CSIC scientists have developed and patented a hydrogel formed exclusively by lipids dispersed in a large amount of water, without the need of using surfactants or polymers. This fact avoids risk of irritations or adverse responses in case of medical applications. This material is biocompatible and favors the transport of drugs through topical, ocular or mucous routes.

One of the strategies for reducing the impact of climatic change is finding processes to reuse greenhouse gases and therefore avoiding their emission to the air. Scientists at the CSIC have developed a catalyst for reusing and transforming CO2 and methane and obtaining syngas.

Scientists have developed a new technique to study the interaction between molecular systems and how these systems adapt to environmental changes. The potential uses are in several fields, such as molecular sensors or the study of the origin of life.

The Instituto de Química Avanzada de Catalunya of the CSIC, the Technische Universität Darmstadt and the Spanish company Sustainable Momentum have developed and patented a selective biocatalyst, which is efficient and ecologic. It enables the synthesis of organic molecules copying natural processes and avoiding the use of like-palladium metals.

Científicos han desarrollado este nuevo método que serviría para aplicaciones microelectrónicas y biomédicas, incorporando moléculas de forma ordenada “a la carta”. El trabajo, liderado por el CSIC, se ha publicado en la revista Advanced Materials. Los segmentos de ADN se acoplan entre ellos como piezas de ‘lego’ y pueden usarse como  “adhesivo” para acoplar otras moléculas funcionales o nanomateriales

Scientists at the CSIC are designing advanced lipid systems for skin treatments. In the last experiment, they have obtained chemical maps of skin samples, which show how the lipid molecules enter the inner skin.

Imitating the chemistry of nature in order to obtain clean and sustainable chemical processes is the goal of project CarbaZymes, funded in the European EU’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme. The consortium held its mid-term review meeting in Brussels, at the Directorate General for Research & Innovation.

A group of biocompatible cationic surfactants derived from the histidine, an amino acid, have been obtained. These surfactants are non-toxic and have antimicrobial activity. They could be used in food, cosmetic, biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.