PARTNER N°

30

NAME OF INSTITUTION

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TEAM

 

 

The University of Barcelona (UB) was founded in 1450. Today it boasts of a student body of 63,020 and a research staff of 5,312 members. Degrees are offered in 73 different areas of teaching with numerous postgraduate and doctorate programs as well as continuing education courses. The University of Barcelona (UB) is the largest of the six universities of Barcelona and of the ten in Catalonia. The UB is ranked the first Spanish university, and the 33 European institutions in scientific quality and productivity. The UB manages in average 150 European projects per year, for an amount of about 8,6 million euros a year. The University of Barcelona develops all its activities related to the research in Europe through its European Research Projects Office, a unit in charge of the promotion of EC programs, technical assistance to the elaboration of proposals and management of projects with participation of researchers of the UB, coordinated by the Vice‐rector for Innovation and Transfer of Knowledge. Since January 2010, Universitat de Barcelona is part of the prestigious League of European Universities Research (LERU). The Department Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environment Science (Biology Faculty) of Barcelona University have a narrow relationship with Latin American countries. For example, the Prof Jacint Nadal was named General Director of the Natura Pavilion of the Universal Exposition of Sevilla in 1992 as a consequence of the relationship that he had with Bolivia since 1975. Also, it has a narrow relationship with different countries of Africa. The Department does eco‐epidemiological studies in Spain and others countries of Africa and America.

 

 

KEY CONTACT PERSON(S) Jordi Serra‐Cobo; Marc López; José Domingo Rodríguez; Jacint Nadal; Abir Monastiri

Key scientific contact person 1 (Team leader)

Name

Jordi Serra-Cobo

Photo

 

Position in the Institution

Adjunct lecturer

Email address

serracobo@areambiental.com

Phone number

 

+34 93 4021450

Mobile phone number

+34 646955889

Postal address

Dept Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals

Diagonal Sud, Facultat de Biologia
DIAGONAL, 643
08028 BARCELONA

Role in the Consortium

WP: 5

Task: 5.1: Investigation of sylvatic ZIKV animal reservoirs

Sub-task: 5.1.2. Small mammals

Role: 

Provide bat samples of the peri‐urban areas from Brazil (Sao Paulo) and Bolivia (San Ignacio and Trinidad) and carry out eco-epidemiological analysis with data obtained in the field works and in the laboratory analysis. 

Different species will be sampled in Brazil and Bolivia during 2 years with collaborations of local groups. Faeces, ectoparasites, and saliva samples (where possible) will additionally be collected from sampled bats to allow comparative investigations of ZIKV shedding and transmission routes. Bats will be caught with mist nets and up to 50μL of blood will be collected by trained biologists before releasing the animals.