Last 23rd of January, Nuria Torras took part at the Investors Day, the final ceremony of the program “Industry of Knowledge” and gave a pitch to explain READY-GUT, a project strongly related to B-BRIGHTER that is developing intestinal 3D tissues models in a plate ready to be used.
The “Investors day” took place at the Automonous University od Barcelona (UAB) and was inaugurated by the rector of the UAB, Javier Lafuente, and the Deputy Director of the General Directorate of Knowledge Transfer and Society at the Government of Catalonia, Mireia de la Rubia. This event is included in the Knowledge Industry Programme of the Department of Research and Universities from Catalonia as part of the support plan for projects financed under the Innovators and Products modality. READY-GUT project has received funding under the Products modality, aimed at obtaining prototypes and the valorisation and transfer of research results generated by research teams in Catalonia.
In this context, Nuria Torras from B-BRIGHTER project, together with Maria García Díaz, presented READY-GUT, a ready-to-use bioprinted 3D in vitro model that mimics the architecture of the small intestine for 3D cell culture assays. Both researchers work at the Biomimetic Systems for Cell Engineering laboratory, led by Elena Martínez, principal investigator in charge of B-BRIGHTER project at IBEC who also participates in READY-GUT.
By using hydrogels, these 3D intestine models provide relevant geometric, mechanical and physicochemical properties, being easy-to-use and compatible with standard culture procedures. READY-GUT is closely related to B-BRIGHTER as it can benefit in a very near future from the 3D bioprinting device developed in the project.
Researchers propose READY-GUT as an easy-to-use solution that better recapitulates the intestinal tissue complexity and is compatible with standard culture and testing procedures. This can reduce in a considerable way the problems from standard in vitro assays, which does not reproduce the 3D architecture of the intestine, lack cellular microenvironment and have mechanical properties far from the in vivo situation. Moreover, READY-GUT is a robust, reliable and more predictive tool that will help reduce animal testing in research, both in academia and industry, and has the advantage of no need of specific training to be used, neither an expensive equipment.
In summary, READY-GUT aims to address the market need for low-cost and easy-to-use cell substrates that would accelerate the early stages of drug discovery, improve disease modelling and reduce the use of animals in research.