IRB Barcelona is a scientific institute located in Spain. Its mission is to carry out basic research into the life sciences and to promote the transfer of knowledge to society. IRB Barcelona is part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
IRB Barcelona was founded in 2005 by the Government of Catalonia, the University of Barcelona, Pompeu Fabra University and CSIC. The institute is located on the campus of the University of Barcelona. It currently has a staff of over 400 people, including more than 250 scientists from 35 different countries.
The main research areas at IRB Barcelona are cancer, cell biology, developmental biology, drug discovery, epigenetics, genomics and proteomics. The institute also has a number of technological platforms that provide services to researchers both inside and outside IRB Barcelona.
Some of the most notable achievements of IRB Barcelona include the discovery of how a protein called p53 prevents cells from becoming cancerous; the identification of new epigenetic markers associated with cancer; and the development of new drugs for treating leukaemia and melanoma. In addition, IRB Barcelona scientists have played a key role in international consortia such as International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).
The institute offers bachelor’s degree programmes in biomedicine and bioinformatics, as well as master’s degrees and PhD programmes. It also runs postdoctoral fellowships and training courses for students and professionals. In addition, IRB Barcelona hosts a number events throughout the year aimed at disseminating its research to wider audiences.