IBUB

Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona

Drug and target discovery for biomedical science

The Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB) is a transversal research unit formed by some 40 groups from the Faculties of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy and Food Sciences. The IBUB was created in 2006 with the aim of identifying, beyond the traditional academic structures (departments and faculties), a set of laboratories with complementary scientific activity, capable of generating synergies.

Technology Transfer Opportunities

One of the key strengths of IBUB is its ability to successfully transfer knowledge to society

Projects

314

Research groups

40

Publications

725

Research

The Institute of Biomedicine brings together highly qualified biomedical research personnel working in groups renowned for their excellence, and its founding collective’s indicators in scientific production and the raising of resources testify to the IBUB’s benchmark status in biomedical research in both Catalonia and the rest of Europe.

Research Programs

IBUB is comprised of research groups actively coordinated in the form of differents programs and nodes

Research Groups

IBUB consists of different specialized research groups

Seminars

The succinate receptor 1 (SUCNR1) and its function in the airway epithelium

Carlos A. Flores. Centro de Estudios Cientificos & Associated Professor, Univ. San Sebastián, Chile

Date

March 18, 2026

Time

13:00h

Place

A-16, Fac. Bio.

Molecular and Cellular Bases of Human Mitochondrial Disease and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Guillermo López-Doménech (Univ. College London)

Date

February 26, 2026

Time

10:00h

Place

Aula Graus, Fac. Biologia

Advanced MRI measures in adults with Down syndrome: Characterization and relationship to inflammation and cognitive function

Katherine Koenig; Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (USA)

Date

November 4, 2025

Time

15:00h

Place

Aula CRAI, Fac. Biology

Article of the month

María Navarro-Pérez, Mireia Pérez-Verdaguer, Anna Benavente-Garcia, Michael L Dustin, Antonio Felipe#, Jesusa Capera#

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences

Kv1.3 palmitoylation regulates spatial distribution and channel removal from the immunological synapse

Kv1.3 is the main voltage-gated potassium channel in T cells. At the immunological synapse (IS), it sustains Ca2⁺ signaling and facilitates T cell activation. Aberrant Kv1.3 expression or activity is linked to autoimmune disorders, yet the mechanisms regulating its targeting and organization at the IS remain unclear. We show that Kv1.3 palmitoylation is a dynamic process mediating channel rearrangement at the IS. The ZDHHC21 acyltransferase, which also S-acylates the TCR, palmitoylates Kv1.3, positioning this enzyme as a potential therapeutic target. Palmitoylation promotes channel migration to the synapse center for removal from the surface. A nonpalmitoylated mutant (Cysless Kv1.3) accumulated at the distal IS and was excluded from lipid raft–enriched domains. Mislocalization and reduced current hindered lymphocyte activation. Moreover, Cysless Kv1.3 showed stronger interaction with PSD95 and cortactin, stabilizing the channel at the surface. These findings highlight S-palmitoylation as a crucial regulator of Kv1.3 during immune responses and a promising target in autoimmune disease therapy.

Announcements

END – Travel grant to participate in the 15th Summer School on Medicines, SSM15 in Montreal from July 5 to 11, 2025

Data límit

June 2025

MCP Lab offers a predoctoral contract associated with a project of the AGAUR Program “Indústria del Coneixement”

Data límit

20/1/2024 - Send CV and motivation letter

Contact

Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona, IBUB

Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular

Facultat de Biologia / Secretaria IBUB & Bioinformàtica
Avda. Diagonal, 643
Edifici Prevosti, planta -1
08028 Barcelona

+34 606 14 87 72
ibub@ub.edu

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