SERVICES

SKIN RESEARCH PLATFORM (SRP)

The SRP is at the service of cosmetic companies with a need for cosmeticeutical principles,
design and development with a solid scientific foundation.

This platform is a blend of our expertise in molecular cosmetics and the development of natural extracts with dermatological applications. Its mission is to become a place where the excellence of our academic research meets the clinical and industrial needs through synergic collaborations. Through the SRP, all available IDiBE know-how and technology is aimed at the development of innovative healthcare and skincare products and services.

The SRP is currently used by companies interested in characterizing their products both at the analytical and functional level.
We offer a complete in vitro portfolio of activities, including:

Development of transdermal patches based on electrospun nanofibers with encapsulating properties and controlled release.

The SRP is a joint initiative between IDiBE, the technological institutes AITEX, INESCOP and AIJU, the private companies BIOARRAY and LIPOTEC and the Center of Dermatology and Aesthetics of Alicante. As a public-private enterprise, the aim of the platform is to establish strong connections with our stakeholders to facilitate the development of marketable products and services.

MOLECULAR MODELLING PLATFORM (MiMIc)

MiMic integrates our capabilities in bioinformatics with the virtual screening of biomolecular structure databases aimed at the design of macromolecular structures.

Molecular dynamics simulation has been incorporated to recreate the macromolecule dynamics in a native environment, including proteins, lipids, water and ions. As for our equipment, IDiBE provides a dedicated room endowed with an air conditioned machine, a continuous power supply, and the adequate electrical installation to house two high-performance servers and a cluster of computers with 50 processors. The UMH also provides a high-performance computing cluster for researchers (http://ccc.edu.umh.es). All management, editing and macromolecule editing software is readily installed and maintained by the personnel of the SIATDI – UMH facility.

TRANSLATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY PLATFORM (PATeNT)

Designed to exploit our competitive, translational know-how and equipment in the field of nanotechnology applications.

The mission of PATeNT is to provide R&D capabilities, services, and assistance in the design and development of nanostructures, nanoparticles and nanofibers for various biotechnological applications, including diagnostics, therapy, cosmetics and biosensing.
Our nanotechnology know-how inlcudes:

The PATeNT platform has acquired new equipment thanks to several funding projects:

ERC Starting Grant (Bloodcellscrostalk, GA639249)

• Nano scanning differential calorimeter (DSC) from TA Instruments specially designed for the study of conformational transitions of dissolving biomolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, etc.) induced by temperature increase.
• Particle analyzer using dynamic light scattering (DLS) with non-invasive backscatter optics (NIBS) and flow cell for coupling to chromatography systems.
• Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography System (uHPLC) Shimadzu, from the NEXERA series, coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometry detector model LCMS-8050 for tandem masses (QqQ-MS / MS).
  
• CLEM Microscopy Unit (Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy) composed of a Confocal Microscope LSM900 and a Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM).
• BD FACS Jazz Cell Sorter, that uses the principles of flow cytometry to collect the cells of interest from a heterogeneous suspension, at a single-cell level.
• GE Healthcare IN Cell Analyzer 6000, a high-performance and high-content automated laser-based confocal imaging platform, designed for fast, automated and fully adjustable fluorescent microscope imaging and analysis of fixed and live cells, in a high variety of sample holders.

ION CHANNEL HIGH THROUGHPUT SCREENING PLATFORM (PuCCiNI)

Design, identification, and validation of modulatory molecules of this family of proteins

Ion channels are very attractive drug targets, as they are involved in several diseases, from cancer to inflammation and neurodegeneration. Thus, there is an increased interest from pharmaceutical companies in the development of pharmaceutically active molecules that target these proteins. Furthermore, they are involved in skin physiology and nutrition, which expands their interest to cosmetic and nutraceutical companies. 

IDiBE, in collaboration with SICI and RECI, has established PuCCiNI, an ion channel discovery platform that provides the knowledge and capabilities for the design, identification, and validation of ion channel modulatory molecules. PuCCiNI high-throughput technology is also readily adaptable to other proteins. Our ion screening services include:

PuCCiNI has already attracted the interest of drug discovery platforms such as the Kaertor Foundation and Innopharma, and recently has been invited to participate in an ICTS focused on drug discovery. PuCCiNI has the resources for in vitro characterization of ion channels, as well as the in vivo capabilities to investigate their implications in pathophysiological and toxicological processes. Therefore, we are able to test the efficacy of lead compounds acting on ion channels as well as the pharmacological safety of leads for their pre-clinical and clinical development.

Our equipment includes manual and automated patch clamp setups, multiarray electrophysiology, automated liquid dispensers, fluorescence and luminescence plate readers, high content microscopy, microfluidic technology, neuronal primary cultures, and confocal microscopy. 

PILOT EXTRACTION PLANT FOR BIOTECH PROCESS OPTIMIZATION PLATFORM (PERfOrM)

Industrial R&D projects and technology development for companies in the fields of pharmacology, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, functional foods and agronomy.

PERfOrM readily applies our know-how to the transformation and/or optimization of industrial processes into market-ready products, processes, and services. Our mission is to generate competitive  and cost-effective technological strategies and solutions in accordance to EU Bioeconomic strategy. The main activities of PERfOrM are:

CELL CULTURE UNIT

This unit is equipped with 8 laminar flow cabinets (one with high biological safety) 8 CO2 incubators for eukaryotes with an automatic central CO2 distribution. It is also equipped with an electroporator for eukaryotes and accessory equipment for the preparation of culture media (thermostated baths with agitator, centrifuges),  terilization, waste treatment and the manipulation and observation of cells.
This unit is divided in separated rooms for primary cultures and cell lines so that cross-over contamination is reduced.
This unit has five -80°C ultra-freezers each with 500 liters capacity, (two of which have a safety system and are connected to CO2 bullets), two –30°C freezers, two lyophilizers and several liquid nitrogen containers of liquid nitrogen various dimensions (from 140 to 25 liters capacity) for sample storage.

BIOSAFETY LEVEL 2 LABORATORY

A BL-2 laboratory will be incorporated for culturing pathogenic bacteria and viruses safely. Pathogens intended to be used are agents of moderate potential hazard to personnel and the environment. The BL-2 laboratory will be composed of two full cell culturing rooms, one for pathogenic bacteria and the other for viruses that infect eukaryotic cells. The BL-2 will open new opportunities for undertaking more ambitious projects.

IMAGING ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS

Equipped with two Coulter Epics XL flow cytometers for cell population analysis, two Nikon and Leica inverted fluorescence microscopes with Vis/UV lenses and image processing equipment, two Zeiss SLM5 Pascal confocal microscopes, equipped with Argon and Helium-Neon lasers, as well as small accessory equipment, a FESEM microscope, and In-cell analyzer for high content microscopy.

ANALYTICAL FACILITIES

A. Analysis and chromatographic fractionation unit: 

Merck Hitachi high performance liquid chromatography system (HPLC), with an automatic sampler, photodiode detector, luminous evaporative dispersion detector and fluorescence detector; a semi-preparative Merck-Knauer HPLC system with dual pumps for gradient separation and a Vis/UV detector; Agilent-Hewlett Packard Series 1100 HPLC equipment with automatic sampler and photodiode
detector; mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (ESI) and ion trap detector in MS/MS mode (Bruker Esquire 3000 Plus).

B. Nucleic acid processing unit: Gene Amp PCR System 2700 thermal cycler (Applied Biosystems) with a temperature control system for conventional PCR; two real time quantitative PCR devices from Applied Biosystems; a Affymetrix DNA Microarray which automates the production of microarrays by Pin-and-Ring technology; and one Affymetrix Array Scanner which scans microarrays or any holder which contains fluorescent molecules. It is equipped with two 532 and 635 nm lasers and an optical system that captures the emission of fluorescence by confocal microscopy.

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY FACILITIES

Equipped with an automatic fluorescence, absorbance and luminescence 96-well plate reader, and an automatic liquid dispensing robot. It also contains two “voltage clamp” systems with two electrodes for ionic current measurements in Xenopus oocytes as a system of expression for foreign proteins with ionic channel activity and three electrophysiological and ionic flow (patch-clamp) recording devices with adapted optical microscopic. One of these devices is equipped with an inverted fluorescence microscope and HORCA software for intracellular calcium recordings. It has small accessories (micromanipulators, pipette pullers, refrigerated oocyte incubation cabinet, etc.). It also has equipment for measuring electrodes (MEA, Multiple systems, Germany), and is acquiring two automatic patch clamps (Fluxion, USA) with the capacity to process >500 samples a day.

PROTEIN PRODUCTION, STRUCTURE AND THERMODYNAMICS

A. Protein production and purification unit. Three incubators for bacteria growth, along with a hot room kept a 37ºC, and a fermenter (New Brunswick,  Eppendorf). This unit has two Beckman ultra-centrifuges with an assortment of different rotors (fixed angle, swinging buckets, near vertical, etc.), two Beckman refrigerated centrifuges with fixed angle rotors and swinging buckets, two desktop Beckman centrifuges with rotors and adapters (one is refrigerated), several microfuges of different makes and two “Speed.Vac” Savant, with their rotors, one of them with a refrigerated trap. The unit is completed by an FPLC system with Vis/UV detector (215 and 280 nm) for protein purification. An assortment of different analytical or semi-preparative columns for the equipment and different brands of fraction collectors and electrophoretic systems complete the unit.

B. Microcalorimetric analysis unit: This unit has a high sensitivity VP-DSC calorimeter and a high sensitivity VP-ITC isothermal titration. It also has a differential scanning MC-2 microcalorimeter and an isothermal titration Omega calorimeter which are somewhat older and less sensitive. All of this equipment is from Microcal, Inc. Apart from this equipment, the unit also has a differential Perkin Elmer DSC-6 calorimeter, which is highly useful for measuring lipids and accessory equipment for sample preparation.

C. Molecular spectroscopy unit: Two Jasco spectropolarimeters mod. 715 and 815 for circular dichroism measurements; a SLM spectrofluorometer with accessories for fluorescence polarization measurements, spectra recordings, double wavelength excitation and rapid kinetics; a steady state PTI fluorometer for excitation-emission polarization spectra with software which permits temperature scanning and working with solid samples. It also has a rapid kinetic “stopped-flow” Applied photophysics apparatus with three channels (absorbance, fluorescence and circular dichroism). In addition, it has a Thermo scientific “Nanodrop 1000” 39 Spectrophotometer, which can obtain an emission spectrum between 220 y 750 nm, from just a 1-2 μl sample. It has several programmed application modules for nucleic acids, cell cultures and protein quantification, etc.

D. Structure unit:
a) NMR AVANCE 500, spectrometer with shielded magnet and TOPSPIN 2.0. software. Three channels for biomolecular studies, with triple resonance and BVT temperature unit. Gradient unit, one TXI probe and one BBO probe.
b) TBI Inverse probe for triple resonance with Deuterium lock for 1H/13C/BB broadband. Full HR-MAS accessory with high-speed probe for H/13C/lock 2H, pneumatic for handling samples in rotors and control electronics. GRASP II/P high power gradient unit with 10 A amplifier and pre-emphasis.

ANIMAL FACILITIES

An animal facility is located in the University campus to host rodents, amphibians, and fish. These facilities are well equipped, including isolation rooms for immunedeprived animals. In addition, surgery rooms are available, as well as a behavioral room for nociception testing. Researchers with an approved protocol by the Office of Responsible Research of the University have full access to the facility to work under the approved conditions.

INDUSTRIAL PILOT PLANT FACILITY

Apart from a complete set of pilot machinery for semi-industrial production of juices, beverages (alcoholic and non- alcoholic), fermented products and extraction of bioactive compounds from vegetable, herbs and by-products materials, this facility is composed of:

• Extraction Equipment
• Separation Equipment; Filters, Centrifuges, Finishers & Others
• F&D, Dryers, Evaporator and Steam Distillation equipment
• Pasteurization & Sterilization Equipment
• Filling & Packing Equipment
• Fermenters and Bioreactors
• Auxiliary and Other Equipment