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The ‘Isla de la Cartuja’ Scientific Research Centre (cicCartuja) —a joint centre run by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the University of Seville and the Regional Government of Andalusia— held the ceremony for the cicCartuja-Ebro Foods 2025 Awards on Friday 6 November. This marks the sixteenth edition of the awards, which continues the agri-food category introduced last year, opening the door to all young researchers at CSIC centres in Andalusia working in this field.

 

The event was attended by the Chairman of Ebro Foods, Antonio Hernández; the Deputy Vice-President for Scientific Programming at the CSIC, Jaime Carvajal; the Director of the Secretariat for Research Structures at the University of Seville, Santiago Hurtado; the Director-General for Research and Transfer at the Regional Government of Andalusia, Loreto del Valle; and the Second Deputy Mayor of Seville City Council, Álvaro Pimentel.

 

In her speech, the director of cicCartuja, Cecilia Gotor, highlighted the significance of the awards and their impact on research work, emphasising the first female winners, both of whom are her PhD students; and in the case of Miguel Anaya, the 2016 winner and recent recipient of the Felisa Martín Bravo National Research Prize for Young Researchers in the field of Physical, Materials and Earth Sciences.

 

The first prize was awarded to Mercedes Brenes, a young researcher at the Instituto de la Grasa in Seville, who entered the competition in the agri-food category. Her paper contributes to improving our understanding of acrylamide formation in processed olives, identifying the main chemical factors that influence its formation. Mercedes highlights the importance of certain compounds present in preservation solutions, such as glucose and asparagine, as well as the pH during sterilisation, proposing a method to anticipate its formation and help the industry reduce its presence in the final product.

 

For her part, Andrea Fernández has received the first runner-up prize, as her article demonstrates that NMR is a valid technique for studying the metabolic changes associated with vernalisation, a process critical to the flowering and fruiting of the strawberry plant. This highlights the use of NMR as a useful tool for improving agricultural practices. In her article, Christina Arvanitidou provides a detailed insight into how marine phytoplankton—which plays a key role in global carbon and nutrient cycles—responds to diurnal and seasonal cycles.

 

The second runner-up prize was awarded to David O. Tiede for a study reporting the first evidence of an exciton polariton condensate in perovskite quantum dots at room temperature, paving the way for new quantum technologies. Alejandra Pita proposes an Ir(II)/Ir(IV)-based catalytic cycle; her findings highlight the need to extend research into precious metal catalysts beyond conventional diamagnetic systems, paving the way for the design of more efficient and cost-effective catalysts

 

The cicCartuja Ebro Foods Awards recognise the work carried out by researchers aged under 31 who have published articles in high-impact international journals. The impact and social significance of the research conducted are also taken into account when awarding the prizes. The first prize is worth 15,000 euros, whilst the runners-up receive 5,000 euros each. These sums have been donated by the company Ebro Foods.

The University of Seville has honoured 76 PhD graduates for their academic and scientific excellence during the ceremony to present the Special PhD Awards for the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 academic years. These awards recognise the talent, dedication and commitment to research of those who have excelled through the quality of their doctoral theses and their valuable contributions to the advancement of knowledge. Among the award winners is Macarena González Alférez, who completed her doctoral thesis at the Institute of Chemical Research, a joint centre run by the CSIC and the University of Seville, under the supervision of Celia María Maya Díaz and Jesús Campos Manzano. Furthermore, Cristina López and Carmen Muñoz, who completed their theses at the Seville Institute of Materials Science, also received the award during the ceremony.

 

The findings presented in Macarena González’s thesis form part of one of the research areas pursued by the Organometallic Chemistry and Homogeneous Catalysis Group at the Institute of Chemical Research (a joint centre of the CSIC and the University of Seville), one of whose main objectives is the study of bimetallic systems for the activation of small molecules and their use in catalytic applications.

 

Whilst metal-metal bonds have been a feature of the development of organometallic chemistry since its inception, the design of bimetallic structures has seen only sporadic progress over the decades. However, due to the current keen interest in the development of cooperative systems for bond activation and their use in homogeneous catalysis, the field of bimetallic complexes is enjoying a remarkable renaissance. The reality is that they offer additional tunable properties compared to monometallic compounds, including the ability to modulate the polarity and order of metal–metal bonds and the capacity to effect bond activation via multi-site mechanisms.

 

In this context, the focus has been primarily on highly polarised heterobimetallic structures in which one of the metals exhibits strong Lewis basicity and the other strong Lewis acidity. This is clearly linked to the field of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) and is also related to many metalloenzymes that are based on similar bimetallic synergies.

 

The content of this thesis is organised into four chapters. The first contains a general introduction, providing an overview of bimetallic chemistry and paying particular attention to bimetallic designs that behave as FLPs, one of the main original objectives of this thesis. Furthermore, other types of cooperative chemistry aligned with the concept of metal-ligand cooperation (MLC) are briefly discussed. The second chapter focuses on the basic Lewis behaviour of an Rh(I) compound of the formula [(η5-C5Me5)Rh(PMe3)2], which has been reacted with a broad family of transition-metal and main-group electrophiles to design bimetallic structures known as metal-only Lewis pairs (MOLPs). The third chapter exploits the basicity of this Rh(I) compound in an attempt to construct a frustrated transition-metal-only Lewis pair (TMOFLP) based on an Rh(I)/Au(I) pair. These studies highlighted the non-innocent nature of the cyclopentadienyl ligand, a topic investigated in depth in this thesis. Indeed, Chapter 4 focuses on investigating this non-innocence by incorporating boron-bearing side groups into this ligand and the related indenyl fragment. The aim here was to design bifunctional aromatic ligands to bind to the rhodium centre and thereby access cooperative Rh(I)/borane catalysts. Our results on the hydrogenation of olefins, used as a reference, are described in this final chapter.

 

A team from the University of Seville, affiliated with the Institute of Chemical Research, has discovered how small chemical modifications can alter the structure and localisation of the NPM1 protein, which is implicated in around 30 per cent of cases of acute myeloid leukaemia.

 

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a particularly aggressive form of blood cancer with a high mortality rate, especially amongst older people. The five-year survival rate is around 30 per cent for patients as a whole and falls below 10 per cent among those over 60. One of the most common genetic changes in this disease affects the nucleophosmin (NPM1) gene, a protein essential for cell function which is mutated in around 30 per cent of AML cases.

 

Now, a team from the Biointeractomics group, led by Professor Irene Díaz Moreno, has identified a molecular mechanism that helps explain how NPM1 changes its behaviour within the cell. The study shows that certain chemical modifications, known as phosphorylations, can act as a veritable ‘switch’: they alter the protein’s structure and facilitate its movement between different cellular compartments.

 

The findings, recently published in the international journal *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences* (PNAS), show that these modifications affect the electrical charges of NPM1. As a result, the protein loses part of its ordered structure, adopts a more flexible and dynamic state, and changes the way it interacts with other molecules. This may make it easier for it to leave the nucleolus, a region of the cell nucleus where it is normally concentrated.

 

A protein that changes state in response to cellular damage

Under normal conditions, NPM1 is mainly localised in the nucleolus and plays a role in functions essential to the cell, such as ribosome production and the maintenance of nuclear organisation. However, when the cell undergoes stress or DNA damage, this protein can be redistributed across different cellular compartments and contribute to the response to these disturbances.

 

“Post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation events rewrite the molecular landscape of proteins. By reshaping the charge, they reshape the dynamics; by reshaping the dynamics, they reshape the interactions; and by reshaping the interactions, they regulate transitions from order to disorder, as well as condensation properties,” explains Irene Díaz Moreno. “Thus, post-translational regulation in NPM1 provides a molecular mechanism for modulating its plasticity and navigating the continuum of functional states in order to respond to the cell’s needs when its DNA is damaged.”

 

A new piece of the puzzle in understanding leukaemia

The finding is particularly significant in the context of acute myeloid leukaemia, as NPM1 is one of the genes that mutates most frequently in this disease. These mutations can alter the protein’s localisation and the interactions it forms within the cell, contributing to the process of leukaemic transformation.

 

Understanding how chemical modifications control the structure and behaviour of NPM1 thus adds a new piece to the puzzle of understanding the disease. The study helps to explain how this protein integrates signals of stress and DNA damage, and how disruption of this regulatory system may contribute to the development of leukaemia.

 

The findings also open up new avenues for studying the role of NPM1 in AML and, in the longer term, for exploring potential strategies targeting the mechanisms that regulate its behaviour within the cell.

 

Reference: Giner-Arroyo RL, Velázquez-Campoy A, De la Rosa MA, Díaz-Moreno I. Tyrosine phosphorylation unfolds nucleophosmin and disrupts its integration into the nucleolus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026;123(41):e2533263123. doi:10.1073/pnas.2533263123

 

The Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) has announced the creation of the FEBS Research Academy. This is a new international institution that brings together leading researchers from around the world with the aim of promoting scientific excellence, collaboration and innovation in the field of molecular life sciences.

 

Among its 100 founding members, Professor Irene Díaz-Moreno, a researcher at the University of Seville affiliated with the Institute of Chemical Research (IIQ), has been selected as a full member. This appointment represents a significant international recognition of her research career and her contributions to the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology.

 

The Academy’s founding members were selected by its electoral committee and subsequently confirmed by the FEBS Council. The institution brings together researchers from 24 countries and counts 28 Nobel laureates amongst its founding members. This highlights the high scientific standard and international scope of this initiative.

Alongside Irene Díaz-Moreno, three other researchers affiliated with the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SEBBM) have been elected to the Academy: Mariano Barbacid, as an honorary member, and Ángela Nieto and Alfonso Valencia, as full members.

 

Irene Díaz-Moreno’s induction recognises her outstanding scientific work and helps to strengthen the presence of Spanish research on the international scientific stage.

 

The FEBS Research Academy was established with the aim of promoting scientific excellence and innovation, fostering international and interdisciplinary collaboration, supporting the development of new generations of researchers and contributing, through scientific knowledge, to addressing society’s major challenges.

 

The official launch of the Academy will take place during the FEBS Congress 2027, to be held in Riga (Latvia) from 3 to 7 July.

2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. (Nobel Prize)

 

By Noureddine Khiar, principal investigator of the Asymmetric Synthesis and Functional Nanosystems group

 

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for their work on non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, discoveries which helped to explain how a small molecular asymmetry can be amplified to the point of generating systems dominated by just one of the two possible mirror images of a molecule—that is, by a single enantiomer.

 

For many chemists, the announcement also had an immediate implication: at last, Kagan. His name had been omitted from the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which was awarded to William Knowles, Ryoji Noyori and Barry Sharpless for the development of asymmetric catalysis. Since then, numerous researchers have considered that Kagan, a key pioneer in the field, deserved to have been among the laureates of that year’s prize. Kagan was one of the great architects of modern asymmetric synthesis. In 1971, he developed DIOP, a chiral bidentate diphosphine with C₂ symmetry, which helped to establish a fundamental principle: the symmetry and three-dimensional geometry of a ligand could be designed to control which enantiomer a reaction produces. This concept was to have an enormous influence on the subsequent development of chiral ligands and modern asymmetric catalysis. His scientific career was, however, much broader in scope. His numerous contributions also include the asymmetric synthesis of chiral sulphoxides and the introduction of samarium(II) iodide, SmI₂, known as the Kagan reagent, which would become a fundamental tool for reductions, radical cyclisations and the formation of carbon–carbon bonds.

 

But his decisive contribution to the 2026 Nobel Prize came in 1986, when he demonstrated the so-called non-linear effects: a small difference in the enantiomeric composition of a catalyst can result in a much greater difference in the product. Chemistry, therefore, can amplify asymmetry. Until then, it had been assumed almost intuitively that the enantiomeric purity of the product must vary in proportion to that of the catalyst. Kagan’s experiments showed that the relationship could be far more complex and, under certain conditions, lead to a very marked amplification of chirality. Kenso Soai took this principle even further. In 1995, he described an asymmetric autocatalytic reaction in which the chiral product itself catalyses its own formation. A slight initial advantage of one of the enantiomers progressively generates more molecules of that same configuration, amplifying the imbalance. The significance of these discoveries extends far beyond organic synthesis. Life exhibits an extraordinary characteristic: its main biological molecules show a strong preference for one of their two chiral forms. The amino acids that make up proteins belong almost exclusively to the L series, whilst the sugars present in DNA and RNA belong to the D series. This property, known as homochirality, is essential for the functioning of biological systems. Kagan and Soai’s work does not definitively explain how this preference arose on the early Earth, but it did demonstrate something fundamental: an initially minuscule asymmetry can be amplified, through purely chemical processes, to the point of generating a system dominated almost entirely by a single chiral form. That is why the 2026 Nobel Prize links chemists’ ability to control the three-dimensional structure of molecules to one of the great questions about the origin of life: how could such a marked preference for one of the two possible forms of chiral molecules have arisen?

 

And, after decades of influence on catalysis, stereochemistry and modern organic synthesis, the announcement also carries a particularly simple significance: At last, Kagan.

The Institute of Chemical Research (IIQ) is offering a total of seven support technician posts aimed at helping young people under the age of 30 enter the workforce.

 

Interested candidates must meet a series of general requirements and, in certain cases, specific requirements relating to each of the posts on offer.

 

Eligibility criteria

The conditions set out in the call for applications include the following:

• Hold a university degree in arts, engineering, architecture or a relevant field. In the case of foreign qualifications, the relevant accreditation certificate must be provided. In the case of vocational training qualifications, hold a technician or senior technician qualification.
• Where specified for a particular post, meet the requirements regarding specific training, languages or other academic merits relevant to the post.
• Be at least 16 years of age at the time of submitting the application and under 30 years of age on the date the contract is signed.
• Be unemployed and registered as a jobseeker with the relevant Public Employment Service.
• Have no work experience as a holder of a higher qualification on the day prior to the signing of the contract. For these purposes, work experience as a holder of a higher qualification is defined as that carried out in contribution groups 1 and 2. Curricular and extracurricular work placements listed as such in one’s employment history are not considered work experience for these purposes.
• Meet the nationality and residence requirements set out in the call for applications.
• Possess the necessary functional capacity to carry out the duties associated with the post.
• Not have been dismissed from the service of any public administration following disciplinary proceedings, nor be disqualified from holding public office or positions.

This call for applications offers young graduates the opportunity to join the research community and gain professional experience at a specialist centre, whilst contributing to the development of the IIQ’s technical and research support activities.

 

The Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Seville will honor Professor Ernesto Carmona with a ceremony during which its Aula Magna will be renamed in his honor, in recognition of his exemplary scientific career and his significant contributions to the field of organometallic chemistry. The event will take place on September 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Seville.

Carmona, a professor of inorganic chemistry at the University of Seville since 1984, has also maintained close ties with the Institute for Chemical Research (IIQ), a joint center of the University of Seville and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), of which he was one of the founders.

After completing his studies at the University of Seville, he undertook a postdoctoral fellowship from 1974 to 1977 at Imperial College of Science and Technology in London, where he began studying organometallic compounds under the supervision of Professor Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson, winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Upon completing this phase, he returned to the University of Seville, where he has since built an outstanding academic and research career.

His scientific work has focused primarily on the chemistry of coordination and organometallic compounds and on homogeneous catalysis, fields in which he has made highly significant contributions. Throughout his career, he has supervised approximately 40 doctoral dissertations and published more than 250 scientific articles in specialized journals. He has also served as a speaker at numerous national and international conferences and scientific meetings, in addition to delivering scientific and popular science seminars and lectures at universities and research centers in Spain and abroad.

Ernesto Carmona has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the King Jaime I Prize for Basic Research (2010), the Gold Medal from the Southern Chemists’ Association (2018), and the European Prize for Organometallic Chemistry (2019). He is also a member of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical, and Natural Sciences.

On October 16, the Isla de La Cartuja Scientific Research Center will have the privilege of welcoming Professor Morten P. Meldal, winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.

Morten Meldal is a Danish chemist and professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied at the Technical University of Denmark, where he earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering and received his Ph.D. under the supervision of Klaus Bock. His work focused on the synthesis of carbohydrates. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Cambridge and a stint as a professor at the Carlsberg Research Laboratory, he joined the University of Copenhagen in 2011. It was there that he had the opportunity to lead the CECB research center, which specializes in peptide and combinatorial chemistry.

His work has contributed to the development of new peptide synthesis techniques and the CuAAC reaction—known as click chemistry—which are now widely used in bioorganic and organic research. Click chemistry allows molecules to be joined quickly, efficiently, specifically, and selectively to create more complex structures. Its name refers to the sound produced when two perfectly fitting pieces are joined together, such as a belt or two Lego blocks.

Similarly, if two molecules have the appropriate functional groups, they can bond in a simple, robust, and efficient manner, producing the characteristic “click” reaction and preventing the formation of byproducts.

 

Visit to cicCartuja

During his visit to the IIQ, Professor Meldal will participate in a meeting with students and young researchers, an exceptional opportunity to learn about the career and scientific work of one of the most prominent researchers in the field of chemistry. The event will also provide an opportunity to hear firsthand about his experience as a researcher and to share questions and concerns with him about chemical research and its applications.

 

Program

13.00 – 13.15h            Arrival of Prof. Morten Meldal.         Reception by board of Directors

13.15 – 13:30h            Outline of the mission and vision of cicCartuja by Directors

                                    Research at IIQ, ICMSE, and IBVF

13.30 – 14.30h            Meeting with early-stage researchers (R&C, post-doctoral, pre-doctoral fellows).

                                    The session will consist on an interview in which young scientist will ask Prof. Morten Meldal on his personal view on undertaking the challenge of pursuing a career in scientific research nowadays.

14.30 – 15.30h            Altogether cocktail lunch at cicCartuja

Registration

Space to participate in the event is limited. Students interested in attending can register using the registration form until capacity is reached or by the deadline of October 10.

This is a unique opportunity for the student community to meet and talk with a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry.