The Instituto de Biotecnología de León, INBIOTEC, an institute of biotechnology, takes part in an European project that aims to develop a biotech product to prevent corrosion in metal structures of all kinds: from bridges to underground pipes. This proposal called BIOCORIN has nine partners: companies, research centers, etc. from six European countries (Spain, Germany, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and the Netherlands). New Biocoting for Corrosion Inhibition in Metal Surfaces, is led by the Spanish company Acciona Infraestructuras and its main objective is to use protective microorganisms to prevent others to produce deterioration.

The IBGM (a biology and molecular genetics institute) laboratory in Valladolid, Spain, led by María Luis Nieto has proven the efficiency of this component regarding inflammatory based diseases and therefore, has filed a patent application. The Unidad de Inmunidad Innata e Inflamación (a innate immune system and inflammation unit) in Valladolid has being working for eight years in a research area based on oleanolic acid’s potential (it is a triterpenoid distributed in the cuticles and leaves of olive trees) as an active ingredient to tackle the symptoms and sings of conditions strongly based on inflammatory processes such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

A spin-off of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), SENSIA Solutions, has developed the first infrared camera for detecting sulfur dioxide (SO2), a gas that is considered one of the greatest causes of the acid rain generated by the energy, metallurgy, food and paper manufacturing sectors. SO2 is considered one of the most problematic contaminants and it is particularly harmful in India, Japan and China (the greatest producer of this worldwide), a country where there are regions in which all the rain that falls is acid rain.