Principal Investigator
Dr. Ugutz Unzueta received his Ph.D. in Biotechnology in 2013. During his doctoral studies in the Nanobiotechnology group, he trained in recombinant protein production using microbial cell factories, supported by a PFIS fellowship from ISCIII. Part of his Ph.D. research was conducted at Maria Luisa Tutino’s laboratory at the University of Naples Federico II (Naples, Italy), where he specialized in recombinant protein production in psychrophilic bacteria. In June 2013, he defended his Ph.D. thesis “De novo design of self-assembling protein nanoparticles towards the gene therapy of colorectal cancer,” receiving a Cum Laude distinction and the Best Ph.D. Special Award. Dr. Unzueta then joined Prof. Ramon Mangues’ laboratory at Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) as a postdoctoral researcher in 2015. There, he worked on developing innovative self-assembling protein nanoconjugates targeted to CXCR4+ tumors, supported by a Sara Borrell fellowship from ISCIII. Part of this work was conducted at the University of Huddersfield (Huddersfield, United Kingdom), where he trained in advanced light scattering techniques for nanoparticles characterization.
In 2020, Dr. Unzueta established his independent research line at IR Sant Pau with a Miguel Servet Contract from ISCIII. As Principal Investigator, he leads a research program focused on designing and developing smart protein-based nano- and micro-materials with biomedical applications. In this sense, his team has pioneered the development of new generation tumor targeted multivalent nanoconjugates that allow super-selective targeted drug delivery. Currently, his research centers on applying this nanobiotechnology platform to precision nanomedicine.
Dr. Unzueta is the principal investigator of four competitive national projects and member of the Spanish nanomedicine network CIBER-BBN, where he coordinates three intramural collaboration projects. Additionally, he serves as the scientific director of the Recombinant Protein Production Service Laboratory at IR Sant Pau.
His work has resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed publications and six patents, contributing to the creation of the Spanish biotech company Nanoligent SL, a spin-off from UAB and IR Sant Pau. His patents have been already licensed to Nanoligent, where Dr. Unzueta actively collaborates as a scientific advisor and CMC operational lead.
Beyond his research activities, Dr. Unzueta is an Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics and Microbiology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), where he teaches subjects related to Virology and Microbiology. He has supervised five completed Ph.D. theses and is currently mentoring two additional doctoral students in his laboratory.
Researcher unique identifier(s) (ORCID): 0000-0001-5119-2266
Post-Doctoral Researchers:
Dr. Julian Mendoza obtained his Ph.D. in Biology in 2021 from the University of Rosario (Argentina). His thesis was conducted at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Rosario under the supervision of Susana K. Checa and Fernando C. Soncini, with support from CONICET. During 2020, he spent several months at the Worcester Arguello Lab (WPI), where he performed atomic absorption spectroscopy experiments. In November 2021, he defended his Ph.D. thesis titled “Design of selective biosensors to report contamination by toxic heavy metals.” This research focused on the structural characterization of the GolS sensor of S. Typhimurium and its variants that detect other metals, aiming to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in metal binding and signal transduction. This work contributed significantly to the field of metalloproteins.
In 2022, Dr. Mendoza joined the Ulab team at IR Sant Pau as a postdoctoral fellow, funded by CIBER-BBN. He is part of the NANBIOSIS ICTS U18 Toxicology Platform and the Recombinant Protein Production Service Laboratory. He also collaborates in our currently active research projects.
Researcher unique identifier(s) (ORCID): 0000-0002-1975-3606
Funding: CIBER-BBN
Pre-Doctoral Researchers:
Ariana Rueda obtained her BSc degree in Biotechnology at IQS (Institut Químic de Sarrià, Universitat Ramon Llull) in 2020. During her studies, she carried out an internship studying protein-protein interactions at the Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG, Spain). She also expanded her skills in protein characterization and bioconjugation at the Structural Biology and Enzymology Group of Marquette University (Wisconsin, USA), during a semester abroad supported by the AGAUR MOBINT-MIF grant. Additionally, she conducted her degree thesis at The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain, Denmark) optimizing the recombinant production of therapeutic proteins in mammalian cell systems. Her degree thesis earned a mention of honor and was supported by the 2020 Erasmus+ program.
Ariana Rueda received her MSc degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in 2021. For her master thesis, she worked on the site-directed conjugation of smart protein nanomedicines to improve targeted therapy of mesastatic colorectal cancer. This research involved the collaboration between the Nanobiotechnology group at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Oncogenesis and Antitumoral Drugs Group at the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau), with Dr. Ugutz Unzueta and Dr. Ramon Mangues as her supervisors. Continuing this line of research, she is currently pursuing a PhD developing multivalent protein nanocarriers for targeted cancer therapies, under the supervision of Dr. Ugutz Unzueta, and is supported by a PFIS fellowship from ISCIII at IR Sant Pau.
Ariana Rueda is also scientific member of the Spanish nanomedicine network CIBER-BBN, and contributes to two competitive national projects from ISCIII dedicated to the development of tumor-targeted protein nanoconjugates. Her research has been presented in several national and international conferences and already resulted in the publication of 3 scientific articles.
Researcher unique identifier(s) (ORCID): 0000-0001-7588-9279
Funding: PFIS Fellowship (ISCIII): FI21/00012
Lourdes Ailen Arena studied Biotechnology at the National University of Tucumán in Argentina. During her studies, she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to attend St. John’s University in New York, where she deepened her knowledge of genetics and immunology. She also received the “Encouragement of Scientific Vocations” scholarship from the National Interuniversity Council, enabling her to initiate a research project focused on the biological properties and the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of rosehip agro-industrial waste, aiming to add value to this byproduct. This project formed the basis of her thesis, whose findings were presented at national and international conferences.
Throughout her academic journey, Lourdes participated in four research projects, two outreach initiatives, two internships, and three university volunteer programs, exploring areas such as phytochemistry, microbiology, and cellular and molecular biology. She received scholarships from the governments of the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia. Her professional experience includes working as an analyst in a clinical biochemistry laboratory and teaching Physical Chemistry at the university level for over four years. Additionally, she collaborated with various foundations across Latin America, mentoring young people in STEM projects with a social impact, and she worked as a Laboratory Operations Manager at a leading tech-based startup.
Since 2021, Lourdes has been a member of the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum and other nonprofit organizations focused on science and social causes. She also earned diplomas in Bio-business and Open Innovation, reflecting her interest in technology transfer.
Recently, she was awarded the INPhINIT Doctoral Fellowship by the La Caixa Foundation to pursue her PhD at IR Sant Pau under Dr. Ugutz Unzueta’s guidance, starting in November 2024. Her doctoral studies lies at the intersection of nanobiotechnology and biomedicine, with a strong emphasis on applied science. The project proposes the use of an innovative drug with a unique mechanism of action capable of overcome drug resistance mechanisms, incorporated into a disruptive nanoconjugate as a targeted therapy for the treatment of metastatic cancer stem cells.
Researcher unique identifier(s) (ORCID): 0009-0006-1863-3895
Funding: La Caixa INPhINIT Fellowship: LCF/BQ/DI24/12070029