www.xrb.cat

What is the XRB?

The Catalan Biotechnology Reference Network (XRB) is a “virtual” research center structured in 7 units, which inlucdes all main biotech research fields from different institutions XRB was funded in 1994 by Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan government) and nowadays has over 500 researchers. The Director is Anicet R. Blanch of the University of Barcelona, previous were Dr. E. Giralt and Dr. P. Puigdomènech . The m a n a g e m e n t b o d y i s t h e B o s c h i G i m p e r a Foundation (FBiG).

Units

U1:    Synthesis  and  Structure  of  Pep6ds  and  Nucleic  Acids  Dr.  E.  Giralt  (IRBB-­‐UB)  

U2:  Biochemical  Engineering.  Dr.  X.  Font  (UAB)  

U3:  Protein  Engineering.  Dr.  F.X.  Avilès  (IBB-­‐UAB)  

U4:  Plant  Gene6cs.  Dr.  J.  García-­‐Mas  (Consorci  CSIC-­‐IRTA-­‐UAB-­‐UB  Centre  de  Recerca  en  Agrigenòmica  (CRAG))  

U5:  Molecular  Biology  and  Biotechnology  of  Animal  Cells.  Dr.  J.  Roca  (IBMB-­‐CSIC)  

U6:  Plant  Molecular  Gene6cs.  Dra.  B.  Sansegundo  (Consorci  CSIC-­‐IRTA-­‐UAB-­‐UB  Centre  de  Recerca  en  Agrigenòmica  (CRAG))  

U7:  Environmental  Microbiology.  Dr.  A.  Blanch  (UB)  

Main Goals

Promote  interdisciplinary  research  and  quality  

Improve  social  percep6on  of  Biotechnology  

Improve  colabora6on  and  technology  transfer  between  XRB  and  Industry  

Increase  research  in  value  and  promote  the  crea6on  of  new  companies  

Take  ac6ve  part  in  researcher  training  and  mobility  

Encourage  contacts  with  na6onal  and  interna6onal  networks  

RESULTS 2012 (I)

94 competitive grants 15,1 M €

51 doctoral thesis read

23 science activities organized

43 divulgative activities

9 filled patents

24 ongoing company projects 1,29 M €

165 ongoing doctoral thesis 345

papers

RESULTS 2012 (II)-IDEA POT

INVESTMENT  (2012):  5.000  €  

RESULT (2013): IMI CONSORTIUM WITH

GSK = 1,38 M €

Goal: Invest no more than 5k into specific proof of concept projects to reduce time to market

https://www.youtube.com/xrbiotech

RESULTS 2012 (III)

Goal: to detect young researchers and entrepreneurships with a groundbreaking idea and give a chance to start a project or research line

Applications: 7 ü 4 energy sector ü 1 environment ü 2 biomedicine

RESULTS 2012 (IV)-IDEA AWARD

Thanks to:

What does biotechnology do for me? Goal: the books’ aim is to show society (and particularly high schools) how biotechnology

helps and improves our day-to-day life

   CONTENTS  

 FICHES  (students)   ARTICLES  (advanced  students)  

ü It  removes  bad  smells  ü It  cleans  beaches  

ü It  makes  transplants  easier  ü   it  cures  flu  

ü It  transforms  bacteria  into  drug  factories  

ü It  uses  plants  to  increase  my  quality  life  

THANKS www.xrb.cat https://www.youtube.com/xrbiotech @xrbiotech http://www.slideshare.net/xrbiotech/