Researcher Mónica López Fanarraga, head of the Nanomedicine Group at the Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL) and Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Cantabria, has been selected in the latest call of the INNVAL programme. Her project tackles one of the major challenges in biomedical research: how to store DNA safely, efficiently, and sustainably.
The initiative proposes a patented system for encapsulating nucleic acids in solid silica nanoparticles that enables DNA preservation at room temperature. The project will be developed and validated in collaboration with the Valdecilla Biobank, with the aim of facilitating its future implementation in biobanks and other biomedical settings.
“INNVAL’s support is essential for us because it gives us flexibility and visibility. It allows us to hire technical or predoctoral assistance and to advance a technology that has already attracted business interest and is clearly oriented toward market translation,” López Fanarraga explains.
From an unexpected observation to a patent with strong transfer potential
The project originated from a case of “scientific serendipity.” “We were working with silica nanoparticles that, contrary to expectations, were dissolving. When we analysed their composition, we realised they could be compatible with DNA, so we decided to explore a new form of encapsulation,” the researcher recounts. The result was a technology capable of protecting DNA against extreme conditions—temperature, humidity, acidity, oxidation, or enzymes—and subsequently releasing it in a simple and biocompatible manner.
Beyond its direct application in biobanks, silica encapsulation opens opportunities in other fields such as gene therapy or digital data storage in DNA, an emerging area in which the group has already attracted interest from international companies.
Sustainability, innovation, and the role of programmes like INNVAL
One of the project’s main impacts is its contribution to the sustainability of the healthcare system. “A biobank may have dozens of freezers, and each one consumes as much energy per day as a household. Storing DNA at room temperature represents enormous energy and emissions savings,” López Fanarraga emphasises. Recent scientific forums and meetings linked to SEPAR have highlighted that the annual energy consumption of the Spanish biobank network is equivalent, in CO₂ emissions, to hundreds of transatlantic flights—a footprint that could be drastically reduced with solutions like this one.
Regarding the INNVAL programme, the researcher underscores its value as a launchpad for innovative projects: “These programmes give us the initial push, but it is essential to have support structures that help protect and transfer the technology. Researchers generate the idea and demonstrate it, but for it to reach society, an ecosystem must be in place to carry it forward.”
With this project, INNVAL strengthens its commitment to innovation with real impact on the healthcare system, aligned with sustainability and with the transfer of knowledge from research to clinical and industrial environments.
