Complementary Plan for Biotechnology Applied to Health
The Complementary Plan for Biotechnology Applied to Health is a strategic initiative promoted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, in collaboration with several autonomous communities, as part of the PERTE for Cutting-Edge Health. Its main objective is to overcome the limitations of initial approaches to personalized medicine by developing advanced diagnostic and prognostic tools and targeted therapies that enable more accurate and effective healthcare.
The Plan has substantial funding, provided jointly by the Spanish government, NextGenerationEU European funds, and the participating communities. It is structured as a oordinated R&D&I effort in biomedicine, promoting inter-territorial cooperation and the transfer of results to the healthcare system and the industrial sector.
To achieve its objectives, the program is structured around six main lines of action, ranging from electron cryomicroscopy and massive omics data analysis to the development of nanopharmaceuticals, advanced cell therapies, and innovative surgical technologies. This organization allows for a comprehensive approach to biotechnology applied to health, combining basic research, technological development, and clinical applications.
With an expected implementation period between 2021 and 2025, the Complementary Plan aims to consolidate Spain as a European benchmark in the field of biomedicine, promoting innovation in health and strengthening collaboration between research centers, hospitals, universities, and technology companies.
Line of action 1: Structural studies by cryo-electron microscopy
The overall objective of this line of action is to contribute, through structural studies using cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), to understanding the mechanisms by which certain mutations in target proteins are pathogenic. This knowledge will enable progress in the design of strategies for the development and administration of drugs for the personalized treatment of patients..
In this context, the University of Extremadura (UEx) participates through Robolab with the specific objective of developing biomedical image processing and artificial vision algorithms applicable to medical image analysis, within the framework of Action Line 1 (AL1) and with support from Action Line 6 (AL6).
The University of Extremadura is working on:
Identification of specific needs in algorithms for biomedical image processing.
Definition of the scope of application, with special emphasis on the analysis of mammograms, given their clinical relevance.
Development of artificial intelligence tools and models for the detection and classification of lesions in medical images.
Creation of high-quality annotated datasets, using public collections of mammograms and exploring collaborations with healthcare entities to expand the database.
Establishment of strategic partnerships with the Extremadura Health Service (SES) to validate and apply developments in a real clinical setting.
The Complementary Plan for Biotechnology Applied to Health, integrated within the framework of the PERTE for Cutting-Edge Health, has been co-financed by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities with funds from the European Union's NextGenerationEU, the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (PRTR-C17.I1), and the following autonomous communities:
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