The University of La Laguna has managed to raise more than 1.6 million euros in the 2025 Call for Proposals for the Acquisition of Scientific and Technical Equipment from the State Research Agency. The provisional resolution proposal, recently published, includes four initiatives promoted by this academic center: three of them through the General Research Support Service (SEGAI) and one from the Institute of Neuroscience (IUNE).
This call for proposals falls within the framework of the State Plan for Scientific, Technical and Innovation Research 2024-2027 and aims to promote the development, maintenance, and improvement of scientific and technological infrastructure. In this context, the grants are intended to equip shared research services with state-of-the-art equipment, fostering more specialized and efficient management.
The Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer at the University of La Laguna (ULL), Antonio Aparicio Juan, points out that the provision of high-cost scientific and technical infrastructure is a “strategic element” for the development of advanced research, as it allows for the incorporation of specialized equipment, the improvement of analytical and experimental capabilities, and access to technologies that are critical for the competitiveness of research groups. He emphasizes that this type of investment also has a multiplier effect, facilitating the provision of services to other centers and the transfer of knowledge. In this context, he stresses that the ULL has achieved a particularly outstanding result in this call for proposals.
According to José Luis Rodríguez Marrero, director of SEGAI, the availability of advanced technology will allow for more reliable and higher-quality data, fostering cutting-edge research with an international reach. He considers the outcome of the call for proposals a “remarkable success” and notes that the new scientific infrastructure is expected to be operational by the end of 2027.
One of the services that will expand its equipment thanks to this funding is the Biological Safety Laboratory Level 2+, Recently incorporated into SEGAI and authorized as a Type C3/U76 Healthcare Unit by the Canary Islands Health Service, the successful completion of this call for proposals will allow the acquisition of a cellular flow analyzer with spectral imaging technology. This state-of-the-art equipment is unique in the market and will be integrated into SEGAI's service catalog.
The acquisition of this equipment consolidates this service's position as a leader in biosafety applied to viruses, lentiviral vectors, immunology, and cellular analysis of relevant pathologies in the Canary Islands. It also expands SEGAI's technological offerings for internal and external researchers and strengthens knowledge transfer with collaborating hospitals and companies. This addition represents a significant leap forward in the University of La Laguna's capacity to lead cutting-edge research.
In the case of Laboratory for the Characterization of Particles and Microsurfaces, The new funding will allow for the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment for analyzing micro- and nanoparticle concentration, size distribution, zeta potential, and rheological properties. This investment will lead to the renewal, improvement, and expansion of currently available services, as well as a significant leap forward by incorporating capabilities never before seen in the Canary Islands.
The proposed equipment offers high versatility, integrating techniques capable of encompassing a wide range of applications in industrial sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, and chemicals, as well as in areas such as construction materials, soils, materials engineering, and food products, among others. The proposal has been endorsed by several research groups and has the support of external entities such as the Canary Islands Institute of Agricultural Research, Veolia-Ionics Ibérica SLU, and FCC Aqualia SA.
For the Genomics Service, The acquisition of new equipment under this call for proposals represents a key technological upgrade and a qualitative leap forward in the operational capacity of the University of La Laguna (ULL). This improvement will ensure that both the university's scientific community and its external collaborators have access to molecular data of the highest quality. This equipment will strengthen the service's essential functions, including DNA purification, PCR, qPCR, Sanger sequencing, and genotyping, supporting high-impact research in areas such as Biomedicine and Evolution, Biodiversity and Taxonomy, and Plant and Veterinary Health.
The Genomics Service highlights the automation of procedures as the main new feature, which will allow for scaling up the number of samples analyzed and tackling larger projects, previously limited by technical restrictions.
The fourth ULL infrastructure project to receive funding in this call is the University Institute of Neuroscience (IUNE). The management team has expressed its appreciation for the outcome, especially after achieving an outstanding score of 96 out of 100 on the submitted project. The funding will allow for the acquisition of equipment to establish an advanced neuroimaging laboratory for social cognition, a cutting-edge offering that will position IUNE as a leader in the field of cognitive neuroscience. This equipment will strengthen the institute's capabilities, which already boasts a strong track record in the study of language processing, now incorporating the analysis of emotional variables and social interaction.
Until now, the IUNE performed brain recordings individually; however, with this new equipment it will be able to carry out simultaneous interaction studies between up to four people and it will be possible to integrate the analysis of brain activity with peripheral physiological variables in contexts of social interaction.
This opens the door to studying phenomena such as brain synchronization between individuals during communication, empathy, and cooperation. Furthermore, it will allow for the joint analysis of variables such as gaze direction, head movements, and physical proximity. The synchronized collection of all this data will facilitate a more complete understanding of the processes of interaction and coordination between interlocutors.
The University of La Laguna will assume the required co-financing, equivalent to 151% of the total awarded, representing a contribution of over €240,000. This effort will be covered by the Vice-Rectorate for Research and Transfer's own funds, in line with the institutional policy of continuously strengthening scientific infrastructure and supporting research activity.
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