The Experimental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology Unit (UTOX) is a Unit of the Scientific Park of Barcelona (PCB), the objective of which is to serve as technological and service support for public and UB research groups and private companies.

The unit is also part of a consolidated Toxicology Research Group (GRET), CERETOX (Toxicology Research Centre, TECNIO agent) and CITA (Centre for Innovation and Advanced Technologies of the University of Barcelona). Consequently, UTOX-PCB-CERETOX is able to carry out its own research or any national and international projects in collaboration with other partners.

UTOX is positioned as the Toxicology Platform of the PCB and as a toxicology research, innovation and contract service center, serving both the public and the private entities (pharmaceutical, biotechnological, veterinary, medical devices, health care products, nutraceutical, cosmetic, environmental management and chemical sectors). The priority is to provide advice on, design and perform customized safety studies (based on the specific regulatory and quality needs and requirements in each case).

The unit collaborates with different research groups from national and international universities, entities and public administrations to carry out and develop public research projects, such as CENIT, Singular and Strategic Projects, 7PM, RIBEFOOD / INTARESE / SOSTAQUA / NANOSOST / ONCOLOGICA / COPONAMRI / HEALS / CIEN / NEOTEC / AGAUR, etc. At the same time, the unit provides support to companies who wish to develop new products by means of the transfer of technology. In addition, PCB (UTOX) signed a collaborative agreement with METHODEX to share preclinical and clinical competencies and development programs in these fields.

The toxicological studies carried out at the UTOX are based on recommendations, regulations and protocols published by international agencies. The most representative are the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), ECVAM (European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods), ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), EMA (European Medicine Agency), U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration), EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), ICH (International Conference on Harmonization). 

Technological offer:

IN VIVO EXPERIMENTAL TOXICOLOGY

• Mutagenicity
• Acute toxicity
• Repeated-dose toxicity
• Local tolerance / Sensitization
• Pharmacokinetics / ADME
• Immunogenicity
• Genotoxicity
• Toxicology of Reproduction and Development: Teratogenicity and   Reprotoxicity
• Others

IN VITRO EXPERIMENTAL TOXICOLOGY

• Systemic Toxicity

• Toxicology of Reproduction
• Genotoxicity
• Local tolerance / Sensitization
• Carcinogenesis
• Others​

​CLINICAL PATHOLOGY / HISTOPATHOLOGY / BIOMARKER ANALYSES

PRELIMINARY TOXICOLOGICAL SCREENING OF BIOACTIVE MOLECULES ADAPTED TO INDUSTRIAL NEEDS

Customized battery of in vivo/in vitro toxicological assays for the screening and/or valuation phases of drugs, veterinary products, food additives and novel foods, sanitary products, cosmetics and chemicals.

ECOTOXICOLOGY

• Field studies: sentinel species + exposure and effect biomarkers.
• Laboratory studies: battery of regulatory ecotoxicity assays (veterinary drugs and pharmaceutical /cosmetic/ food products)

- Water environment (fresh and marine water)

- Terrestrial environment

RISK ANALYSIS, SAFETY AND EXPERT REPORTS

FOOD SAFETY, QUALITY AND RESEARCH

NANOTOXICOLOGY RESEARCH

Personnel

The research team is composed of PhDs, university graduates and technicians with high competencies and expertise thanks to their careers and training in life sciences and biomedicine.