Activity Report 2016

About Us

Vision:

CIC bioGUNE (Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences) is a non-profit research organisation focused on performing research of excellence in Life Sciences. Founded in 2002 through an initiative of the Department of Industry of the Basque Government (currently Department of Economic Development and Infrastructures), it has become a pillar of the Basque Country’s growing bioscience sector and a model for efficient cooperation between the different agents of the Basque Innovation System.

Mission:

CIC bioGUNE’s mission is to perform basic research that excels at the international level, focused on strategic aims: to play a major role in the advancement of biomedical research and technological innovation and to support the development of the biotechnology and bioscience industry in the Basque Country.

Values:

CIC bioGUNE prioritises scientific opportunities with the strongest service potential and the highest capacity to improve the quality of life of society. CIC bioGUNE adheres to the following values:

Our projects and activities will be conducted in the firm belief that scientific excellence may only be fostered in a free and tolerant environment.
Our projects and activities will seek to promote the human and professional development of those involved in achieving our goals.
Our resources and projects will be administered, directed and assessed in order to reaffirm the trust placed in us by the Basque Administration.

Funding 2016

Total 2016 R&D Budget: 0 million €

N. R&D Projects: 0

Public funding

Private funding

0 % Public Funding
52,76% competitive + 47,24% non-competitive
0 % Private Funding

0 % Basque Government Departments
6.399 K€
0 % MINECO & MEDC (Spanish Government)
2.286 K€
0 % R&D Contracts, Research Services & Others
1.498 K€
0 % EU & International Projects
871 K€
0 % Bizkaia County Council & Others
405 K€

Staff 2016

Staff 2016.12.31: 0

Average Age: 0 years

Permanent staff: 0%

0 % Female
91
0 % Male
73

164 Total CIC bioGUNE Personnel

0 % Research
137
0 % Administration and services
27

Research distribution by Proffesional Category

	nº	%
Researchers	95	69.3	41	54
• Principal investigators/Platform Managers	25	18.2	7	18
• Posdoctoral Researches/Research Assistant/Specialist	36	26.3	15	21
• PhD Student	34	24.8	19	15
Technicians	42	30.7	33	9

Research distribution by National Origin

Spain 73

Italy 6

Portugal 2

Austria 2

United Kingdom 1

Holland 1

Albania 1

Germany 1

America 6

Asia 2

0 % Spanish
73 researchers
0 % Rest of Europe
14 researchers
0 % America
6 researchers
0 % Asia
2 researchers

Scientific Output 2016

Publications 0

Citations 0 (*)

Impact Factor 0

Average HIRSCH Index 0 (*)

Lectures at Meetings 0

Lectures at Institutions 0

PhD Thesis 0

Impact Factor

106 publications in 2016

First Quartile

First Decil

0 First Quartile
0 First Decil

Citations

(*) Web of Science

Technology transfer and innovation 2016

New Patent Applications: 0

New Collaboration Agreements: 0

New Research Contracts: 0

Economic Activity: 0 €

0 Licensed Patents

0 new US Patent: US 0

0 new EPO Patent: EP0(B1)

Customer Base: 0

Basque Country: 0 %
National: 0 %
International: 0 %

11 New Patent Applications

0 European Patent Application
0 PCT Patent Application
0 Spanish Patent Application
0 USPTO Patent Application

Research Programmes

Metabolism and Cell Signaling in Disease

Personalized medicine
Prostate Cancer
Breast Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Liver Diseases
Rare Diseases
Biomarkers for Diagnosis
Biomarkers for Prognosis
Drug Design and Discovery

Molecular Recognition and Host-Pathogen

Rare Diseases
Homeostasis
Viral Infections
Bacterial Infections
Prion Disease
Tick-Borne Disease
Immune Response
Drug Design and Discovery

Platforms

NMR Spectroscopy
Macromolecular Crystallography
Electron Microscopy
Genome Analysis
Proteomics
Metabolomics
Animal Facility

Organization

New recruitments

Research lines:

1. Carbohydrate modifying enzymes

Glycosyltransferases, Glycoside hydrolases, Esterases, Auxiliary activities, CBMs…

2. Bacterial pathogenesis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Marcelo Guerin
Group Leader

Comes from Leloir Institute, Argentina

His interest in glycobiology began as an undergraduate student, while working with glycosyl hydrolases in the Leloir Institute at Buenos Aires, Argentina (1991-1996). This research center was named in honor to Luis F. Leloir, who discovered the first sugar nucleotide and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1970.

He then completed his doctoral studies in biochemistry and molecular biology studying mechanistic aspects of glycosyltransferases in the Leloir Institute (1997-2002). To further advance toward the understanding of the molecular mechanism that governs glycosyl transfer reactions, he moved to the Structural Biochemistry Unit at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, where he was first introduced to macromolecular crystallography (2003-2007). After this postdoctoral training, he continued his work on the mycobacterial cell envelope when he transferred as a postdoctoral fellow to the Mycobacteria Research Laboratories in the Department of Microbiology, at Colorado State University in the United States (2008-2009). In 2009, he was awarded an Ikerbasque Research Professor position as the Head of the Structural Glycobiology Group (SGP).

He started his work at the Unit of Biophysics (CSIC-UPV), the Basque Country, Spain. More recently, he moved to the Structural Biology Unit, CIC bioGUNE as the Head of the Structural Glycobiology Lab. He is particularly interested in investigating the structural and mechanistic properties of carbohydrate modifying enzymes. To this end, the group is using a multidisciplinary approach including protein biochemistry, protein biophysics and structural biology.

David Albesa-Jové
Senior Scientist

Comes from Imperial College London, United Kingdom

His interest in structural biology and bacterial pathogenicity began at Imperial College London, where he developed his research in the Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection of the Medical Research Council, London, UK (2006-2011). This research center is an international reference point in molecular, cellular and structural aspects of bacterial pathogenesis.

Previous to this, he completed his doctoral studies in chemistry at the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK (2000-2004), followed by a first postdoctoral training in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Durham, Durham, UK (2004-2006).

To further advance towards the understanding of the molecular mechanism that underline bacterial pathogenesis, he moved to the Structural Glycobiology Laboratory (2011 to present), where he focuses on the structural bases of glycolipid biosynthesis in bacteria.

In 2014, he was awarded an Ikerbasque Research Fellowship, a highly competitive program that provides a path towards an independent research career. To this end, he is using a multidisciplinary approach including protein biochemistry, protein biophysics and structural biology to study the involvement of the Type 6 Secretion System in bacterial competition and human pathogenicity.

Scientific Output

Structural Mechanism for Cargo Recognition by the Retromer Complex

Lucas M, Gershlick DC, Vidaurrazaga A, Rojas AL, Bonifacino JS, Hierro A.

Cell. 2016 Dec 1;167(6):1623-1635.e14. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.10.056

Fine Tuning of CD8 (+) T Cell Mitochondrial Metabolism by the Respiratory Chain Reporter MCJ Dictates Protection to Influenza Virus

Champagne DP, Hatle KM, Fortner KA, D'Alessandro A, Thornton TM, Yang R, Torralba D, Tomás-Cortázar J, Jun YW, Ahn KH, Hansen KC, Haynes L, Anguita J, Rincon M.

Immunity. 2016 Jun 21;44(6):1299-311. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.02.018.

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Catching elusive glycosyl cations in a condensed phase with HF/SbF₅ superacid

Martin A, Arda A, Désiré J, Martin-Mingot A, Probst N, Sinaÿ P, Jiménez-Barbero J, Thibaudeau S, Blériot Y

Nat Chem. 2016 Feb;8(2):186-91. doi: 10.1038/nchem.2399

The metabolic co-regulator PGC1α suppresses prostate cancer metastasis

Torrano V, Valcarcel-Jimenez L, Cortazar AR, Liu X, Urosevic J, Castillo-Martin M, Fernández-Ruiz S, Morciano G, Caro-Maldonado A, Guiu M, Zúñiga-García P, Graupera M, Bellmunt A, Pandya P, Lorente M, Martín-Martín N, David Sutherland J, Sanchez-Mosquera P, Bozal-Basterra L, Zabala-Letona A, Arruabarrena-Aristorena A, Berenguer A, Embade N, Ugalde-Olano A, Lacasa-Viscasillas I, Loizaga-Iriarte A, Unda-Urzaiz M, Schultz N, Aransay AM, Sanz-Moreno V, Barrio R, Velasco G, Pinton P, Cordon-Cardo C, Locasale JW, Gomis RR, Carracedo A. Tomás-Cortázar J, Jun YW, Ahn KH, Hansen KC, Haynes L, Anguita J, Rincon M.

Nat Cell Biol. 2016 Jun;18(6):645-56. doi: 10.1038/ncb3357

The democratization of cryo-EM

Stuart DI, Subramaniam S, Abrescia NG.

Nat Methods. 2016 Jul 28;13(8):607-8. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.3946

Neoangiogenesis-related genes are hallmarks or fast-growing hepatocellular carcinomas and worst survival. Results from a prospective study

Villa E, Critelli R, Lei B, Marzocchi G, Cammà C, Giannelli G, Pontisso P, Cabibbo G, Enea M, Colopi S, Caporali C, Pollicino T, Milosa F, Karampatou A, Todesca P, Bertolini E, Maccio L, Martinez-Chantar ML, Turola E, Del Buono M, De Maria N, Ballestri S, Schepis F, Loria P, Enrico Gerunda G, Losi L, Cillo U.

Gut. 2016 May;65(5):861-9. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2014-308483

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Cross-Species Interferon Signaling Boosts Microbicidal Activity within the Tick Vector

Smith AA, Navasa N, Yang X, Wilder CN, Buyuktanir O, Marques A, Anguita J, Pal U.

Cell Host Microbe. 2016 Jul 13;20(1):91-8. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2016.06.001

Evolution of SUMO Function and Chain Formation in Insects

Ureña E, Pirone L, Chafino S, Pérez C, Sutherland JD, Lang V, Rodriguez MS, Lopitz-Otsoa F, Blanco FJ, Barrio R, Martín D.

Mol Biol Evol. 2016 Feb;33(2):568-84. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msv242.

Novel vaccines targeting dendritic cells by coupling allergoids to nonoxidized mannan enhance allergen uptake and inducefunctional regulatory T cell through programmed death ligand1

Sirvent S, Soria I, Cirauqui C, Cases B, Manzano AI, Diez-Rivero CM, Reche PA, López-Relaño J, Martínez-Naves E, Cañada FJ, Jiménez-Barbero J, Subiza J, Casanovas M, Fernández-Caldas E, Subiza JL, Palomares O.

J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2016 Aug;138(2):558-567.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2016.02.029

Finding the Right Candidate for the Right Position: A Solid NMR-Assisted Combinatorial Method for Optimizing Nucleic AcidsBinders.

Jiménez-Moreno E, Montalvillo-Jiménez L, Santana AG, Gómez AM, Jiménez-Osés G, Corzana F, Bastida A, Jiménez-Barbero J, Cañada FJ, Gómez-Pinto I, González C, Asensio JL.

J Am Chem Soc. 2016 May 25;138(20):6463-74. doi: 10.1021/jacs.6b00328

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Pharmacological inhibition of fatty-acid oxidation synergistically enhances the effect of I-asparaginase in childhood ALL cells.

Hermanova I, Arruabarrena-Aristorena A, Valis K, Nuskova H, Alberich-Jorda M, Fiser K, Fernandez-Ruiz S, Kavan D, Pecinova A, Niso-Santano M, Zaliova M, Novak P, Houstek J, Mracek T, Kroemer G, Carracedo A, Trka J, Starkova J.

Leukemia. 2016 Jan;30(1):209-18. doi: 10.1038/leu.2015.213.

Deregulated methionine adenosyltransferase α1, c-Myc, and Maf proteins together promote cholangiocarcinoma growth in mice and humans (‡)

Yang H, Liu T, Wang J, Li TW, Fan W, Peng H, Krishnan A, Gores GJ, Mato JM, Lu SC.

Hepatology. 2016 Aug;64(2):439-55. doi: 10.1002/hep.28541.

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Structural basis for selective recognition of acyl chains by the membrane-associated acyltransferase PatA.

Albesa-Jové D, Svetlíková Z, Tersa M, Sancho-Vaello E, Carreras-González A, Bonnet P, Arrasate P, Eguskiza A, Angala SK, Cifuente JO, Korduláková J, Jackson M, Mikušová K, Guerin ME.

Nat Commun. 2016 Mar 11;7:10906. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10906.

Liver receptor homolog 1 and transmethylation fluxes in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Mato JM, Lu SC.

Hepatology. 2016 Jan;63(1):17-9. doi: 10.1002/hep.28146

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Methionine and S-adenosylmethionine levels are critical regulators of PP2A activity modulating lipophagy during steatosis

Zubiete-Franco I, García-Rodríguez JL, Martínez-Uña M, Martínez-Lopez N, Woodhoo A, Juan VG, Beraza N, Lage-Medina S, Andrade F, Fernandez ML, Aldámiz-Echevarría L, Fernández-Ramos D, Falcon-Perez JM, Lopitz-Otsoa F, Fernandez-Tussy P, Barbier-Torres L, Luka Z, Wagner C, García-Monzón C, Lu SC, Aspichueta P, Mato JM, Martínez-Chantar ML, Varela-Rey M.

J Hepatol. 2016 Feb;64(2):409-18. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2015.08.037

Stratification and therapeutic potential of PML in metastatic breast cancer

Martín-Martín N, Piva M, Urosevic J, Aldaz P, Sutherland JD, Fernández-Ruiz S, Arreal L, Torrano V, Cortazar AR, Planet E, Guiu M, Radosevic-Robin N, Garcia S, Macías I, Salvador F, Domenici G, Rueda OM, Zabala-Letona A, Arruabarrena-Aristorena A, Zúñiga-García P, Caro-Maldonado A, Valcárcel-Jiménez L, Sánchez-Mosquera P, Varela-Rey M, Martínez-Chantar ML, Anguita J, Ibrahim YH, Scaltriti M, Lawrie CH, Aransay AM, Iovanna JL, Baselga J, Caldas C, Barrio R, Serra V, Vivanco Md, Matheu A, Gomis RR, Carracedo A.

Nat Commun. 2016 Aug 24;7:12595. doi: 10.1038/ncomms12595

Scientific Output
Editorial Activity

Jesús Jiménez Barbero
Advisory Board

Edurne Berra
Editorial Board
Executive Editor

Jesús Jiménez Barbero
Editorial Board

Jesús Jiménez Barbero
Editorial Board

Jesús Jiménez Barbero
Editorial Advisory Board

Jesús Jiménez Barbero
Editorial Board

Arkaitz Carracedo
Autophagy and Cell Death Section Advisory Board

Jesús Jiménez Barbero
Editorial Board

Jesús Jiménez Barbero
Editorial Board

Juan M. Falcón-Pérez
Editorial Board

Oscar Millet
Associate Editor

Rosa Barrio
Editorial Board

Juan Anguita
Editorial Board

Juan Anguita
Review Editor

Rosa Barrio
Review Editor

María del Mar Vivanco
Editorial Board

Rosa Barrio
Editorial Board

Scientific Output
Highlights

CIC bioGUNE researchers publish again more than 100 publications. They include 20 publications with Impact Factor above 10. The average IF in 2016 reaches 6.5.

A new research group (Structural Glycobiology) joins CIC bioGUNE.

Atlas Molecular Pharma, a spin-off company from CIC bioGUNE, consolidates its Seed II Phase.

Competitive funding in CIC bioGUNE reaches 58% of total funding.

CIC bioGUNE researchers obtain three new International projects in 2016.

CIC bioGUNE joins the RIS3 Specialization Strategy at Euskadi in the área of Health.

A new 600 MHz Bruker IVDr NMR instrument exclusively dedicated to metabolomics studies is installed at CIC bioGUNE.

This instrument will be essential for the development of a new Project on metabolic health of the Basque Country populations.