European aid for IRBLleida to consolidate the Catalan Lipidomics Platform

The Institute for Biomedical Research of Lleida (IRBLleida) has received European aid to develop and consolidate the Catalan Lipidomics Platform (PLICAT). The project has the support of the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), granted by the Secretary of Universities and Research of the Department of Enterprise and Knowledge of the Generalitat of Catalonia, and the institutional collaboration of the University of Lleida (UdL), the Foundation Centre for Research in Agrotechnology (Agrotecnio) and Gestió de Serveis Sanitaris-Alianza Estratégica ICS-GSS. FEDER contributes 50% of the cost of the action, 625,000 euros. The participating administrations and IRBLleida contribute the remaining 50%: IRBLleida contributes 64% (400,000 euros), UdL contributes 23.20% (145,000 euros), and Agrotecnio and the ICS-GSS Alliance each contribute 6.40% (40,000 euros).

PLICAT wants to be a reference in the study of lipids (fats) in biomedical research, as well as in studies of the pharmaceutical and food industry. It is a high-tech platform that integrates different complementary cutting-edge scientific equipment that allows the study of the lipidoma (lipid profile fulfilled) of a biological sample (blood, cell, tissue or organism, among others).

Professor Reinald Pamplona and Associate Professor Mariona Jové, both professors of Physiology at the UdL and researchers at IRBLleida, are leading the project. "PLICAT will allow the analysis of thousands of different lipid molecules from any biological system, which will facilitate understanding of the role of lipids in health and in human pathology, and can play a key role in the development of personalized medicine" explained Pamplona. "The development of knowledge and applications in lipidomics is the future for progress in both basic and applied research. The creation of this platform will make Lleida a Catalan reference point for lipidomics, allowing us to establish new national and international collaborations, which will help to develop the institution's research and industrial projects", Jové added.

The FEDER aid granted by the Secretary of Universities and Research of the Ministry of Enterprise and Knowledge of the Generalitat of Catalonia aims to provide the scientific community with equipment and platforms that promote scientific and technological excellence, especially that related to the transversal facilitating technologies included in the Research and Innovation Strategy for the Intelligent Specialisation of Catalonia (RIS3CAT). This project forms part of the seven cooperative projects financed by the Government of Catalonia aimed at the creation, construction, acquisition and improvement of scientific and technological facilities and platforms in Catalonia.

This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union in the framework of the ERDF Operational Programme of Catalonia 2014-2020 with a grant of €625,000.