The success of IHB owes much to the wonderful and inspiring people who work in its labs. We are featuring here R&D engineer Mar Cervera Negueruela, who works in the Microtechnologies team.
“I have always been fascinated by technology: how we can automate processes, design prototypes and build tangible devices.”
Mar Cervera Nerguela
R&D Engineer
Profile
I have always been fascinated by technology: how we can automate processes, design prototypes and build tangible devices. At the same time, I have a strong social commitment and I would like to have an impact on health. Combining both of them led me to pursue a career in biomedical technologies, where the tech that I develop can be used for patient treatment, diagnosis or, as is the current situation, to potentially accelerate the drug discovery pipeline.
IHB is a special place, researchers that were previously in academia sit down together at Roche. This unique environment merges innovation with the translational aspect of being in a pharmaceutical company. In addition, it is a perfect opportunity to regularly work in interdisciplinary teams at the intersection of engineering and biology. This aligns perfectly with my biomedical engineering background – where I worked with stem cells but also in the development of medical instruments – and my motivation to develop new technologies that can be translated into products.
In the Microtechnologies team, I help develop platforms for organoid culture and analysis. I use automation, custom fabrication, sensors and microfluidics to improve reproducibility and robustness. The innovative aspect of this work lies in our efforts to create scalable methods for organoid culture, which could potentially significantly impact the organoid field by ensuring consistent experimental results and facilitating large-scale production. This could help their wider use in drug development and testing.
Being part of the IHB community means being engaged in an interdisciplinary environment where collaboration is key. I work closely with different teams in the institute and with colleagues across Roche, leveraging their expertise to validate and test our platforms. For instance, the team and I developed an instrument prototype for automated assays, which was used by our colleagues in pRED Ophthalmology. This was the first time another group than ours tested a platform we developed, so it’s super exciting! Additionally, by advancing prototypes for organoid culture, I believe I also contribute to the broader scientific community by providing tools that can be used for further research and development in the biomedical field.
My ambition is to keep bridging the gap between academic innovation and practical application. In academia, we excel at developing innovative products, but we rarely reach the stage of transforming them into real-life applications. Therefore, what excites me most is the prospect of seeing the products I develop applied and used by fellow Roche scientists to advance research and develop medicines for patients.
I appreciate IHB for its international community. I’m from Spain and I get the chance every day to work with colleagues from such diverse backgrounds and cultures. Everyone is really motivated to solve challenges together and bring new ideas to the table, which I think is very exciting. I personally love tackling new challenges that arise from developing new solutions!