Interviews

  • Manuel Galiñanes

    Cell therapy will play a significant role in regenerating the myocardia

    Are current treatments for heart failure, like transplants and ventricular assist devices, the best option? We’re researching other options to avoid advanced stages of heart failure, initially avoiding myocardial cell death and later regenerating the myocardia before reaching failure and being forced to turn to a transplant or mechanical assist device. Cell therapy can play a significant role in...Llegir més

  • Adolf Tobeña

    Jurists have seen tremendous changes thanks to science, but it will never take the decision out of their hands

    New knowledge in neuroethics can have a direct impact on the justice system and laws that govern social order, as it helps to specify to what degree the accused is involved and responsible, as well as their chances for rehabilitation. Furthermore, breakthroughs in neuroscience can open up new pathways for preventative intervention and treatment of psychopathic anomalies. This topic was the focus...Llegir més

  • Jeff Bennetzen

    We should diversify the plant species in our diet

    With the evolution of sequencing technology in recent years, the way and speed at which we study plant genomes has changed radically. In your opinion, what have been the biggest contributions of this technology? The most important transformation is the amount of data we have generated. We’ve produced more genetic information in the past year than in all recorded history and in the next six weeks...Llegir més

  • Jordi Garcia-Mas

    With 100.000€ we can sequence a plant genome

    In December 2000, the sequencing of the first plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana , was announced, approximately six months after the sequencing of the human genome was announced. How long did it take to obtain Arabidopsis ? We have to take into account that the Arabidopsis genome is quite small; it has 125 million base pairs, while the human genome has some 3,000. Nevertheless, it took about...Llegir més

  • Stefano Padulosi

    Per alimentar la població global cal catalogar plantes rares comestibles i trobar formes sostenibles de cultivar-les

    El treball de Stefano Padulosi com a cap de la divisió dels cultius infrautilitzats a l'Institut Internacional de Recursos Genètics de Plantes, consisteix en catalogar plantes rares comestibles i trobar formes sostenibles de cultivar-les. A principis dels noranta va prendre mostres d'una planta en aquells dies desconeguda, la ruca de les runes de Pompeia i va contribuir a crear una xarxa que...Llegir més

  • Mavi Sánchez-Vives

    In a few years we’ll be able to apply virtual reality to medical practice

    Neuroscience is a group of disciplines devoted to the systematic understanding of a series of functions contained in the brain, including sensations, motor skills, learning, memory and our perception of our own body and its relationship with the world. In recent years, neuroscience has undergone an important transformation thanks to scientific breakthroughs like the development of high-resolution...Llegir més

  • Eve Marder

    The brain is the most incredible physical structure I know

    In recent years, much effort in neuroscience has been devoted to creating maps or "connectomes" of the brain circuits of many organisms, in order to understand how the nervous system generates behavior. Experience with small circuits, for which connectivity was established years ago, shows that these maps are total necessary, but not enough on their own, to understand how the brain dynamic is...Llegir més

  • Moses Chao

    We need to know a lot about psychology, biology and mathematics to understand the immense complexity of the brain

    Neurotrophic factors are small proteins that play a key role in neurons “quality of life”. They regulate neuron growth, are involved in metabolic functions and in the ability of nervous cells to communicate with each other and with other targets (muscles, glands, etc.) through neurotransmitters, the molecules that transport chemical signals. For all of these functions, neurotrophic factors play a...Llegir més

  • Lluís Torner

    Les empreses han d'anar a buscar els centres de recerca i les universitats per innovar tecnològicament

    La fotònica és una de les tecnologies transversals —amb la biotecnologia, la nanotecnologia, la nanoelectrònica i els nous materials— que la Unió Europea reconeix com a claus per al futur econòmic del continent. Són ben pocs els centres de recerca dedicats exclusivament a aquest camp, i Catalunya n'és capdavantera gràcies a l' Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO). L'ICFO abasta diverses...Llegir més

  • Toni Massanés

    Food is the foundation of health

    The culinary arts have experienced a revolution of tastes, textures, aromas and products. This revolution has been made possible by the introduction of new scientific knowledge in this age-old art. Scientific research carried out into raw ingredients in order to improve food quality has also been transferred to the kitchen, giving us new dishes that not are not only a pleasure to eat but also...Llegir més