Relevant stories about SOMMa's centres and units, their breakthrough research, their findings, their projects and initiatives
Gene expression patterns may help determine time of death Gene expression patterns may help determine time of death 2018-04-22

International team of scientists led by Roderic Guigó at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona showed that changes in gene expression in different tissues triggered by death can be used to predict the time of death of an individual. As reported in a paper published in Nature Communications today, researchers suggest that by analysing a few […]

 María de Maeztu Gender & ICT program to promote women in STEM María de Maeztu Gender & ICT program to promote women in STEM 2018-04-19

María de Maeztu Gender and ICT program at DTIC-UPF The Maria de Maeztu Gender and ICT program groups the broad gender strategy at DTIC-UPF, with the involvement of over 100 volunteers. The program has been since its inception set up as a collaborative project with several external entities, including the financial support of companies NAE […]

 L. Verde shares the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics as part of the WMAP team L. Verde shares the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics as part of the WMAP team 2018-04-19

On past 3th December, at a ceremony in California, the Breakthrough Prize in fundamental physics was awarded to the WMAP “For detailed maps of the early universe that greatly improved our knowledge of the evolution of the cosmos and the fluctuations that seeded the formation of galaxies”. Funded by private sponsors, the Breakthrough Prizes recognize […]

 SONAR – Nanotechnology for the Oil & Gas industry SONAR – Nanotechnology for the Oil & Gas industry 2018-04-18

The first stage of the SONAR project (Strategic Opportunities of Nanotechnology Applications in Repsol) was completed in 2015 with a closing session held at the Repsol Technology Research Centre (Móstoles, Madrid). A stimulating series of talks given by both IMDEA and Repsol scientists summarised the findings of the project reinforcing the importance of nanotechnology research […]

 New spin-off Ahead Therapeutics SL to develop novel therapies for autoimmune diseases New spin-off Ahead Therapeutics SL to develop novel therapies for autoimmune diseases 2018-04-18

Ahead Therapeutics SL is the result of a joint research project with a strong nano component between the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), the ICN2 and ICREA. It was created to advance the development of therapies for autoimmune diseases and pursue their application in a clinical setting. Just a few months in, the […]

 Orchestra Scientific: a new spin-off to capture CO₂ Orchestra Scientific: a new spin-off to capture CO₂ 2018-04-18

Last year, ICIQ researchers discovered a blue material capable of ‘trapping’ CO₂ molecules. This new material –a metal-organic framework– slows down CO₂ molecules, allowing the separation of carbon dioxide in a mixture of gases. Now, researchers will commercialise said technology with a new spin-off company – Orchestra Scientific. Even shortly after Orchestra kicked off, it […]

 The Big Bell Test The Big Bell Test 2018-04-16

•On November 30th 2016, more than 100,000 people participated in the BIG Bell Test, a global experiment to test the laws of quantum physics. •Participants were able to complete more than half a million levels of the video game that generated more than 90 million bits, a number that tripled the initial expectations of the […]

 Two new Super-Earths discovered around nearby red dwarfs Two new Super-Earths discovered around nearby red dwarfs 2018-04-16

Only 25 years ago we did not know of any planets outside the Solar System. Today, though, we have a list of more than 3,500 exoplanets around other stars. There are a number of techniques for discovering them, and one of the most used is the radial velocity technique. This involves measuring the changes in […]

 New advances in the modern field of Contact Geometry New advances in the modern field of Contact Geometry 2018-04-16

The development of contact geometry is motivated by the fact that in quite a few spaces there is more than one contact structure, thereby posing the question of their classification. In 2015 the group led by ICMAT researcher Fran Presas published a paper in the journal “Annals of Mathematics”, which showed that at least one […]

 ERC Advanced Grant to expand work on agent expectations and their policy implications ERC Advanced Grant to expand work on agent expectations and their policy implications 2018-04-16

Barcelona GSE Research Professor Albert Marcet (ICREA-IAE, MOVE, and Barcelona GSE) has been awarded an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council for his project, “Asset Prices and Macro Policy when Agents Learn and are Heterogeneous.” The ERC Advanced Grant is a competitive award for senior researchers conducting ground-breaking work at the highest level. The […]

 Cell autophagy, a key process in muscle regeneration during aging Cell autophagy, a key process in muscle regeneration during aging 2018-04-09

The ability for skeletal muscle to regenerate depends on its stem cells, known as satellite cells, which are found in a resting state (quiescence) and are activated when damage occurs to the tissues. In tissues with little turnover, as is the case of skeletal muscle, this state of reversible quiescence  is the normal state throughout […]

 The mechanism that positions the heart on the left The mechanism that positions the heart on the left 2018-04-09

Our bodies show an external bilateral symmetry. However, there are many internal asymmetries. As such, our liver is on the right while the spleen and heart are on the left. During embryonic development, all these organs appear at the midline and later they are displaced to their final position. This process is essential for correct […]