The research group under the name of "Physical Chemistry of Surfaces" is created around 1946 by the first Professor of Physical Technique and Physical Chemistry of the Faculty of Pharmacy, and also first in the Department, Prof. Enrique Otero Aenlle, along with Profs. Rafael Cadórniga Carro (who, later in life, would apply his vision as a physical chemist into pharmaceutical technology, initiating a true paradigm shift in that area and becoming Professor of Galenic Pharmacy), and, years later, Profs. Serafín García Fernández (Associate Professor) and Pablo Sanz Pedrero. The latter's disciple José Miñones Trillo would give shape and continuity to the group, leading it for more than three decades.
The group's research topic was introduced by Prof. Otero Aenlle, who learnt the technique of monomolecular layers at the air/water interface (Langmuir monolayers) from Prof. Dervichian at the Biophysics Service of the Pasteur Institute in Paris (France). He studied how to use monolayers as a means to investigate cell membrane-related processes as well as interactions with lipid membranes. Indeed, he started a line of research on the interaction between bile acids and fatty acids when he returned to Compostela, which would see its legacy in Prof. Miñones Trillo's research on interactions in pulmonary surfactant and cell membrane models, or in drug-plasma protein and drug-polymer interactions.
The second half of the 20th century brought along numerous scientific advances, with research on colloidal drug delivery systems among them, which remain to this day a fruitful line of research of our lab. In this area, our group has worked on the assessment of the liposome encapsulation of antifungal drugs and, a few years later, on how to optimise drug solubilisation by polymer micelles under Professor Isabel Sández Macho's leadership, who also refounded our group in 2012 as the Biomembranes lab.
Today, Prof. Matilde Casas coordenates our lab, where we continue to use a physicochemical perspective to investigate the role of biological membranes in pharmacological therapy, as well as to study and optimise new colloidal and supramolecular delivery systems of active ingredients, primarily focused on local administration treatments.
Location
Our labs are in the facilities of the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy:
Biomembranes Lab
Laboratory of Physical Chemistry
Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Santiago de Compostela
Praza do Seminario de Estudos Galegos, s/n
15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia (Spain)