Valeria Grazú Lab

Laboratory led by Valeria Grazú within the Bionanosurf research group.

Lab summary

Valeria Grazú’s research combines the selectivity of enzymatic catalysis with nanoactuated materials that can be remotely activated to generate localized heat, enabling remote control of catalytic activity. The lab designs enzyme–nanomaterial hybrids in which external stimuli, such as alternating magnetic fields or light, induce localized temperature increases in responsive nanomaterials (including magnetic nanoparticles, photothermal gold nanostructures, and thermoresponsive materials).

This approach enables enzymes to operate at different optimal temperatures within the same environment without changing the global temperature. The work draws on long-standing expertise in the oriented immobilization of complex biomolecules across multiple material platforms, supporting applications in industrial bioprocessing and therapeutic strategies such as spatiotemporally controlled activation of prodrugs in cancer therapy.

Team

Liliane Beola

Post doc

Nicolás Casinelli

Ingeniero Superior

Maura Rabade

Pre doc

Cristina Flavian

Pre doc

Marcos Orduña

Pre doc

Francesca Busolari

Pre doc

Lab quick facts

ORCID: 0000-0001-6170-4237

Selected projects

Actenzymes: Nanoactivación remota de enzimas para su uso en biotecnología IMPULSA-T Programme, Converge Innovation Hub, CSIC. PI: Valeria Grazú. 2024, 50,000 EUR.
Activación de enzimas mediante calentamiento local inducido por nanopartículas para aplicaciones biomédicas (ACTENZYMES) PID2020-118485RB-I00, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI). PIs: Jesús M. de la Fuente and Valeria Grazú. 2021-2025, 250,000 EUR.
Diagnosis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 by triplex formation La Marató. PI for INMA-CSIC: Valeria Grazú; consortium coordinated by Ramon Eritja. 2021-2023.
Redesigning biocatalysis: Thermal-tuning of one-pot multienzymatic cascades by nanoactuation (HOTZYMES) H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01, ref. 829162. PI and coordinator: Valeria Grazú. 2019-2022.
Biocatálisis Termo-Activada por Nanoactuación BIO2017-84246-C2-1-R. PI: Jesús M. de la Fuente; co-PI: Valeria Grazú. 2018-2021.
MagicCELLGene - Localized MAGnetiC hyperthermia CELL-based GENE therapy for immune modulation M-ERA.NET Call 2016. PI: Valeria Grazú. 2017-2020.

Latest publications

Heat up, silence on: IDO1 gene silencing in THP-1-derived dendritic cells triggered by magnetic hyperthermia
Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy · August 23, 2025
Plasmonic nanoparticle-based sensors for viral detection: achieving gold standard techniques-level sensitivity for genetic ad protein targets.
January 1, 2025
Peroxidase remote activation via a stimuli responsive material.
January 1, 2025
Papel de la nanotecnología en el ámbito biomédico. I workshop consorcio NyNA
January 1, 2025
Ni-NTA Functionalized Nanoparticles: Thermal Response, Magnetic Characterization, and AMF-Induced Microstructural Changes in Collagen Hydrogels
January 1, 2025

See all publications on ORCID