2024/05/16

Researchers from CICbioGUNE participate in the international science outreach festival Pint of Science in Bilbao

Ana Ruiz-Saenz and Hasier Eraña, researchers from CICbioGUNE, took part in the Pint of Science Festival in Bilbao.
The talks, focused on the theme of "Marvelous Mind and Our Body," were held on May 14th and May 15th, respectively, at Geuria! San Mamés bar.

Two researchers from CIC bioGUNE, member of BRTA, Ana Ruiz-Saenz and Hasier Eraña, have been part of the Pint of Science International Scientific Outreach Festival, held in Bilbao from May 13th to 15th.

The Pint of Science Festival, known for its relaxed atmosphere that allows attendees to interact with scientists in informal settings such as bars, has once again filled the streets of Bilbao with science and knowledge. This year, the event featured a record-breaking 24 talks spread across 4 bars in the Basque capital, covering topics ranging from climate change to artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and nanotechnology.

Ana Ruiz-Saenz, Ramón y Cajal and Ikerbasque Group Leader in the Cancer Therapy Resistance Lab at CIC bioGUNE, presented the talk titled "Unmasking the Tumor Cell," where she explored the main focus of her group, emphasizing on the resistance to treatments in breast cancer. Ana highlighted the understudied role of sugar coating on tumor cells and how it affects the effectiveness of targeted therapies and their interaction with the immune system.

On the other hand, Hasier Eraña, postdoctoral researcher in the Prion Research Lab at CIC bioGUNE, captivated the audience with his talk "What Happened to Mad Cows?". Hasier addressed the intriguing field of study related to prions, agents responsible for lesser-known diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob or Fatal Familial Insomnia, and their relationship with mad cow disease, a condition that has intrigued both scientists and the public since its appearance in the 1990s.

The Pint of Science Festival in Bilbao took place in several establishments, each dedicated to a specific thematic category, ensuring that attendees had access to a variety of cutting-edge scientific topics presented in an engaging and accessible manner for all audiences.

CIC bioGUNE's commitment to scientific outreach is reflected in the active participation of its researchers in events such as the Pint of Science Festival, where they could share their passion for science and their discoveries with the local community.

About CIC bioGUNE
The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About Ikerbasque
Ikerbasque - Basque Foundation for Science - is the result of an initiative of the Department of Education of the Basque Government that aims to reinforce the commitment to scientific research by attracting, recovering and consolidating excellent researchers from all over the world. Currently, it is a consolidated organization that has 290 researchers/s, who develop their work in all fields of knowledge.

About BRTA
BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of 3,500 professionals, executes 22% of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

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