Author: plst.main

On October 4, 2025, the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) opened its doors to the public for its annual Open Day, a celebration of science and discovery. The PRBB is home to two PLAST_CELL partners, the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute (HMRI, formerly IMIM).

More than 1,000 visitors spent the morning exploring the world of biomedical research through lab visits, workshops, and scientific talks designed to bring science closer to the community.

Among the highlights of the day was a talk dedicated to the PLAST_CELL project, titled “¿Cómo podemos identificar las células metastáticas?” (How can we identify metastatic cells?). The presentation, prepared by Chiara Cannatà (HMRI) and Alberto Zurita (CRG), and delivered by Alberto, engaged the audience with an accessible explanation of how metastasis develops, and how PLAST_CELL researchers are studying changes in cancer cells during this process to predict their aggressiveness based on phenotypic behavior.

The event reflected PLAST_CELL’s commitment to sharing science beyond the lab, inviting the public to take part in the excitement of discovery and to better understand how research can shape the future of cancer treatment.

Postdoc Alberto Zurita during the PLAST_CELL presentation at OpenPRBB Day 2025.

On September 18, Ben Woodhams, postdoctoral researcher at EMBL-EBI, presented the latest results and progress of the PLAST_CELL project to colleagues at the institute. His talk focused on the characterization of PLAST_DATA and its integration into a plasticity scoring model, PLAST_SCORE, designed to quantify cancer cell plasticity and predict tumour aggressiveness.

The presentation attracted more than 30 attendees from across EMBL-EBI and generated great interest in the project’s approach to combining data analysis and biomedical research.

This initiative reflects the commitment of PLAST_CELL researchers to share knowledge and foster dialogue within the scientific community, strengthening collaboration and visibility across Europe.

A recent joint publication from the teams of Dr. Sara Sdelci and Dr. Verena Ruprecht sheds light on how cancer cells adapt metabolically to withstand mechanical stress—an emerging area directly aligned with PLAST_CELL’s mission to understand cellular plasticity in metastasis.

The study, which received notable media coverage, shows that mechanical stress causes mitochondria in cancer cells to move closer to the cell nucleus. This shift leads to a boost in energy (ATP) production near the nucleus. The close positioning helps cancer cells repair DNA, change their chromatin structure, and continue dividing, even under the physical pressure of the tumor environment.

Importantly, this research not only deepens our understanding of how the mechanical properties of the tumor environment shape cancer cell behavior, but also illustrates a clear case of metabolic adaptation critical for metastatic progression.

We are proud to note that the study was partially funded by the PLAST_CELL project, and PLAST_CELL researcher Fabio Pezzano is the first co-author, highlighting the impactful contributions of our consortium members to high-profile discoveries.

We warmly congratulate both teams for this innovative and interdisciplinary work!

Dr. Celià-Terrassa and his group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM) have made a significant contribution to the understanding of how cancer spreads. In their latest publication, the team identifies the role of the TIM-3 protein in the most aggressive metastasis-initiating cells.

Although this work was not directly funded by PLAST_CELL, it showcases the scientific leadership of one of our consortium’s key researchers and resonates strongly with our focus on understanding and targeting cellular plasticity in metastasis. In addition, the publication received vast media coverage, underscoring its scientific and societal impact.

This achievement highlights the strength of the PLAST_CELL network, where individual breakthroughs add momentum to our shared mission of transforming the way metastatic cancer is studied and treated.

We warmly congratulate Dr. Celià-Terrassa, Catalina Rozalén, and the entire team for this important advance in the field.

On April 7–8, 2025, the PLASTCELL consortium held its third in-person meeting in Barcelona to review progress and discuss next steps as the project moves into its final phase.

Participants from the UK, France, Austria, and Spain traveled to Barcelona by plane, train, bus — and even on foot across borders — to take part in rich discussions on the scientific and strategic evolution of the project. The meeting featured presentations from multiple work packages, highlighting key developments in cell culture and confinement technologies, image analysis pipelines, advanced microscopy approaches, and the PLASTCELL scoring system.

Ethical considerations were also discussed thanks to the valuable insights from the members of our Ethical Advisory Board: Dr. Maria Berdasco, Dr. Magali Jacquier, and Dr. Melanie Goisauf.

The consortium reaffirmed its strong commitment to collaboration and scientific innovation, with a focus on continuing to advance cutting-edge technologies and stepping up dissemination and exploitation efforts for PLAST_CELL diverse biomedical and research applications in the field of cell plasticity and cancer.

On 2–3 April 2025, the PLAST_CELL project participated in the EIC Summit 2025, held in Brussels. As the flagship event of the European Innovation Council, the summit brought together innovators, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from across Europe.

The two-day event offered a rich programme of workshops, pitching sessions, and panel discussions addressing key topics shaping the future of European innovation. For PLAST_CELL, some of the most relevant sessions included:

Importance of IP for Building a Deep Tech Business, where the EPO and EUIPO highlighted the value of establishing an early IP strategy and diversifying intellectual property rights (IPR).

Navigating Regulatory Pathways for Emerging Health Technologies, which provided a comprehensive overview of current regulatory frameworks and the EMA’s support for innovation.

BAS Services, which shared a broader reflection on how to leverage the full spectrum of EIC services and view the EIC not just as a funder, but as a strategic partner.

The event also offered excellent networking opportunities with investors, biotech companies, National Contact Points, and Project Officers. PLAST_CELL was represented by Sara Abad, Project Manager from the CRG.

In addition, on 1 April, the project was also represented at the EIC Community Training on AI tools for innovators—an interactive session exploring practical AI applications to support research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

We are grateful for the opportunity to take part in these events and look forward to applying the knowledge and connections gained to further strengthen the PLAST_CELL initiative.

During the week of 21^st-25^th October 2024, Alberto Zurita (CRG) joined Harry Dawson (CHB) in Paris for a hands-on collaboration at Cherry Biotech. Together, the two PLAST_CELL team members worked on refining and testing a custom tool designed to culture cells under controlled physicochemical conditions that mimic aspects of the tumor microenvironment.

The productive week yielded valuable insights, which were shared and discussed during our latest PLAST_CELL online monthly meeting. These developments mark significant progress as we near the end of 2024, propelling the PLAST_CELL platform closer to its goal: enabling the prediction of cancer cell aggressiveness at the single-cell level.

Stay tuned as we continue to push the boundaries of cancer research and innovation!

On 15-17th October 2024, Cherry Biotech participated in the Festival of Biologics in Basel, Switzerland, Europe’s largest biologics event. Cherry Biotech presented the PLAST_CELL project and their latest innovative CubiX prototype, designed to confine cells and precisely control environmental conditions. This novel tool, combined with the data currently generated by the PLAST_CELL consortium, will enable to quantify phenotypic changes in cancer cells, shedding light on cancer cell plasticity and aggressiveness.

At the event, Cherry Biotech had the chance to connect with top-tier biologists and researchers from leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies, discussing the future of preclinical trials and personalized medicine. The primary focus: how CubiX can enhance efficacy and enable the change from animal models to 3D cell culture.

On 5 th May 2022, we held a virtual Kick-off Meeting of our project that is funded by a European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder Grant. The interdisciplinary consortium is formed by 5 partners: CRG, ICFO, IMIM, EMBL-EBI and Cherry Biotech. Together, we will pioneer the development of a microfluidics- based imaging platform to study cancer cell plasticity for a new era of basic research and personalized medicine.

After a general round of introductions, the participants focused on Research Data Management, since a lot of microscopy image data will be generated and analyzed. Other actions were agreed upon, such as scheduling weekly online meetings and working out the structure of the PLAST_CELL website. The virtual Kick-off meeting left everyone wanting to meet in person soon. We are excited about the challenge of making this 4-year project a reality!