What work is being carried out in Spain, in general, and at CIMUS, in particular, on the technologies covered in this report, and which research groups, discoveries, patents and companies stand out most in the sector?
Francisco Juan Martínez Mojica - University of Alicante, considered one of the original discoverers of the CRISPR-Cas system, undoubtedly stands out in CRISPR technology. His pioneering discovery (1993) consisted of identifying the repetitive sequences that would later become known as CRISPR in archaea. Many researchers currently use CRISPR technology, including Lluis Montoliu, who specialises in gene editing in mammals and models of rare diseases; Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte, a pioneer in CRISPR applications for cellular rejuvenation; Fátima Bosch, from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, who uses CRISPR in animal models to study metabolic diseases, among others. In general, they are users of CRISPR technology.
At CIMUS, we are working incipiently on the development of gene therapies based on CRISPR. In terms of phage technology, there is notable activity in the field of biotechnology and agri-food research. In AI, there are major advances in Spain in AI applied to public health and human behaviour, for example, Nuria Oliver.
Alfonso Valencia, Director of the Life Sciences Department at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, specialises in bioinformatics and AI applied to genomics and systems biology, among others. Numerous researchers, including our laboratory, have initiated its use in the development of drugs and gene nanotherapies, as well as the prediction of their interaction with biological systems.
Currently, many problems and their possible solutions are well identified by experts (as highlighted in the editions of the INTEC report), which is why society is demanding action from all the actors involved. And this is probably where we are encountering the greatest difficulties: what do Spain and Europe need in order to take action and transform their production model?
Clear investment and open and facilitative management models. Effective integration of academia into business, in a model where the business benefits from academic discoveries rather than from its ability to deliver services.
Where are the biggest bottlenecks in technology transfer?
In the actual demand for disruptive and innovative science and technology from industry, as well as in models of collaboration. Academia needs to listen to business and advise business by establishing solid, win-win partnerships.
What are the main challenges in the next five years in the area of biomedicine and health in terms of technological innovation that will require the collaboration of the private sector and research centres?
From my perspective, the development of advanced therapies and the collaborative use of AI must take hold.
Where does Spain stand in this call for action to put the possibilities offered by science and technology into practice? Are we well positioned, what needs to be improved?
We are good on what science delivers but not on what business demands.