At CIC bioGUNE, we advance life sciences through multidisciplinary research to uncover the molecular basis of health and disease and develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Our research is structured around two main Strategic Research Programs: Molecular Regulation & Enabling Technologies and Integrative Biomedicine.

Our diverse community of scientists and technicians fosters excellence, collaboration, and innovation across all career stages. From Early-Career Researchers to consolidated Group Leaders and Associated Principal Investigators to our Emerging Scientists, CIC bioGUNE fosters scientific excellence and innovation to promote the translation of our scientific results into biotechnological and pharmacological applications.

• Molecular Regulation & Enabling Technologies

  Molecular Regulation & Enabling Technologies program embodies CIC bioGUNE’s commitment to mechanistic understanding as the basis for future translational impact. The program integrates chemical and structural biology, molecular recognition, genetics and functional genomics, synthetic biology, computational modelling and systems-level mechanistic approaches.

  Its overarching objective is to move beyond descriptive biology towards mechanistic closure capable of validating therapeutic targets, identifying robust biomarkers, explaining biological variability and enabling rational intervention strategies. The program therefore seeks to connect biological observation, mechanistic interpretation, computational prediction and experimental validation within unified scientific workflows.

• Integrative Biomedicine 

  Integrative Biomedicine program complements this strategy by connecting molecular mechanisms with disease phenotypes, tissue behavior, patient heterogeneity, longitudinal clinical trajectories and population-scale variability. The program integrates metabolism, cancer biology, glycobiology, genomics, immunology, systems medicine and patient-oriented translational research. This program will be developed through a highly complementary ecosystem of research groups.

The strategic value of this structure lies not only in the excellence of individual laboratories, but also in their capacity to operate as an integrated and convergence-oriented scientific ecosystem.

Multi-omic analyses, computational modelling, AI-supported prediction, and mechanistic validation will create continuous feedback loops linking molecular discovery with translational implementation. Together, these efforts form a multidisciplinary and highly integrated scientific ecosystem in which data-driven discovery, mechanistic understanding, and experimental intervention reinforce one another. This convergence-oriented structure enables CIC bioGUNE to address complex biomedical challenges beyond the scope of isolated disciplinary approaches.

The activities of the two Strategic Research Programs are articulated through four transversal Core Themes that define CIC bioGUNE’s main scientific and societal missions:

• Multi-scale Data Integration serves both as a Core Theme and a transversal enabling capability across the institution. CIC bioGUNE aims to become a European leader in integrating genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, glycomics, imaging, clinical, and longitudinal datasets through advanced computational modelling and explainable AI. The goal is to generate mechanistically interpretable models of biological systems that support predictive medicine, biomarker discovery, disease stratification, and anticipatory healthcare.

• Healthy Ageing and Prevention reflects CIC bioGUNE’s transition towards anticipatory and resilience-oriented models of health. By combining expertise in metabolomics, longitudinal cohorts, and computational modelling, CIC bioGUNE seeks to identify early molecular signatures associated with ageing, resilience, and disease risk, enabling preventive and personalized healthcare strategies.

• Precision Oncology represents one of CIC bioGUNE’s most established translational research areas. Integrating cancer metabolism, glycobiology, immunology, multi-omics, biomarker discovery, and computational modelling, CIC bioGUNE develops mechanistically informed precision oncology approaches to improve prediction of therapeutic response and identify resistance mechanisms.

• Infectious Diseases and One Health expands CIC bioGUNE’s research vision towards the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. This area integrates virology, host–pathogen interactions, immunology, vector biology, prion diseases, and vaccine-related technologies within a One Health framework that addresses emerging infectious threats and global health resilience.