Number: 02 Date: 03/04/2006 Category: Health science and technology

SPANISH PRESIDENT RODRÍGUEZ ZAPATERO INAUGURATED THE ANDALUSIAN CENTRE FOR MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE IN SEVILLE

The head of the Spanish government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, chaired the inauguration of the CABIMER centre (Andalusian Centre for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine) in Seville. The President of the Andalusian Regional Government, Manuel Chaves, and the Minister of Health and Consumers Affairs, Elena Salgado, accompanied Rodríguez Zapatero in his visit to the facilities and during the opening ceremony. During the visit, Rodríguez Zapatero unveiled a commemorative plaque and after that, he walked around the main facilities of CABIMER, such us the cell culture and cryopreservation area, as well as some of the over 20 laboratories of the building. In addition to this, the director of the centre, scientist Bernat Soria, explained to the President and his retinue the operation of the cell sorter, a state-of-the-art technology equipment that allows classifying and separating different types of cells. After that, the centre was officially presented to the authorities, scientists and associations of patients. In addition to this, different supporting messages were received from prestigious worldwide researchers, such as two Nobel prize-winners in Medicine. Alliance between institutions CABIMER is the result of the agreement and cooperation between the Andalusian Ministry of Health, the Andalusian Ministry of Innovation, Science and Enterprise, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) , the University of Seville and Pablo de Olavide University. This association encourages the mixture of basic and applied research, and intends to make contacts of CABIMER’s researchers easier, both with the professional centres that are part of the Andalusian Public Health System and the business sector too. Such collaboration will allow the results of the studies to cause a direct improvement of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the main diseases that affect people. In that respect, it is one of the most important centres in Europe working on cell therapy and regenerative medicine. As well as promoting collaboration between the central and regional governments on this strategic area, the CABIMER centre guarantees that any research be carried out under the highest standards of quality, safety and respect of ethical principles; it will also encourage researcher training and the exchange of knowledge with other centres, and will organize scientific meetings related to its major activity.