Arxius: News

In the frame of IMAB, an outreach project developed at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Barcelona, Marcel Sorribas brought B-BRIGHTER project closer to over-65s.

Most science popularisation projects and outreach activities are oriented to children, families, or adults in general, leaving out an important part of the population: senior people over 65 years old. To reach this target audience, IBEC, with funding from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), developed the IMAB project: Involving the Senior Community in Advances in Bioengineering for Health and Healthy Aging (for its Spanish acronym).

The IMAB project aims to engage individuals over 65 in learning about, understanding, and expressing their opinions on the latest research in bioengineering for active aging. The objective is to bring scientific advances, gather opinions, and address the need to disseminate scientific knowledge to this age group. This initiative has been conducted in collaboration with adult education centers, community centers, associations, and university extension classes.

The materials were adapted to enhance visual and auditory comprehension. To foster discussion, fictitious patient cases were used, allowing participants to openly discuss various scenarios, and to overcome travel constraints and ensure inclusive participation, activities were held at community centers. During these workshops, participants also had the opportunity to discuss ethical issues related to organ and tissue regeneration research. It is worth highlighting that activities were designed taking into account functional diversity aspects and encouraging the participation of different sectors of society.

Several IBEC researchers took part in this initiative, covering topics from basic biological concepts to organ bioprinting, where Marcel Sorribas could take part in three sessions from February to April and talk about 3D bioprinting and B-BRIGHTER project.

He talked about the regeneration of organs and tissues, mainly by 3D bioprinting. He explained what a cell is, and how can researchers construct a human organ in the laboratory. He could give details about his work on B-BRIGHTER related to synthesizing skin and intestine and stimulated interested and fruitful discussions among the public and the researchers.

Some data summarizing the whole activity

– 18 sessions were held, bringing together 295 participants with an average age of 76 (76% of them women)
– 89% would accept a heart bioprinted in the laboratory, and 97.9% would accept a dressing made from embryonic cells.
– 95.7% would agree to donate cells to a biobank, and of these, 49.1% would like to be informed about how their cells will be used.

A report with the results will be shared soon with the scientific community to provide insights into the public’s opinions and perspectives related to the senior public.

By creating educational and reflective spaces and adapting resources to individual needs, the goal of the project was not only to share knowledge but also to generate meaningful dialogue, thus contributing to a more informed and involved community in scientific issues.

The 18M project meeting was held in Barcelona on 11 and 12 April, and researchers took the occasion to visit the premises of the Biomimetic Systems for Cell Engineering led by Elena Martínez at IBEC.

Last Thursday and Friday B-BRIGHTER researchers came together at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Barcelona for another project meeting: this time 18M. They spent 2 days of very fruitful discussions to monitor the project’s evolution and define the next steps to improve the 3D bioprinter device and bring it closer to the market.

On the first day, Gustaf Mårtensson as coordinator, and Elena Martínez as host in Barcelona, opened the floor giving a brief overview of the structure of the meeting and the project’s current status. The meeting included talks from the coordinators of all 6 work packages, who exposed the advances of the ongoing work, and discussed how to solve some small technical issues. All partners highlighted the achievements made during the last 6 months from the last meeting, and defined the roadmap for the next months, focusing on bringing the commercialization of the 3D bioprinter device.

Students at the Secondary School Angeleta Ferrer in Barcelona had the occasion to know the B-BRIGHTER project and learn about 3D bioprinting and in vitro models.

In the context of a collaboration between the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the Secondary School Angeleta Ferrer in Barcelona, Núria Torras and Marcel Sorribas, participated in this educational activity and worked side by side with a group of 6 students, introducing them to the subject of 3D bioprinting and the development of tissue models with complex structures, like the intestine or skin, using a light-based bioprinter. Núria and Marcel are both B-BRIGHTER researchers at the Biomimetic Systems for Cell Engineering group at IBEC.

During February and March, the group of 12-year-old students from the Institut Angeleta Ferrer School worked closely with Núria and Marcel, developing a scientific project. Using the B-BRIGHTER project as a starting point, the students learned about the scientific method and how researchers organize their ideas and practical experiments to reach a scientifically relevant conclusion. Also, they discovered that the tissue models being developed in B-BRIGHTER project have the final aim of replacing animal testing for drug development and disease studies.

Afterwards, they applied this knowledge to different scientific topics they were studying at school, related to plant germination and how plants get the energy they need to live. Students developed a hypothesis, designed experiments to test it, obtained results, and drew some conclusions. All this work was done in close collaboration with Núria and Marcel, who went to the school and met the students online several times to fine-tune the details of their projects.

The 6^th edition of the EIC T2M – Innovation Discovery Training took place last week and Louise Breideband from GUF took the opportunity to improve her entrepreneurship skills and to learn from a science entrepreneur.

EIC T2M – Innovation Discovery Training is part of the European Innovation Council EIC Tech to Market (T2M) Entrepreneurship Programme, which covers a wide range of activities that have been improving the ability of EIC beneficiaries, preparing them to take the leap towards the market. This program aims to assist deep-tech researchers supported by the EIC Pathfinder and the EIC Transition, who have entrepreneurial aspirations, in transforming their technological solutions into marketable innovations. It seeks to accelerate their science startup projects while helping them build strong value propositions and viable business models.

In this context, the 6^th edition of the EIC T2M – Innovation Discovery Training took place in two sessions of 4 hours, the first on 12th February and the second one on 16th February, with the objective to help researchers get a first idea of what it means to start a venture out of a scientific breakthrough.

In practical terms, these two half-day online training sessions consisted of collective coaching sessions designed to help deep-tech scientists learn how to effectively present their entrepreneurial ideas and gain a fundamental understanding of valuable entrepreneurship skills. They discussed and received feedback on entrepreneurial concepts from both experts and fellow attendees, on subjects such as business models, identification of customers, market sizing, Intellectual Property and funding. Concretely, exchange with market and industrial stakeholders helped participants to assess the value proposition and their product-market fit.

One important pillar of the course is giving researchers some tools and advice on effective ways to present their entrepreneurial ideas in a pitch format. In this sense, on the first day, participants got practical guidance from competent professionals and experts, among them from Jerôme Michon, who had previously participated in the program and had successfully launched his own start-up, InSpek. The testimony from someone who became an entrepreneur from the academic background added a layer of practical relevance and inspiration to the training.

The course was informative and enriching and offered helpful insights into the path from innovative ideas to market-readiness products. Also, having real-life feedback from an entrepreneur, done interactively, was a real plus.

B-BRIGHTER reiterates its commitment to gender equality in science and once again joins in the 11F activities. This year, Núria Torras from IBEC participated in an online talk.

Since 2015, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, declared by the United Nations, is celebrated every year on February 11. The main objective of this global event is to eradicate gender stereotypes and established prejudices that have hindered the involvement of girls and women in science. This day is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased opportunities for women and girls within the scientific domain. The various activities are designed to foster the empowerment of women and girls, encourage their engagement in scientific pursuits, and advance the cause of gender parity.

In this context, Nuria Torras, a researcher in the Biomimetic Systems for Cell Engineering group led by Elena Martinez at IBEC in Barcelona, participated in the 9th International Day of Women and Girls in Science. She took part in the annual event 100tifiques, organized by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI) and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), an initiative that aims to bring science closer to schools and highlight female scientific talent.

Nuria gave an online talk to 30 11-year-old students from the Carles Faust school in Blanes, a city near Barcelona. She explained a bit about the work done in the B-BRIGHTER project and discussed the principles of 3D printing, the biological models, and the types of materials and cells used in the laboratory.

To conclude her participation, Nuria shared her journey to becoming a scientist, helping the students realize that a scientist is an ordinary person who also has a family, hobbies, and… can also be a woman! The students were very interested and motivated, and they took the opportunity to discuss with Nuria not only about science but also what it means to be a female scientist.

Hopefully, we will be back next year to bring science to even more girls!

We are very proud to share that GUF team was awarded 3rd place at the Goethe Innovation Prize Event with “Modulux3D” Project: a 3D bioprinter that revolutionizes medical research through tissue engineering. This award recognizes research projects with great innovation potential and benefits for customers or patients.

Last December 11 took place in Frankfurt a pitch competition to select the winning teams of this year’s Goethe Innovation Prize. This prize is conceded by Goethe-Unibator, the start-up center of the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main operated by the technology transfer company Innovectis. It provides students, academic staff, and alumni with active support for their start-up projects and acts as a bridge between science and business.

From a high number of applications, five projects qualified for the final and had the chance to deliver their pitches in 4 minutes in front of an audience of over 100 people. The three best teams were selected by an expert jury and won prize money and participation in the Unibator start-up program.

Louise Breideband and Levin Hafa presented the “Modulux3D” start-up, originated from B-BRIGHTER project, that aims to bring our 3D bioprinting technology to the market. They highlighted its innovative bio-printer that uses light to network biological cells and a special bio-ink. After a great and convincing pitch about the vast potential of 3Dbioprinting in the field of biomedicine, they won the third prize. Congratulations!

Last 16 and 17 of November, B-BRIGHTER members met in Frankfurt for the 12M project meeting at GUF premisses. They took the opportunity to see, first hand, the 3D bioprinter prototype.

GUF hosted the 12M B-BRIGHTER meeting, and researchers could discuss about the last advances of the project and define the future steps. On the first day took place the progress meeting, where the coordinator of each one of the 6 work packages presented their results to monitor the evolution of the project. Moreover, a closed discussion with the project officer and some invited experts took place, to improve the project and foster its outcomes. This discussion was highly productive as the project coordinator, Gustaf Mårtensson, outlined the goals, the product, the development program, and the current status of the project. He emphasized the achievements made during this first year and highlighted the plans for the next months.

Taking advantage of the meeting’s location in Frankfurt, a hands-on activity was scheduled so that researchers could get a close look at the 3D bioprinter prototype and do some small experiments to see it in use.

It was a very fruitful meeting!

The Cellink Partnership Conference took place from 25th to 27th of October in Portsmouth in the UK, and Levin Hafa from GUF presented a poster showcasing the last advances of the project.

For 2 days Portsmouth received scientists, leaders and experts to foster a growing community of collaboration and knowledge around bioprinting. The fifth edition of Cellink Partnership Conference aimed to provide participants with invaluable insights, showcase groundbreaking discoveries, network with peers, and celebrate advancements in the bioprinting field. The meeting brought together key opinion leaders, life science experts, and industries to share experiences on how bioprinting is being employed to address research challenges across various application areas. Some topics addressed were 3D Cell Culture, Personalized Medicine, Drug Development, Clinical Translation, Biomaterials, Alternatives to Animal Models and Tissue Engineering.

As it could not be otherwise, B-BRIGHTER was present at the conference. Levin Hafa from GUF presented a poster titled “Bioprinting by light sheet lithography: engineering complex tissues with high resolution at high speed”, with the participation of researchers from, GUF and IBEC. The poster highlighted the new B-BRIGHTER technology, a patented one-photon bioprinting technique that produces millimeter-sized objects in less than 3 minutes using a static light sheet and a digitally scanned perpendicular light beam and allows live acquisition of the printing process in high resolution for real-time observation.

The diverse sessions on the conference agenda presented a unique opportunity to learn about the current uses of bioprinting technologies, explore emerging trends and solutions, acquire practical knowledge through interactive workshops, and connect with the bioprinting community.

B-BRIGHTER researchers from GUF and IBEC publish an outstanding paper in Advanced Materials Journal presenting LUMINATE (Light sheet-based Ultrafast Microscopic Non-contact And Three-dimensional Enhanced bioprinting), a method that encompasses high printing speed and high resolution while introducing a fully integrated and streamlined fluorescent light sheet microscope capable of capturing real 3D images by optical sectioning the bioprinted construct.

Recently, a great work summarizing the research advances of B-BRIGHTER project came to light and was published in the prestigious journal Advanced Materials. The work, first-authored by Levin Hafa and signed by GUF and IBEC teams, shows that B-BRIGHTER’s innovative approach lies in its ability to combine high printing speed (0.66 mm³/s) with exceptional resolution (9 µm) using light sheet-based imaging.

The methodology involves direct laser patterning and a static light sheet for confined voxel crosslinking in photocrosslinkable materials. This not only enhances the precision of the bioprinting process but also allows for real-time monitoring of hydrogel crosslinking through techniques such as fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and brightfield imaging.

The versatility of the integrated system is demonstrated through the encapsulation of human fibroblasts in a thiol-ene click chemistry-based hydrogel. The results show a remarkable viability of 83% ± 4.34% and functional behaviour. Additionally, the application extends to the development of full-thickness skin constructs that exhibit characteristics of both epidermal and dermal layers. Notably, these constructs remained viable for an extended period of 41 days, underlining the potential of the integrated system in long-term tissue engineering applications.

B-BRIGHTER integrated fluorescent light sheet bioprinting and imaging system represents a significant stride forward in tissue engineering technology. Its capabilities offer researchers and healthcare professionals a powerful tool for designing and fabricating complex tissue structures with unprecedented precision and efficiency. As technology continues to evolve, the future holds exciting prospects for further advancements in light-based bioprinting, ultimately shaping the landscape of biomedical research and healthcare.


Reference article: Light Sheet-based Laser Patterning Bioprinting Produces Long-term Viable Full-thickness Skin Constructs. Levin Hafa, Louise Breideband, Lucas Ramirez Posada, Núria Torras, Elena Martinez, Ernst H.K. Stelzer, Francesco Pampaloni. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202306258

Last 29^th of September, researchers from 26 European countries participated in the European Researchers’ Night 2023. Among them, Elena Martínez, Marcel Sorribas and Gustaf Mårtensson presented B-BRIGHTER and talked about the science behind the project. Additionally, B-BRIGHTER was also featured on the Catalan website of the event. 

The European Researchers’ Night is a large-scale public event that takes place at the same time across various European cities. During this event, researchers present the diverse area of science and its impact on everyday life through interactive and pleasant activities. The idea behind the event is to strengthen the connection between the public and research, stimulating interest in scientific careers and research triumphs. The event also emphasizes remarkable research initiatives spanning not only Europe but also other regions. Annually, approximately 1.5 million people participate in the event, engaging with and enjoying the world of science and research.

B-BRIGHTER took part in the event in two different activities. On the 26^th of September, Elena Martínez from IBEC gave a talk about 3D Bioprinting applied to the biomedical field with the title “Bright ideas: how light allows us to create living tissues”. The audience, about 30 people from different ages, actively participated with several questions. The talk took place at the Vila Urània Civic Center, a place that brings culture at large to the society.

Finally, Gustaf Mårtensson, B-BRIGHTER’s coordinator at Mycronic, gave talks for 9^th, 10^th and 12^th graders at three schools.
 
B-BRIGHTER Project is also showcased on the Catalan website of the European Researchers’ Night, which offers information about several European projects being carried out in the region. To access this website (in English) click here.