A study by the University of Barcelona has identified nearly 20 genes that could contribute to some people being more susceptible to depression, anxiety and traits such as irritability and neuroticism. These genes are regulated by the RBFOX1 gene, which acts as the central hub of a genetic network linked to several key processes in
In children and adolescents who have experienced child abuse, the body appears to remain in a state of alert for too long, and this situation can affect several bodily systems, such as the neuroendocrine, immune and metabolic systems. When this alert response is prolonged, it leads to cumulative wear and tear on all the biological
A research article published in Nature, one of the world’s leading scientific journals, has revealed new mechanisms by which cells preserve genome stability under replication stress. The study, entitled “Replication-stress-induced chromatin loops protect fork stability”, has been led by researchers from the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute and Oncode Institute (Rotterdam, the Netherlands), with the participation
A new research project aims to develop an innovative method to measure heat production in living organisms, opening new possibilities for studying energy metabolism at the molecular level. The project is led by Prof. Fèlix Ritort from the Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia de la Universitat de Barcelona (IN2UB), and focuses on the physical principles underlying
Enguany es torna a organitzar la ja 16a Summer School on Medicines, que tindrà lloc del 4 al 10 de juliol, a Toulouse, França. La SSM16 ofereix un programa que inclou presentacions, estudi de casos i la interacció amb experts del sector i de la indústria farmacèutica per a entendre tota la cadena de valor
The 16th Summer School on Medicines (SSM16) will be held in Toulouse, France from July 4 — 10, 2026. The curriculum of SSM16 covers the entire drug R&D process, from target discovery to market access. Participants will take part in interactive classes, case studies, a visit to a translational medicine research center, and a full-day
The IBUB-OBD Early Career Day, organized by IBUB in collaboration with the Bioethics and Law Observatory (OBD), was successfully held on May 22nd, 2026, at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Barcelona. The event was a resounding success, bringing together 180 attendees and reaching 100% occupancy of the Aula Magna. The meeting provided
Endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects approximately one in 10 women of reproductive age — around 190 million worldwide — remains poorly understood from a biological perspective, which has historically hindered both its accurate diagnosis and the development of effective treatments. Now, an international study published in the journal Nature Genetics provides new data
Professor Gemma Marfany, from the Faculty of Biology and the Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB) at the University of Barcelona, has been awarded in the science communication category at the first edition of the Awards in Journalism and Public Outreach on Genetics. The awards, organized by the biotechnology company Amgen Spain and the National Centre for
SYNGAP1 encephalopathy is a rare genetic disorder for which there is no treatment, causing epilepsy, intellectual disability, psychomotor delay and, frequently, autism. It is caused by mutations in the SYNGAP1 gene, which produces a protein essential for brain and cognitive development. Now, a multicentre study describes the wide variability in clinical symptoms among patients and
