Prof. Laura Lechuga receives the Spanish Nanotechnology Award NOB166 in award ceremony

by Virginia Greco

The Award has been conferred to Prof. Lechuga by the nanotechnology-based company NOB166 in recognition of her outstanding contributions in the field of nanophotonics and nanodiagnosis. The ceremony took place on June 19 in Madrid.

Prof. Laura M. Lechuga, a renowned Research Professor at the CSIC and Leader of the NanoBiosensors and Bioanalytical Applications Group at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), has been honoured as the winner of the prestigious Spanish Nanotechnology Award NOB166. This esteemed recognition celebrates her exceptional contributions in the field of nanophotonics and nanodiagnosis, particularly in the development of photonic biosensors and their integration into portable "Point-of-Care" (POC) platforms for decentralized clinical and environmental diagnostics.

The NOB166 National Nanotechnology Award Ceremony took place today, June 19, at the Royal Academy of Science and Technology of Spain. This award, now in its third edition, highlights the dedication of NOB166, a leading nanotechnology-based company, to fostering innovation in the realm of nanotechnology.

Prof. Laura M. Lechuga boasts an impressive background and remarkable achievements in her career. She obtained her PhD in Chemistry from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1992 and currently serves as a Full Professor of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Group Leader at the ICN2 in Barcelona, as well as at the Networking Biomedical Research Center (CIBER-BBN).

Her research focuses primarily on the development of cutting-edge nanobiosensor devices based on nanoplasmonics and silicon-based photonics principles for point-of-care diagnostics. Prof. Lechuga has spent over eighteen years at the forefront of the photonic biosensor field, making significant contributions and opening new horizons in the realm of nanotechnology. Her research encompasses both fundamental studies and the practical operation of comprehensive sensing platforms, with a keen emphasis on technological transfer for socially applicable products.

Prof. Lechuga's notable accomplishments include the publication of more than 300 articles, book chapters, and proceedings. She has also registered eight families of patents and delivered over 430 invited talks worldwide, showcasing her groundbreaking work. In addition, she has co-founded two spin-off companies and serves as an Associate Editor for esteemed international journals in the fields of engineering, chemistry, and optics. She also contributes to the Scientific Advisory Committees of prestigious national and international organizations while actively participating in high-level scientific evaluation panels.

The remarkable quality of Prof. Laura M. Lechuga's research has earned her numerous prestigious prizes and awards, including the Spanish National Research Prize in 2020, the King Jaume I Award in New Technologies in 2020, the Ada Byron 2020 Prize, the Physics, Innovation, and Technology Prize from the Spanish Royal Physics Society (RSEF) and BBVA Foundation in 2016, the XVIII Burdinola Research Award in 2021, the 2021 Medal of the International Foundation Olof Palme, and the Doctorate Honoris Causa awarded by the University of Cádiz, among others.

Furthermore, Prof. Lechuga has been actively engaged in science dissemination for over 25 years, playing a pioneering role in the field. She has conducted numerous interviews for TV, radio, podcasts, and press, in addition to delivering conferences and publishing articles to popularize science at both national and international levels.

From April 2020 to September 2021, Prof. Lechuga served as a member of the Expert Scientific Panel advising the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Spanish Government in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, due to her knowledge and research in the field of fast and reliable diagnostics for infectious diseases, including the very COVID-19 (read here about the CoNVat project led by Prof. Lechuga and some recent results).

As the leader of the Nanobiosensors and Bioanalytical Applications Group at the ICN2, Prof. Laura Lechuga's current research efforts are concentrated on the development of novel nanobiosensor devices based on plasmonics and photonics for application in diagnostics of a variety of diseases, from infectious ones to different typologies of cancer. Her group aims to enhance sensitivity, miniaturization, and multiplexing capabilities of sensors, while also exploring universal biofunctionalization techniques for biological receptors and achieving full integration into point-of-care analytical platforms.

The application of these nanobiosensor devices in real clinical diagnostics and environmental monitoring remains a primary objective for the group, which strives to validate their technology in clinical hospitals and environmental settings. Their efforts also focus on technology transfer, aiming to provide user-friendly platforms, tools, and custom applications that bridge the gap between laboratory prototypes and commercial products, thereby facilitating wider adoption and commercialization potential.

The Spanish Nanotechnology Award NOB166 is indeed a recognition not only to the great results, but also to the effort, passion, and dedication shown by Prof. Lechuga and the many researchers and doctoral students who works or have developed a part of their career in her group.