These awards aim to value the transfer and entrepreneurship of CSIC research staff, promote the entrepreneurial culture and encourage the transfer models of the Institution, as well as to recognize the efforts of the centers and their staff to transfer their knowledge to society.
The jury recognized the work of José María Lagarón and Cristina Prieto, research staff of the New materials and nanotechnology for food applications group, in the development of nanofiber-based filtration materials against COVID-19. This technology has been developed and commercialized in collaboration with the company BIOINICIA.
The researchers of the New materials and nanotechnology for food applications group have obtained the General Category Award in the Technology Transfer Modality, which values those technologies commercialized through licensing or collaboration agreements.
The four inventions patented either by Lagarón or by Lagarón and Prieto were brought to the market through various masks composed of a new material, made up of nanofibers, which offered not only the levels of protection required by surgical masks and FFP2 with less thickness, but also antimicrobial capacity, biodegradability and/or compostability, disinfection capacity with alcohol, greater comfort, balsamic properties, inclusive and translucent versions for the perception of emotions and that could be used for several days without losing effectiveness. "These innovative filters have not only been used in the nanofiber masks marketed by Bioinicia, popularly known as CSIC masks, but also in air purification equipment," explains Lagarón.
“These innovative filters have not only been used in the nanofiber masks marketed by Bioinicia, popularly known as CSIC masks, but also in air purification equipment”, José María Lagarón, IATA researcher
"We are very grateful to the staff of the working teams of the group and the spin-off company Bioinicia SL, to the participating researchers of the PIMA group of the UJI, IDEA-CSIC, CBMSO-CSIC and IBV for the experimental support received and finally, to the PTI+ Global Health of the CSIC and the AVI for the funding received," says Prieto.
Gloria Sánchez, researcher of the Environmental Virology and Food Safety Group at IATA, and Ana Allende, researcher at the Center for Soil Science and Applied Biology of Segura (CEBAS - CSIC), have won the Award in the General Category of the Knowledge Transfer Modality. The jury recognized the social impact of the Virus Sewage Joint Group (VIARAL) and its work in epidemiological surveillance of viruses in wastewater, a key method for following the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic.
However, the collaboration of the IATA staff and the CEBAS team goes beyond SARS and they have recently worked with other pathogens, such as the Mpox virus (monkeypox). "Without my team and that of Ana Allende, this recognition would not have been possible. I extend this recognition to all the members of the two groups," said Dr. Sanchez.
The Awards Ceremony will be held at the CSIC Assembly Hall in a public ceremony on May 30, 2024 at 12:00 noon.