Pamela Habibovic and Jan de Boer (MERLN, Maastricht University) talk about smart bio-implants that will be readily available in the clinic and are able to activate cells in the area of damaged tissue. The interview is available via this podcast (in Dutch).

MDR will be present at the lunch symposium during the ESB in Maastricht on September 12. Anthal Smits, Aurelie Carlier and Steven Chamuleau will represent the gravitation program during this gathering. More information can be found here.

Sandra Loerakker (TU/e) was awarded with an ERC Starting Grant of up to 1.8 M Euro. Sandra and her team will work on the development of mathematical models that mimic interactions that occur upon implantation of artificial and biodegradable cardiovascular materials. In this way they envision to predict the emergence organization as well as performance of […]

On Friday June 29, prof. Patricia Dankers (TU/e) delivered her inaugural lecture entitled ‘Synthetische biomaterialen, natuurlijk!‘. Patricia Dankers is inspired by the complexity of natural materials that capture cells and aims to create synthetic materials that are able to execute new functions at different time- and length scales. In order to make such materials, design […]

The first copy of ‘Makers van Leven‘ by Esther Thole (science journalist and editor at NEMO-Kennislink) was handed over to prof. Bert Meijer in Eindhoven. The book includes a preface of prof. Ben Feringa and addresses the complex question of ‘What is life?’ and ‘How can we imitate life’. Esther Thole discusses with many chemists, including MDR […]

Researchers at the MERLN Institute for Regenerative Medicine recently launched the Compendium for Biomaterial Transcriptomics (cBiT), a new worldwide research database for biomaterial-based trancriptomics studies. At MERLN, Prof. Jan de Boer leads a team of researchers who want to discover what happens in the cell when it interacts with a biomaterial and which factors influence […]

Dr. Sandra Hofmann (TU/e) was awarded a Vidi grant for her proposal on ‘A miniature bone model’. In this project the aim is to develop miniature bones from human cells in the laboratory. The tissues will be used to study bone turnover in healthy and diseased bone in order to ultimately develop specific drug therapies. […]

Carlijn Bouten (TU/e) and coworkers published a perspective in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. The article entitled ‘Can We Grow Valves Inside the Heart? Perspective on Material-based In Situ Heart Valve Tissue Engineering’ discusses recent advances of material-based in situ heart valve tissue engineering and highlights the most critical issues that remain before clinical application can be expected. […]

Prof. Bert Meijer (TU/e) has received an ERC Advanced Grant of 2.5 M€ to work on the Synthesis of Functional Multi-Component Supramolecular Systems and Materials. A list of awardees in the area Physical and Engineering Sciences (PE) can be found here.

Prof. Nico Sommerdijk (TU/e) has received an ERC Advanced Grant of 3.5 M€ to work on ‘A Google Earth Approach to Understanding Collagen Mineralization’.  A list of awardees in the area Physical and Engineering Sciences (PE) can be found here.