Dr Diego Núñez Villanueva is a Tenured Scientist at the Institute of Medicinal Chemistry of the Spanish National Research Council (IQM‑CSIC). Prior to this, he spent several years in the UK, working as a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge and as a Senior Scientist at Bicycle Therapeutics, focusing on molecular recognition and the development of therapeutic bicyclic peptides.
At the Institute of Medicinal Chemistry within Spain’s National Research Council (IQM‑CSIC), Dr Diego Núñez Villanueva and a team of researchers are developing next‑generation peptide therapeutics aimed at addressing unmet needs in oncology and cardiovascular disease. The work sits at the intersection of medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis, and supramolecular chemistry. An area, where speed, purity, and reproducibility are critical.
For this team, a streamlined and dependable peptide workflow was essential to turn innovative molecular designs into assay‑ready material without delays.
As in many academic research environments, scientific ambition must be balanced with practical realities. Lab space is limited. Infrastructure changes are difficult. Administrative processes can slow momentum. At the same time, peptide discovery demands high-purity material that can be reliably and reproducibly synthesized.
According to Dr Diego Núñez Villanueva, the goal was clear: creating a dependable peptide workflow that could keep pace with research demands while fitting seamlessly into their existing laboratory environment.
The solution took shape by integrating the Biotage® Initiator+ Alstra™ Peptide synthesizer with the Biotage® Selekt flash purification system and Biotage® Sfär C18 Bio columns, creating a coherent, end‑to‑end peptide workflow.
The Biotage® Initiator+ Alstra™ proved to be a natural fit. Its compact footprint made it easy to install without infrastructure changes, while its intuitive software and robust design allowed the team to move smoothly between routine peptide synthesis and more advanced solid-phase organic synthesis (SPOS) methodologies. Rather than constraining the chemistry, the system adapted to the way the scientists work.
Downstream, purification is handled by the Biotage® Selekt system. Its dual‑channel capabilities enable rapid optimization, while the Biotage® Sfär C18 Bio columns deliver the resolution and recovery needed for demanding peptide separations. Together, synthesis and purification form a continuous pipeline rather than isolated steps.
"The integration of the Biotage® Initiator+ Alstra™ for synthesis with the Biotage® Selekt system and Biotage® Sfär C18 Bio columns has been a game-changer for our workflow. This combination creates a seamless transition from synthesis to purification. By utilizing the Biotage® Sfär C18 Bio columns, we achieve superior resolution and recovery. Essentially, this setup has streamlined our entire pipeline," says Dr Núñez Villanueva.
With synthesis and purification fully aligned, bottlenecks disappeared. High‑quality crude peptides move on to purification, reducing manual handling and accelerating timelines. The impact is tangible. The team now routinely produces peptides at greater than 95% purity, ready for biological testing, in as little as 48 hours. This faster turnaround means more design cycles, quicker decisions, and greater momentum across research programs.
“We can now consistently produce the high‑purity material required for biological testing, ensuring we can advance from concept to assay‑ready peptides with speed and precision” says Dr Núñez Villanueva.
In a high‑throughput research environment, performance alone isn’t enough. Instruments must work reliably day after day. For IQM‑CSIC, long‑standing experience with Biotage® systems such as Isolera and Selekt had already established trust in the platform’s robustness.
Equally important is support. Biotage’s 1‑Point Support enables efficient remote troubleshooting, while access to a dedicated local service engineer provides rapid on‑site assistance when needed.
While today’s workflow already delivers speed and reliability, the team is thinking ahead. Their vision is a fully autonomous peptide platform that bridges digital sequence design with AI‑driven synthesis and purification—a self‑optimizing loop that minimizes trial‑and‑error, reduces solvent use, and shortens timelines even further.
Until then, the current workflow using Biotage products provides a solid foundation: flexible, dependable, and designed to support ambitious peptide science without getting in the way.
Literature number: CC03