Fernando Benito‑Lopez has received official recognition from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Ramón y Cajal program. The acknowledgement, signed by Minister Diana Morant, highlights his scientific career and his contribution to strengthening Spain’s research ecosystem.

The ministry emphasized the importance of the Ramón y Cajal community—over 8,000 researchers—whose work drives scientific excellence and positions Spain at the forefront of international research. Benito‑Lopez’s trajectory as a Ramón y Cajal fellow reflects this commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering innovation with social and economic impact.

This recognition underscores the vital role of researchers in shaping a more competitive, innovative, and fair society.

We’re proud to share that the Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU made a strong showing at the I Jornada SESMOOC, a conference focused on recent advances in micro‑physiological systems (MPS) and Organ‑on‑Chip technologies. Sesmooc.

Our contributions:

Congrats to Lourdes for giving an oral presentation at the Scientific Talks Session : "When the Chip Also Listens: New Strategies for Integrated Physiological Monitoring.”

Big shout‑out to Asier, Gema and Naiara who presented posters and shared their work with the community.

• Development of PEDOT:PSS-based Microstructured Electrodes for Bioelectronic Interfaces in Cancer Research. G. R. Lopez-Buenafe, J. Anne Alonso-Cabrera, C. Marcuello, M. Ortiz-Perez, F. Benito-Lopez, A. Colom, L. Basabe-Desmonts, J. Saez 
• Evaluation of PCSK6 Expression and Secretion in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors by Immunohistochemistry and CellStudio Platform. N. Lartitegui-Meneses, A. Arranz,  F. Benito-Lopez, J. Luzuriaga, L. Basabe-Desmonts, E. Alonso 
• Photopatterned SCADA Platform for Rapid, Simple and High-Resolution Cell Affinity Assays. A. Inchaurraga-Llamas, Pablo E. Guevara-Pantoja, F. Benito-Lopez, L. Basabe-Desmonts 

Their contributions underscore the depth and diversity of our work in microfluidics, sensors, lab‑on‑chip platforms and their biomedical applications. The teamwork across chemistry, biology and engineering within the cluster continues to deliver novel systems and insights.

Thank you to all members, collaborators and mentors who make these achievements possible. We look forward to applying the feedback and connections gained at the conference to our ongoing and future projects.

Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of micro‑ and nanotechnologies together!

Last week, Lourdes had the pleasure of visiting Bordeaux to serve on the evaluation committee for Fernanda López García PhD thesis: “Development of an ‘Intestine-on-chip’ for the study of infections by opportunistic pathogenic yeast Candida with advanced customized optical microscopy” at the Université de Bordeaux in the Life and Health Sciences Doctoral School.

Thanks to Karine Dementhon and Pierre Nassoy for the invitation, and to Leng Jacques , and to Jean-Christophe Baret for the warm welcome.

During her visit, she had the opportunity to tour the laboratories of Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et nanosciences (LP2N), CRPP Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, experiencing firsthand the groundbreaking work being done in microfluidics and life sciences. It was an immensely enriching experience, both scientifically and personally!

Lourdes gave a seminar at the CRPP Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, sharing the research we are developing at the Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU. Thank you Jean-Christophe Baret for hosting.

Lourdes left Bordeaux inspired by the brilliant scientific community and looking forward to future collaborations.

Thank you for this wonderful experience!
 

Exciting news! 🎉
The Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU proudly takes overthe MicroTAS Conference from our colleagues in Australia. 🇪🇸🇦🇺

We’re honored to continue this scientific journey and look forward to bringing the microfluidics community together in our next edition in Granada!!

Stay tuned—great things are coming!

New cover article in Lab on a Chip! Congratulations to all authors.

Our review paper was awarded with one of the covers of this Lab on a Chip issue.

Present and Future of Smart Functional Materials as Actuators in Microfluidic Devices, S. Izaddoust, I. Poves-Ruiz, E. Azuaje Hualde, D. Patko, L. Florea, C. Delaney, L. Basabe-Desmonts, F. Benito-Lopez*, Lab Chip, 2025, 25, 6075-6099.

•Asier, Isabel and Gamalier were selected for the flash oral presentation and Lourdes y Pablo for the poster presentation at the II Passion for Science Conference organized by the Personalized Medicine Aula EHU and i+Med, which took place at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain the 13th of November of 2025.

•Asier presented his work entitled: SINGLE-CELL ADHESION DOT ARRAY (SCADA) ENABLES HIGHRESOLUTION PROFILING OF BREAST CANCER CELL–MATRIX INTERACTIONS, by  A. Inchaurraga-Llamas, F. Benito-Lopez, M. Muñoz-Caffarel and L. BasabeDesmonts.

•Isabel presented her work entitled: A PAPER-BASED MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE FOR THE COLORIMETRIC DETECTION OF SCOPOLAMINE WITH THE NAKED EYE, by I. Poves-Ruiz, E. Azuaje-Hualde, L. Lartitegui-Elorza, O. Díaz-Cantos L. Basabe-Desmonts and F. Benito-Lopez.

•Gamalier presented his work entitled: SLAMF3 EXPRESSION AND ADHESION DYNAMICS OF JURKAT CELLS IN MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE, by A. G. Casado-Cedano, N. Lartitegui-Meneses, F. N. Nazar, P. E. Guevara-Pantoja, F. Benito-Lopez, I. Postigo and L. Basabe-Desmonts.

•Pablo presented his work entitled: AUTONOMOUS PAPER VALVES USING PDMS VACUUM PUMPS AS ACTUATORS FOR COLORIMETRIC CHRONO-SAMPLING, by P. E. Guevara-Pantoja, F. Nicolas Nazar, I. Postigo, F. Benito-Lopez, and L. BasabeDesmonts.

•Lourdes presented her work entitled: Generation and combination of ionogel microstructures using vacuum-driven lithography technique

                         Congratulations on these great contributions!!

Sukayna Ezquerro Berdouzi was awarded with the best oral communication at the II Passion for Science Conference organized by the Personalized Medicine Aula EHU and i+Med, which took place at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain the 13th of November of 2025.

•Gema, Ramon, Sukayna and Naiara were selected for the oral presentation at the II Passion for Science Conference organized by the Personalized Medicine Aula EHU and i+Med, which took place at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain the 13th of November of 2025.

•Gema presented her work entitled: DEVELOPMENT OF PEDOT:PSS-BASED MICROSTRUCTURED ELECTRODES FOR BIOELECTRONIC INTERFACES IN CANCER RESEARCH, by Gema del Rocio Lopez-Buenafe, Juncal Anne Alonso-Cabrera, Carlos Marcuello, Maider Ortiz-Perez, Fernando Benito-Lopez, Adai Colom, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts and Janire Saez.

•Ramon presented his work entitled: RNAZYME-BASED STRATEGIES FOR MICRORNA DETECTION IN FORENSIC APPLICATIONS, by Ramon Roset, F. Nicolas Nazar, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts, and Fernando Benito-Lopez.

•Sukayna presented her work entitled: MICROFLUIDIC FIBER-OPTIC LSPR SENSOR FOR VEGF DETECTION IN MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL CULTURE, by Sukayna Ezquerro-Berdouzi, Franco N. Nazar, Raquel Catalan-Carrio, Lucero Hernandez-Cedillo, Pablo E. Pantoja-Guevara, Asier Inchaurraga-Llamas, Joel Villatoro, Fernando Benito-Lopez, Concepcion Alonso and Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts.

•Naiara presented her work entitled: EVALUATION OF PCSK6 EXPRESSION AND SECRETION IN TESTICULAR GERM CELL TUMORS BY IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY AND CELLSTUDIO PLATFORM, by Naiara Lartitegui-Meneses, Aiane Arranz, Fernando Benito-Lopez, Jon Luzuriaga, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts and Edurne Alonso.

                         Congratulations on these great contributions!!

Next year, the Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU will organise MicroTAS 2026, which will be held in Granada. We had a lot of fun promoting the event in Adelaide!

We hope you all learnt of how to dance Flamenco!!

We are proud to announce that eight members of our group were selected to present their research at the Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences – Micro-Total Analysis Systems (µTAS 2025) Conference, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre (Adelaide, Australia) from 2–6 November 2025.

This prestigious international conference brings together leading researchers in microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip technologies, and miniaturized systems for life sciences. Our team contributed eight poster presentations, showcasing innovative advances in microfluidics, biosensing, ionogels, bioelectronics, and cell analysis.

 Our µTAS 2025 Contributions:

1. Generation and Combination of Ionogel Microstructures Using Vacuum-Driven Lithography Technique
Authors: Juncal Alonso-Cabrera, Enrique Azuaje-Hualde, Alexia Ramos-Gutiérrez, Mikel Diez-Bravo, Fernando Benito-Lopez and Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts.

2. Advances in Cell Affinity Assays with SCADA: Simple and Rapid Analysis of Cell–Molecule Interactions
Authors: Asier Inchaurraga-Llamas, Pablo E. Guevara-Pantoja, Fernando Benito-Lopez and Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts.

3. Autonomous Paper Valves Using PDMS Vacuum Pumps as Actuators for Colorimetric Chrono-Sampling
Authors: P. E. Guevara-Pantoja, F. Nicolas Nazar, I. Postigo, F. Benito-Lopez, and L. Basabe-Desmonts.

4. Fiber-Optic Sensor Integrated in a Microfluidic Device for VEGF Detection via LSPR and Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Sukayna Ezquerro-Berdouzi, F. Nicolas Nazar, Raquel Catalán-Carrió, Lucero Hernández Cedillo, Pablo E. Guevara-Pantoja, Joel Villatoro, Fernando Benito-Lopez, Concepción Alonso and Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts.

5. Alginate-Based Colorimetric Biosystem for the Detection of Cortisol
Authors: Sepideh Izaddoust, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts and Fernando Benito-Lopez.

6. Autonomous μPAD for Rapid Colorimetric Detection of Scopolamine in Adulterated Beverages
Authors: Isabel Poves-Ruiz, Enrique Azuaje-Hualde, Laura Lartitegui-Elorza, Oihana Díaz Cantos, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts and Fernando Benito-Lopez.

7. Fabrication of PEDOT:PSS-Based Microstructured Electrodes as Bioelectronic Interfaces
Authors: Gema del Rocio Lopez-Buenafe, Juncal Anne Alonso-Cabrera, Carlos Marcuello, Maider Ortiz-Perez, Fernando Benito-Lopez, Adai Colom, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts and Janire Saez.

8. A Factorial Study of Microenvironmental Effects on Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using CellStudio
Authors: Enrique Azuaje-Hualde, Marian Martinez de Pancorbo, Fernando Benito-Lopez and Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts.

Congratulations to Enrique, Asier, Pablo and Sukayna, which where in Adelaide presenting the posters!

Your hard work, creativity, and scientific excellence made an outstanding impact at µTAS 2025. We are incredibly proud of your contributions and look forward to seeing these projects grow even further for MicroTAS 2026 in Granada.

Juncal Alonso-Cabrera is doing a three-month research stay at Trinity College Dublin. From September to December, she is working in Dr. Larisa Florea’s research group. During this period, she will focus on learning two-photon polymerization direct laser writing (2PP-DLW), an advanced laser-based fabrication technique used to create intricate micro- and nanoscale structures.

Juncal´s expertise in printing and vacuum lithography (PnV litho) will be combined with state-of-the-art 2PP-DLW, creating new possibilities for multimaterial polymerization. As a result, generation of multicomponent patterns of  2D and 3D materials (PnV litho) with the precision and resolution of 2PP-DLW can be achieved.

The research carried out during this stay has the potential to contribute significantly to the development of innovative micro- and nanoscale systems.

Zientzia Astea Marks 25 Years: Lourdes Basabe‑Desmonts Discusses Microtechnology and Science Outreach. In an interview with Cadena SER, researcher Lourdes Basabe‑Desmonts highlighted the participation of her Group in the 25th edition of Zientzia Astea, the University of the Basque Country’s (UPV/EHU) Science Week, celebrating a quarter-century of bringing science closer to Basque citizens.

The Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU participated in Zientzia Astea 2025 with a stand at the BIBAT Museum from 6 to 9 November.

Our stand, “Micro and Nanotechnology at the Service of Society,” introduced visitors to some of the technologies developed by our group. Both children and adults showed strong interest and actively engaged with the demonstrations and explanations.

Events like this help bring science closer to the public and highlight the importance of research in everyday life. We thank everyone who visited and took part in the activities.

Last week, Gema had the opportunity to present her latest published work on “Development of PEDOT:PSS-based Microstructured Electrodes as Bioelectronic Interfaces in Cancer Research”, by Gema del Rocío López-Buenafe, Juncal Anne Alonso-Cabrera, Carlos Marcuello, Maider Ortiz-Perez, Fernando Benito-López, Adai Colom, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts, and Janire Saez, at the 20th ASEICA – Asociación Española de Investigación sobre el Cáncer in Bilbao.

The poster showcased data from her first published paper, highlighting innovative approaches in bioelectronic interfaces for cancer research. The congress provided an inspiring environment to engage with leading researchers and discuss the latest advances in oncology, from computational methods to cutting-edge therapies.

Six students from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) successfully defended their Master's Theses during the week of September 15–19 this year. All theses, which were developed within the Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU, were graded as Outstanding. The cohort included five students from the Master's Degree in Forensic Analysis and one from the Master's Degree in Microbiology and Health.

Master Degree in Forensic Analysis:

Águeda Pintado Cantero. THESIS TITLE: Advancing Cell Affinity Assays Using SCADA Technology for Molecular Interaction Studies. Co-supervision: Asier Inchaurraga Llamas, Pablo E. Guevara Pantoja, Fernando Benito López & Lourdes Basabe Desmonts

Gemma Trapero Martínez: THESIS TITLE: Development of an Ionogel-based Paper Platform for Naked-eye Detection of Ketamine. Co-supervision: Isabel Poves-Ruiz, Enrique Azuaje Hualde, Lourdes Basabe Desmonts & Fernando Benito López

Ramón Roset Visiedo. THESIS TITLE: Post-mortem Interval Estimation Using MiRNA-206: A colorimetric Detection and Quantification Paper-Based Microfluidic Device. Co-supervision: Franco Nicolas Nazar, Lourdes Basabe Desmonts & Fernando Benito López.

Aiane Arranz Sobrado. THESIS TITLE: Evaluation of PCSK6 Expression and Secretion in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors by Immunohistochemistry and CellStudio Platform (co-supervision: Edurne Alonso, Naiara Lartitegui-Meneses & Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts.

Carmen González Caminero. THESIS TITLE: Electroconductive Scaffolds for Breast Cancer Model Development. Co-supervision: Gema del Rocío López Buenafé, Lourdes Basabe Desmonts & Janire Sáez.

Master in Microbiology and Health:

Dimitri Mejía Bonilla. THESIS TITLE: Evaluación mediante qPCR de la diferenciación de células Jurkat a células Th17. Co-supervision: Alberto Gamalier Casado Cedano, Lourdes Basabe Desmonts & Idoia Postigo.

Congratulations to all of them and we wish them a bright and prosperous future!!

Congratulations Pablo for for back Cover Article in Lab on a Chip!

We are proud to share that our recent research has been featured as a cover article in Lab on a Chip, one of the leading journals in microfluidics. The article, “A microfluidic device for passive separation of platelet-rich plasma from whole blood”, presents a simple yet powerful device designed to isolate platelet-rich plasma (PRP) without the need for bulky centrifuges. This achievement highlights our team’s ongoing efforts to develop accessible, efficient, and clinically relevant microfluidic technologies.

The device uses a novel multi-trench microfluidic architecture to separate plasma and platelets from whole blood in a gentle and efficient way. With just 1 mL of blood, it can produce about 250 µL of PRP in under 40 minutes while maintaining high purity and minimal platelet activation—far outperforming conventional centrifugation. Its low-cost fabrication and reliable performance open up exciting opportunities for both biomedical research and therapeutic applications. Being selected as a cover story is a recognition of the innovation and impact of this work, and we are thrilled to see it showcased on such a prominent platform.

Congratulations to the Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU team for a new publication in Microchemical Journal !!: “Colorimetric detection and quantification of the stress-associated microRNA408 in tomato leaf extracts through RNAzymes in a paper-based microfluidic device”

A bit of Background: Early detection of stress mediators in crops is essential to prevent losses and support sustainable food production. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate stress responses by modulating gene expression, making them valuable biomarkers. RNAzymes—catalytic RNA molecules—can be engineered to bind specific miRNAs and generate a colorimetric signal. Here, we present a hybrid paper/plastic device that uses RNAzyme-based sensors for the detection of stress mediators in plants, developed in collaboration with the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I²SysBio), Valencia, Spain.

Main Results: RNA Sensing Probes were designed for miRNA408, a key stress marker, using tomato as a model. After validation in solution, the sensor was transferred to a wax-ring paper platform. The addition of miRNA408 reduced signal intensity in a concentration-dependent manner, with detection limits of 233 ng in solution (25 min) and 43 ng on paper (9 min). Integrated into a paper-based microfluidic device, the system detected synthetic miRNA408 (640 ng) in both water and tomato leaf extract within 9 min after starting the detection reaction.

The Significance: These findings represent the first RNAzyme-based paper technology for miRNA detection in crops, offering farmers digital, on-site decision-making tools. Results aid in advancing the understanding of stress response mechanisms in tomato and, potentially, in other species.

Many thanks to all the amazing team; Nicolas Nazar, Stefania Pellegrini, Enrique Azuaje-Hualde, Xabier Arciniega, Pablo E. Guevara-Pantoja, M. Carmen Marqués, Francesca Longo, Gustavo Gomez, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts and Fernando Benito-Lopez, for making this possible.

Link to the paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026265X25024968?via%3Dihub 

Link to the Journal’s webpage: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/microchemical-journal 

On 16 September, Raquel Catalán Carrió successfully defended her PhD at the University of the Basque Country. Many congratulations on this outstanding achievement, Raquel! It was an excellent defense, reflecting the depth and impact of her work.

The examination committee was composed of Assoc. Prof. Larisa Florea (Trinity College Dublin), Prof. Carmen Blanco (University of Oviedo), and Assoc. Prof. Naiara Rojo (University of the Basque Country).

Her thesis, entitled “Development of Autonomous and Portable Devices for the Detection of Biomolecules and Pollutants in Solution”, was supervised by Prof. Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts and Assoc. Prof. Fernando Benito López.

Thesis Summary
Our planet is facing a severe water crisis that threatens billions of people as the availability of clean water diminishes due to climate change, population growth, and pollution. Clean water is not only essential for human health but also for sustaining ecosystems, making it critical to protect and conserve this resource. Alongside reducing wastage, innovative, rapid, and affordable technologies are urgently needed to safeguard water quality. Raquel’s research explores the use of microfluidic portable devices as complementary tools to traditional analysis methods, providing on-site, efficient solutions for water quality monitoring.

We wish Raquel all the very best in her future career!

Fernando presented a poster at the 2025 Eurosensors XXXVII conference in Wroclaw, Poland. It was a great opportunity to present our recent work on alginate beads for sensing applications.

The poster entitled: Colorimetric Detection of Cortisol Using an Alginate-Based Biosystem, by Sepideh Izaddoust, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts and Fernando Benito-Lopez, highlights an alginate-based biosystem for colorimetric cortisol detection.This innovation shows significant potential for clinical diagnostics and research applications in endocrine health.

Isabel, Sukayna and Nico presented three posters at the XL Biennial Meeting of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry, which took take place in Bilbao, Spain, between June 30 and July 3, 2025.

Isabel presented a poster entitled: MICROFLUIDIC STRATEGIES FOR THE COLORIMETRIC DETECTION OF DATE-RAPE DRUGS, by Isabel Poves-Ruiz, Enrique Azuaje-Hualde, Laura Lartitegui-Elorza, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts, and Fernando Benito-Lopez.

Sukayna presented a poster entitled: DEVELOPMENT OF A FIBER-OPTIC SENSOR INTEGRATED IN A MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE FOR VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR DETECTION USING LSPR AND GOLD NANOPARTICLES, by Sukayna Ezquerro-Berdouzi, Raquel Catalán-Carrió, Lucero Hernández Cedillo, F. Nicolas Nazar, Pablo E. Guevara-Pantoja, Joel Villatoro, Fernando Benito-Lopez, Concepción Alonso and Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts

Nico presented a poster entitled: GOLD NANOPARTICLE-ENHANCED LOSSY MODE RESONANCE IMMUNOSENSOR FOR DETECTING VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR PROTEIN, by Melanys Benítez, Ignacio R. Matías, Pablo Zubiate, Sukayna Ezquerro, Enrique Azuaje-Hualde, Raquel Catalán-Carrió, F. Nicolas Nazar, Abián B. Socorro-Leránoz, Concepción Alonso, Fernando Benito-Lopez and Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts.

Congratulations on these great contributions!!