To celebrate the Biophysics Week, the Spanish Biophysical Society coordinates a series of affilate events locally organized by its members under the umbrella of the «Biophyzza Connection» and sponsored by Domino’s Pizza.
BILBAO
The Instituto Biofisika, a leading research institution in the field of biophysics, took part in this event last Friday March 28th. The 4th-year ESO students from Jesús María Ikastextea & Jesuitinas Bilbao visited the centre.
The students participated in some activities designed by the researchers of the Institute, exploring the differences between biology, physics, and chemistry and learning about the interdisciplinary role of biophysics in connecting these sciences.
The students had also the opportunity to see the facilities and the cutting-edge equipment, such as the Titan Krios G4 high-resolution cryo-electron microscope, which allows scientists to study life at the molecular level.
GRANADA
The University of Granada participated in the Biophysics Week 2025 celebrations, joining the “Biophyzza Connection” initiative organized by the Spanish Biophysical Society (https://sbe.es/biophyzza/), with sponsorship from Domino´s Pizza and the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences. On March 25th, Prof. Raúl Pérez-Jiménez (CIC bioGUNE), former undergraduate and doctoral alumnus of our university, delivered a talk entitled Designing new biocatalysts for new applications: Biotechnology and Society. The goal was to provide students from the Bachelor’s programs in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Chemistry with examples of cutting-edge biomedical and biotechnological applications of this field of knowledge. A very lively discussion took place between the audience and Prof. Pérez, which was moved to the cafeteria where students had the opportunity to interact informally with the speaker and the professors from the Department of Physical Chemistry involved in the organization of the event, while enjoying refreshments and pizza. Approximately 80 participants took part in the event.
Jóvenes Investigadores de la SBE (JI-SBE)
The inaugural edition of “Bioφsica 2025” –organized by the recently founded Spanish Network of Young Biophysicists– was a resounding success! This online event was designed for early-career researchers working in Spanish institutions. Throughout the week, the organizing committee shared graphical abstracts as a preview of Friday’s main event, where 11 speakers presented their research. The talks were of exceptional educational quality, sparking engaging discussions in every session. The enthusiasm of the participants and the high standard of the symposia highlight the promising future of biophysics in Spain. We are excited to bring this experience back next year!
MADRID
Over 60 students joined in Madrid to celebrate biophysics in the “Biophyzza party” gathering celebrated a propos of the Biophysics Week. As people may probably be aware of, and although it may sound topical, in Spain we know how to party! Since 2017 we organize in Madrid, and now in other Spanish cities (participating in the Biophyzza Connection), our “Biophyzza Party”. An event that combines a talk or a table round on a topic related with Biophysics followed by a get-together party with drinks and pizza to facilitate interactions between our guest speakers and the attendants. We are greateful to Domino’s Pizza as a sustained supporter, which provides us with free pizza for every assistant. The Spanish Biophysical Society (SBE) also collaborates buying some extra pizzas and drinks.
In our Biophyzza Party celebrated last March 28th we got the participation as main speaker of Dr. Carlos Briones, researcher at the Spanish Astrobiology Institut, part of the NASA network of Astrobiology centers, giving a lecture on “AstroBiophysics”. Carlos is a remarkable communicator, very active in social networks (@brionesci), and a outstanding scientist investigating in prebiotic evolution and exobiology. In our Biophyzza Party, Carlos outlined the importance of biophysics in ongoing approaches to develop life biosensors, to investigate the potential chemical components and processes defining life origin in Earth, and to explore the possibility of the existence of life in the universe. Are we alone? Is life as we know it a consequence of random or of necessity? Will we ever be able to detect extraterrestrial life?, were some of the stimulating questions discussed with the aid of the drinks and pizzas.
SAN SEBASTIÁN
Scientific dissemination found a new meeting place in the heart of San Sebastian with the celebration of Biophyzza 2025, an event that brought cutting-edge research topics to the general public in an agile and accessible format. The event took place at the Alboka Bar, on Easo Street, where two researchers gave short talks on their lines of work in the field of bioscience and medical technology.
The first talk was given by Armando Maestro, entitled ‘Neutron travel through biological membranes: discovering the architecture of cell walls’. Molina introduced the audience to the study of cell membranes from a physical perspective, explaining how the use of neutron beams makes it possible to observe their structure and behaviour at the nanometre scale. His talk revealed how these ‘walls’ not only protect the cell, but also regulate functions essential for life. Eduardo Martínez then presented ‘Wireless and battery-free implants for electrical stimulation of the brain’, a presentation on emerging technologies in applied neuroscience. Martínez explained his team’s advances in the development of brain implants that work without batteries or wires, which represents a great step forward in the improvement of neurological treatments, especially in cases of epilepsy, Parkinson’s or other disorders related to brain activity.
Biophyzza 2025 showed how scientific knowledge can leave academic environments to connect with citizens in everyday spaces, fostering an open, participatory and close scientific culture.
VALENCIA: I2SysBio co-organises BioPhyzza 2025 at the University of Valencia
For the third consecutive year, I2SysBio has collaborated in the BioPhyzza event. This event is part of the world-renowned Biophysics Week, organised annually by the Biophysics Society to promote the field of biophysics.
This initiative was part of ‘The Biophyzza Connection’, a series of events coordinated in several Spanish universities and research centres under the auspices of the Spanish Biophysics Society (SBE). Spain, after the United States, has been the country where the most events have been presented. The event took place in the Charles Darwin Room, on the Burjassot-Paterna Campus. The session included a presentation on the activities of the SBE by Javier Buceta (CSIC researcher at I2SysBio), where he also presented the discipline of biophysics to more than 130 students of biology and physics, among other disciplines. The event continued with a keynote lecture by Asia Fernández-Carvajal (professor at the Miguel Hernández University of Elx, UMH) entitled ‘De las sensaciones al dolor: respuestas fisiológicas y biofísica’. After the conference, there was a brief round table discussion moderated by Nuria Fuster (IFIC, a joint CSIC-UV centre), with the participation of Javier Buceta, María Jesús García-Murria (Biotecmed, UV), Ismael Mingarro (Dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences) and Professor Asia Fernández. The event concluded with a ‘pizza party’ in the cafeteria, sponsored by I2SysBio, the Faculty of Biological Sciences, the Faculty of Physics, the Biotecmed Institute, IFIC, Domino’s Pizza and Águila. Year after year, this event offers a unique opportunity for students and professionals to delve into the fascinating world of biophysics, gain valuable knowledge from leading experts and participate in enriching debates.
VIC: Science and Art Come Together at Biophysics Week
The Main Hall of the Universitat de Vic brought together 290 high school and university students for the ninth edition of the Biophysics Mini‑Congress, which this year focused on «Biophysics in neuroscience». Organized as part of the Biophyzza Connection and Biophysics Week, the event combined scientific outreach, cutting‑edge research, and informal networking.
The morning opened with a presentation by Laura Dempere, a researcher from the UVic‑UCC, who unpacked the fundamentals of computational neuroscience from a physics perspective.
The highlight of the event was delivered by David Bueno, biologist and author of L’art de ser humans (Destino, 2025). In his talk, Bueno emphasized the link between art and cognitive development: “We are not just mind; we are brain and body, and integrating both enhances our ability to manage every aspect of our lives.”
During his keynote, Bueno outlined the three pillars of the arts as drivers of human growth: Creativity, Abstraction, and Flexibility.
“Integrating an artistic perspective into daily life fosters innovation and the ability to face the unexpected,” he concluded.
The session closed with an informal discussion over pizza courtesy of the Spanish Biophysical Society, where students and researchers exchanged ideas in a relaxed atmosphere.
The event was supported by the Vicerectorate for Research and Knowledge Transfer at UVic, the Scientific Outreach Unit of UVic‑UCC, and the Spanish Biophysical Society (SBE).
ZARAGOZA
One more year, Biophyzza Connection was held in Zaragoza, in the Biophyzza Tent located in the Agrifood Market of the San Francisco Campus of the University of Zaragoza. The event was organised locally by an enthusiastic group of volunteers and biophysics researchers from the Institute of Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI).
Despite the rainy start to the day, the sun made an appearance just in time to enjoy two very interesting science talks focused on biophysics, given by two outstanding researchers and communicators.
The first talk, ‘Models against epidemics: a battle for your health’, was given by Prof. Jesús Gómez-Gardeñes, who explained how physical models are used to predict and combat epidemics. Prof. Inmaculada Yruela then gave a fascinating historical perspective on the biophysical study of proteins with her talk ‘Biomolecules in dance: how to catch them’.
The event attracted students, faculty from the University of Zaragoza and numerous visitors from the agri-food market, who had the opportunity to learn about biophysics while enjoying a slice of pizza, courtesy of the sponsorship of Domino’s Pizza.
Once again, Biophyzza Connection – Zaragoza was a great success.
JÉREZ Y SEVILLA
Within the framework of the Spanish Biophysics Week, the activity ‘Biophysics lands in the classroom 2.0’ was held, a scientific and educational experience that brought students closer to the real impact of Biophysics in society. It was aimed at students in the 4th year of ESO at the Montaigne School in Jerez (Jerez, Cádiz) and the 2nd year of Bachillerato at the Montaigne School in Seville (Seville).
During the day, the students explored in a participatory way the major milestones of this discipline through practical demonstrations, replicating key discoveries with accessible materials. Afterwards, there was a space for discussion and reflection on the importance of these advances in everyday life.
The enthusiasm and involvement of the students was total, culminating the day with a relaxed time shared with laughter and pizzas courtesy of Domino’s.
