Carlos Luri of CIC microGUNE and Julio Arrizabalaga of Biodonostia

The Basque research centre in micro/nanotechnologies, CIC microGUNE and the BioDonostia Healthcare Research Institute have signed a cooperation agreement to conduct several joint research projects that enable the latest advances in fast diagnosis techniques into clinical practice. The agreement will allow the incorporation, at the Hospital Donostia, of the latest technological advances produced by research projects into new diagnosis methods for different illnesses, such as avian and swine flu, or non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.

In this joint endeavour, CIC microGUNE will contribute its experience in research excellence in the field of micro- and nanotechnologies, which it has oriented towards health sciences and especially fast diagnosis, while BioDonostia will provide this research with a practical orientation through studies on patients to cover the needs of healthcare professionals and include them in the medical attention at the Hospital Donostia. In a second phase, these advances will give rise to patents, whose exploitation will be entrusted to the Basque business fabric itself.

Hospital Donostia is a reference in home hospital care, which demands systems that humanise hospital practice, are less invasive of patient privacy and economically more viable, in addition to keeping patient care equal or, if possible, even better. This commitment requires no fast diagnosis techniques that do not involve hospital admittance or invasive detection techniques for certain illnesses.

The cooperation between CIC microGUNE and BioDonostia is a good example of translational research, in which research passes from the laboratory to benefit the patient in a short space of time, as the results of some of these projects might become a reality in a period of between one and a half and three years. This state-of-the-art research will provide cutting-edge technological advances to the San Sebastián biosanitary pole, which will, in short, lead to better healthcare for the population and the generation of wealth for the surrounding area.

Both bodies already have two very advanced research projects, Optolabcard and Portfastflu, both with European funding, to develop devices for fast detection of infectious diseases and for different types of influenza, including the new ones, like avian and swine flu. Moreover, they have applied for public funding for another two research projects, one of which is to carry out prenatal diagnosis in a non-invasive way, while the other is to develop a new pioneering diagnosis method to detect numerous illnesses.