The 105th ICREA Colloquium 'Gravitational waves from the 5th dimension'
Speaker: ICREA Research Professor David Mateos, from the Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
When: 28th of March 2023, 18:00h
Where: Zoom & Auditorium FCRI, Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona
Abstract:
Our understanding of the Universe at the most fundamental level is based on two seemingly radically different theories. Einstein’s General Relativity describes the gravitational force that governs physical processes on the largest possible scales. The revolutionary experimental discovery of gravitational waves, little ripples on the geometry of spaces and time, is the latest confirmation of Einstein’s theory. The other three forces in Nature, the electromagnetic, the strong and the weak force, are unified in a single framework known as Quantum Field Theory, which describes subatomic processes. The most important discovery in theoretical physics in the last 25 years is an exact equivalence between Quantum Field Theory in 1 time and 3 spatial dimensions, as in our Universe, and General Relativity… in one dimension higher! I will describe the basis of this correspondence, known as Holography, as well as applications to particle physics, cosmology and gravitational waves.
The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. They are open to all ICREAs and their guests.
The 104th ICREA Colloquium ‘Understanding colorectal cancer; from genetics to physics’
Speakers: ICREA Research Professors Eduard Batlle, from IRB Barcelona, and Xavier Trepat, from the Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC)
When: 31st of January 2023, 18:00h
Where: Zoom & Auditorium FCRi, Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona
Abstract:
Colorectal cancer (CRC) kills around 700,000 people worldwide every year. The majority of these deaths are the result of the dissemination of the disease to foreign organs. The emergence of new treatment options for patients with late-stage CRC has extended survival periods, yet metastases remain incurable for the majority of patients. The mechanistic basis of metastasis in CRC is not well understood. There are no prevalent mutations associated with metastatic dissemination. New evidence from our laboratories and other groups now points to a key role for the interaction between the tumor and the surrounding cell ecosystem that includes immune cells, fibroblasts and blood vessels. For instance, the global gene expression program that associates more robustly to metastasis in CRC patients was expressed by cells that surround the tumor, the so-called cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and not by the cancer cells themselves. Besides these transcriptional mechanisms, the physical properties of cancer cells and cells of the tumor ecosystem and their mutual interaction are increasingly regarded as essential ingredients for CRC progression.
In this ICREA colloquium we will present recent advances from our groups addressing the mechanisms that govern progression of CRC, highlighting the need to integrate tools and concepts from genetics to physics. We will emphasize the key role of the tumor ecosystem interactions and discuss how it can be studied through multidisciplinary strategies.
The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from different angles. They are open to all ICREAs and their guests.
The 103rd ICREA Colloquium ‘Renewable fuels: from science to technology and beyond’
Speakers: ICREA Research Professors María Escudero-Escribano, from the Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2) and José Ramón Galán-Mascarós, from the Institut Català d'Investigació Química (ICIQ)
When: 29th of November 2022, 18:00h
Where: Zoom & Auditorium FCRi, Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona
Abstract:
The substitution of fossil fuels by renewable fuels may become a major pillar for the decarbonization of the energy landscape. Fuels offer unparalleled advantages as energy storage vectors, thanks to their high energy density, reliability and efficient transport. Many industries currently rely in fossil fuels, thus the energy transition would also offer easy and fast implementation. However, substituting “fossil” by “renewable” is far more complex than just swapping a word.
In this colloquium, we will define the different approaches to renewable fuels, highlighting their advantages, and addressing their limitations. We will give special emphasis to the scientific achievements and challenges to move the field forward; to the current technological trends; and to the industrial, and societal acceptance, highly dependent on policy and investment.
The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from different angles. They are open to all ICREAs and their guests.
Award ceremony of The Barcelona Hypatia European Science Prize
The Barcelona Hypatia European Science Prize in its third edition recognises Nancy Cartwright, philosopher of science, Professor of Philosophy at Durham University and Director of its Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society (CHESS), for her outstanding contributions to philosophical research. These have resulted in a new understanding of the nature of scientific theories and of causation and have held far-reaching consequences for a range of different fields of knowledge, including both natural and the social and human sciences; in particular, she has laid the foundations for an approach combining rigour and realism that aims at evidence-based policy and has had a profound impact on societies and policies across Europe and beyond.
Launched by the Barcelona City Council in collaboration with the Academia Europaea-Barcelona Knowledge Hub (AE-BKH) within the framework of the Barcelona Science Plan, the Hypatia Prize seeks to project the city as a European capital of research and innovation. Its main goal is to spotlight science, as well as to promote, support and enhance the value of excellent research conducted in Europe and of its impact on society. The winner of the first edition of the prize, devoted to Science and Technology, was László Lovász, mathematician and professor at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, for his outstanding career in the field of mathematics as a scientific discipline at the service of society; the winner of the second edition, devoted to Life and Health Sciences, was virologist Ilaria Capua, Director of the “One Health” Center of Excellence at the University of Florida, for her leadership in open access to genetic information on emerging viruses and for her promotion of the multidisciplinary concept of “one health”.
The award ceremony will be held at Saló de Cent - Ajuntament de Barcelona on Thursday the 27th of October at 18h. If you would like to attend this event please get in touch with Genoveva Martí, ICREA Research Professor at UB, at genoveva.marti@gmail.com to receive an invitation.
