Two projects of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) in the Autonomous Community of Valencia receive funding from the CSIC Programme Major European Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) for 2025, which seeks to position the body in European and international consortia, as well as promoting their participation in the platforms identified by the European Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI).
In this call, launched by the Vice Presidency of International Relations (VRI), four grants are awarded, two of which fall to two located in the academic scientific area of the University of Valencia Science Park (PCUV): Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio) and the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC). The aid amounts to almost 100,000 euros for each research centre and is divided into three financial years (2025, 2026 and 2027).
The Spanish node of the Innovation Accelerator in Industrial Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology (IBISBA), driven and coordinated by Irene Otero-Muras, researcher at I2SysBio (CSIC - UV), is one of the actions to be funded to consolidate their participation in this European research platform.
IBISBA is the European Large Infrastructure (ESFRI) for Industrial Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology. Integrates infrastructures and laboratories of leading institutions in France, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Spain, Italy, Greece, the UK and the Netherlands. The platform was set up to provide a catalogue of cutting-edge services in biotechnology and synthetic biology, with the aim of promoting research and innovation in this field, as well as increasing the efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability of bio-productive processes, At the same time, the transition to the bio-economy is encouraged.
IBISBA was set up to provide a catalogue of cutting-edge services in biotechnology and synthetic biology, with the aim of promoting research and innovation in this field, as well as increasing the efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability of bio-productive processes, At the same time, the transition to the bio-economy is encouraged
The Spanish node of IBISBA is made up of CSIC, the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and Eurecat - Technological Centre of Catalonia. On the part of CSIC, there are 10 research groups, belonging to seven different institutes (three of them in Valencia): I2SysBio, which coordinates, the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants (IBMCP) and the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), as well as the National Biotechnology Center (CNB), the Biological Research Center (CIB), the Biological Mission of Galicia (MBG) and the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry (ICP).
The I2SysBio contributes to IBISBA on-demand model development for biocircuit design and control, rapid prototyping of strains for biomanufacturing, and development of cell factories in yeasts.
Another project to be funded by the CSIC is FAIR NUSTAR-DACQ Support and reinforcement for the integration of detection systems in NUSTAR, an action coordinated by Enrique Nácher and Dolores Cortina (IP), both IFIC researchers. FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Europe) is an international facility located in Darmstadt (Germany), designed to explore the deepest secrets of matter. There, scientists from all over the world use beams of heavy ions and antiprotons to recreate conditions similar to those inside stars or neutron star collisions. The goal is to understand how chemical elements are formed in the universe, how matter behaves under extreme conditions and what laws govern the subatomic world.
FAIR has four 'pillars' or large experimental blocks, one of these is NUSTAR (Nuclear Structure, Astrophysics and Reactions), a scientific collaboration that brings together researchers studying exotic atomic nuclei, That is, atoms with unusual configurations not found in nature. These studies are key to understanding astrophysical phenomena such as supernovae or the formation of heavy elements such as gold or uranium.
The new approved project is led by IFIC and involves other CSIC centres such as the Institute for the Structure of Matter (IEM) and the Institute for Space Sciences (ICE). Its main objective is to improve the data acquisition systems (DAQ) used in the NUSTAR experiments.
In addition to its scientific impact, the NUSTAR project also has an important training and technological component. It will train young technicians and researchers in cutting-edge instrumentation
These data systems are essential for accurately recording the results of nuclear collisions occurring in FAIR. To do this, specialized technical personnel will be hired and advanced electronic components will be acquired that will allow the integration of Spanish equipment with FAIR’s technological standards, such as the high-precision White Rabbit synchronization system. In addition to its scientific impact, the project also has an important training and technological component. It will enable the training of young technicians and researchers in advanced instrumentation.
FAIR is included in the European Scientific Infrastructure Roadmap (ESFRI) and in the CSIC’s Strategic Plan, underlining its strategic importance. In this way, the CSIC strengthens its presence on the frontier of nuclear physics with a new project at the FAIR facility, one of the most ambitious scientific infrastructures in Europe.
Source: Delegation CSIC Comunitat Valenciana