Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud_IACS
The Institute of Health Sciences of Aragon (IACS) is the public entity in charge of knowledge brokering in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in Aragon. Dependant on the Health Department of the regional government and created under the 6/2002 Health Care Law of Aragon, IACS is responsible for the operation of the Biobank of the HealthCare System of Aragon, as well several Core Research Facilities at the Researcher Community’s disposal.
BSSA has a multi-nodal design, with several nodes distributed throughout the different hospitals of Aragon (Miguel Servet University Hospital, Lozano Blesa University Clinic Hospital, Blood and Tissue Bank of Aragon, San Jorge University Hospital and Royo Villanova Hospital). Furthermore, the Biobank and Biomodels Unit of IACS is constituted also by several IACS Core Research Facilities as Biocomputing, Cell Culture, Experimental Surgery and Medical Imaging and Phenotyping. This Core Research Facilities can be located in the Aragon Biomedical Research Centre (CIBA), which is located in the City Campus and less than a kilometer away from both principal hospitals in Saragossa.
Throughout the Biobank and Biomodels Unit, a series of services are at the disposal of the researcher community which allow any researcher of company interested, any required service from the collection and cession of samples, to the creation and characterisation of the required biomodels.
Services
•Biobank’s most important sample collections: Oncological samples (e.g. melanoma, ovarian, breast, central nervous system, urological, digestive or lung tumors), Dyslipidemia, COVID-19, Adipose metabolism and Obesity, Cerebral stroke, as well as the prospective collection of other samples at the request of the researcher.
•Organoids: We are currently optimizing the generation and characterization of organoids from breast and kidney tissue (tumor and healthy). Additionally, we collaborate with highly experienced researchers on spheroids of different cell types in organ-on-chip systems.
•Biocomputing (Real World Data Section): Developers and operators of the BIGAN information system for the secondary use of health data, developed together with the Department of Health, which facilitates the dynamic analysis of the information retrieved daily by the Information System. Health. We also offer the development of new computational methods for the integrated analysis of heterogeneous data; methodological support in the design and development of tools or models based on Big Data analysis, simulations or in silico experiments.
•Cell Culture: Obtaining and characterization of Primary Cultures from different tissues, including adult stem cells; stem cell culture and differentiation; Genetic engineering techniques for the modification and characterization of specific cell lines.
•Experimental Surgery: Development of animal models in rats, lagomorphs, sheep and pigs. In vivo surgical procedures under conditions comparable to human medicine. Evaluation and development of new biological and synthetic materials and prototypes of surgical devices. Development of biomodels through the use of human body parts for the improvement of surgical procedures and testing of medical devices.
•Medical Imaging and Phenotyping: Creation and characterization of rodent animal models for the study of human diseases, through the use of optical imaging techniques (fluorescence and luminescence), laser doppler, nano SPECT-CT, telemetry (blood pressure, temperature, biopotentials and activity); phenotyping (metabolism, sensory and motor evaluation, functional tests).
