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Article on the Barcelona BioMed conference on membrane proteins, organised by IRB Barcelona and the BBVA Foundation. According to statements made by the organisers Manuel Palacín and Miquel Coll, both at IRB Barcelona, research into the structure of these proteins "paves the way to a wide range of possibilities for the development of new drugs for diseases that currently have no cure and to search for alternative treatments in other conditions for which current drugs are not overly efficient or that are highly toxic for the patient." To date, the structures of only 3% of membrane proteins have been resolved at the atomic level. In spite of being such a low percentage, more than 50% of present day drugs target membrane proteins.
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
