An intense week of oral and poster presentations, first time for several students in the lab! Las week we presented at the 13th International Symposium on Polymer Therapeutics: from Laboratory to Clinical Practice (ISPT 2022) and at the International Polymer Characterization Forum POLY-CHAR 2022. This is a quick summary of our communications:
Master student Ms Nadia García Parra presented a poster about «Poly(vinylidene fluoride) microspheres containing cobalt iron oxide nanoparticles» This material is produced by microfluidics with a functional coating that includes a silica precursor and extracellular matrix proteins. The system is designed as a cell culture environment for the proliferation and electromechanical stimulation of mesenchymal stem cells, promoting their differentiation towards the osteogenic lineage.
Graduate student Ms Júlia Plà Salom presented her work on a 3D culture environment for a Multiple Myeloma (MM) in vitro model, that is based on dextran microspheres functionalized with biomolecules from the bone marrow’s extracellular matrix. Results confirm that the microgels are biocompatible and that they can effectively be used to study drug resistance in MM cells.
PhD student Ms Inmaculada García Briega talked about «Alginate microspheres as 3D in-vitro disease model: fabrication, characterization, and functionalization» These alginate microspheres have been functionalised with biomolecules found in the extracellular matrix, using a «layer by layer» technique with. We intend to use this microgel system in a bioreactor to recreate the microenvironment of the bone marrow and develop an in vitro model for MM.
Finally, lab’s PI Prof José Luís Gómez Ribelles talked as invited speaker about «Microgels as a 3D environment in cell culture and cell transplant for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications«