Samuel (PhD Chemistry, UAB, 2008) is a Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany, and since January 2015 concurrently ICREA Professor at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Barcelona. In 2009, he worked at NIMS, Japan and from 2010 until 2013, he was Group Leader at the Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, IFW Dresden, Germany. He received several awards: the Guinness World Record® 2010 for smallest jet engine; the IFW-IIN Research Prize 2011 for outstanding scientist; the ERC Starting Grant 2012 “Lab-in-a-tube and Nanorobotic Biosensors” ERC Proof-of Concept 2016; the MIT TR35 as “Innovator of the year under 35” Spain 2014; the Princess of Girona Scientific Research Award 2015; the "Joven Relevante" Award by the Círculo Ecuestre de Barcelona and the National Research Award for Young Talent from the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Catalan Foundation of Research and Innovation (FCRi).

Research interests

Samuel Sánchez is leader of the “Smart Nano-Bio-Devices” group, working in the multidisciplinary field of Nanosciences with interest in self-powered micro- and nano-systems, microscale robots, integratedand flexible nano-(bio)-sensors, microfluidics, Lab on a Chip devices, active drug delivery systems and 3D (Bio) Printed Soft Robotics. Sánchez’s group has been consolidated as one of the leading groups in catalytic nano-motors/nanorobotics and now developing different types of nano- to micro- robotics by, sol-gel, thin films, 3D printing and electrodeposition. Currently, the main research lines in the group are: 1. Nanofabrication of self-powered micro- and nanorobots using nanotechnology and new fabrication tools for biomedicine and environmental applications. 2. 3D Printing and 3D BioPrinting for soft robotics and nanomedicine. 3. Fabrication of ultracompact and flexible devices for biosensing. 4. Physics of actibve colloids in confinement.