Xavier Rovira, principal investigator at IBEC, has been awarded an ERC Proof of Concept Grant. These prestigious grants are awarded by the European Research Council to explore the commercial and social potential of research projects carried out at European institutions. Rovira's project seeks to develop the EVOaware platform, which is designed to address tumour resistance to therapies and accelerate the discovery and development of new cancer treatments.

Manuel Salmeron, principal investigator at IBEC, has been awarded an ERC Proof of Concept Grant. These prestigious grants are awarded by the European Research Council to explore the commercial and social potential of research projects carried out at European institutions. Salmeron's project, FACTORINK, focuses on designing functional bioinks with biological activity for printing artificial tissues.

New research reveals the impact of discarded plastic materials on young birds – with chicks dying after becoming entangled in synthetic fibres used to build their nests.

Scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA) examined the impact of plastics and rope in the nests of land-dwelling birds, using white storks as a case study. As is happening in the oceans due to human plastic pollution, they found that discarded synthetic materials can be a serious hazard on land too.

The study, published today in the journal Ecological Indicators, found human-derived materials were present in 91% of 568 stork nests monitored in Portugal over four years. During a year of weekly checking, 12% (35) of nestlings became entangled, with many of those dying, often due to injuries such as necrosis and limb loss.

Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that allows “self-driving laboratories” to collect at least 10 times more data than previous techniques at record speed. The advance dramatically expedites materials discovery research, while slashing costs and environmental impact.

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich have developed a novel method to track cancer treatment responses in individual cells – without the need for dyes or labels. Their mid-infrared optoacoustic microscopy (MiROM) technology enables real-time visualization of protein changes inside living myeloma cells, providing early insights into treatment effectiveness. By detecting protein misfolding, a key indicator of myeloma treatment response, MiROM offers a faster, more precise approach to personalizing therapy for multiple myeloma patients.