Beneficiaries

Carles Mas-Moruno, IP

Dr. Carles Mas-Moruno is Ramon y Cajal fellow and Principal Investigator at the UPC. He has been recipient of a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant, Team Leader of International Projects at the Technical University of Munich, and, more recently, Head Researcher of projects funded by the Spanish Government and the European Commission. His research interests are focused on the design and synthesis of peptides and molecular tools to develop multifunctional biomaterials to engineer bone tissue (H-index 22).

Project role: Synthesis of peptides, multifunctional constructs and 3D calcium phosphate scaffolds. He is the scientific coordinator of Bio-TUNE and the leader of WP4.

Bio-TUNE's Project Manager, Noelia Aparicio, has broad experience in Management (Degree in Administration and Finances, 10 years’ experience in Management of European, National and Industrial Projects at UPC), and in Communication (Bachelor’s in Audiovisual Communication, > 10 year experience as manager in Communication Agencies) and event organization (she has been in charge of the organization of the international congress Bioceramics26, COST Action TD1208 2nd Annual Meeting, national conferences (SIBB2015) and several Kick-Off and Mid-Term meetings). She manages all projects and the Communication strategy of the BBT research group.

Project role: Management, dissemination and communication of Bio-TUNE. Coordinator of WP7 and WP8.

Noelia Aparicio, Project Manager

Bo Su

The University of Bristol is one of the most prestigious universities in the UK. It is a thriving international community combining excellence in research with a vibrant entrepreneurial culture. Research is at the heart of the University's mission and accounts for its international reputation. The University organises its academic affairs across six faculties: Engineering, Science, Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Law, and Arts. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF2014), over 98% of research at the University was deemed to be of an international standard. Over 83% of the research assessed was awarded either the top 4* rating, defined as 'world leading', or the 3* rating, 'internationally excellent'. As a result, in 2015-16 the University was allocated the 8th highest share of government research funding in England. The University participates in hundreds of international collaborations both within and outside of Europe and attracts research funding from organisations around the world.

Prof. Bo Su is Professor of Biomedical Materials within the Bristol Dental School at the UoB. He has extensive research experience in materials engineering for 30 years. His current research interests are focused on 1) physical (topographical and mechanical) modulation of cells and bacteria to develop cell-instructive surfaces and 2) biomimetic and bio-inspired materials for dental and orthopedic implants and prostheses.

Project role: Development of micro- and nano-patterned surfaces. Leader of WP1.

Prof. Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez is Head of the Division of Biomedical Engineering, Chair of Biomedical Engineering in the School of Engineering and co-director of the Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment. He holds an ERC Consolidator grant, a UK EPSRC Programme Grant (£4.5M), Find a Better Way programme grant (£2.8M) and has been awarded two ERC Proof of Concept (PoC) Grants (2015 & 2018). His work is recognised for the engineering of synergistic growth factor cellular microenvironments. Manuel works on material-based strategies for tissue repair and regeneration, and engineers in vitro 3D models to understand physiology, disease and as platforms for drug testing. His group is within the Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, a cross-college multidisciplinary initiative that he has set up together with other colleagues.

Project role: Engineering of synergistic GF microenvironments to control cell behavior and stem cell differentiation. Leader of WP2.

Matthew Dalby

Prof. Matthew Dalby holds UK grants from EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, EPSRC and is co-investigator on major EPSRC and Find a Better Way programme grants. He is recognised for his pioneering work on understanding MSC interactions with nanoscale features and nano vibrational mechano-transduction. He is co-director of the Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment and, as Professor of Cell Engineering, he is fascinated by the nanoscale and mechanotransductive processes, but also by metabolomics-based research and how growth factors can be controlled at the nanoscale to direct stem cell fate.

Project role: Engineering of synergistic GF microenvironments to control cell behavior and stem cell differentiation. Co-leader of WP2.

The Max Planck Society is Germany's most successful research organization. Since its establishment in 1948, no fewer than 18 Nobel laureates have emerged from the ranks of its scientists, putting it on a par with the best and most prestigious research institutions worldwide. The more than 15,000 publications each year in internationally renowned scientific journals are proof of the outstanding research work conducted at Max Planck Institutes – and many of those articles are among the most-cited publications in the relevant field. The currently 84 Max Planck Institutes and facilities conduct basic research in the service of the general public in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. Max Planck Institutes focus on research fields that are particularly innovative, or that are especially demanding in terms of funding or time requirements.

Dr. Ada Cavalcanti-Adam is Group Leader and Head of the scientific facility of Cellular Biotechnology of the MPG. Her background covers from material science to cell biology and biophysics, with a recognized experience on the nanoscale regulation of cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix and force generation. She is currently investigating matrix-bound growth factors to activate signaling and stem cell differentiation. (H-index 27).

Project role: Engineering of matrix-bound GFs and study of cell adhesion and signaling at the biophysical level. Co-leader of WP2.

Ada Cavalcanti

Roberto Spurio

The University of Camerino (UNICAM) is a non-profit organization and a public Italian body. The main tasks of UNICAM are secondary and higher education establishment and research activities. The University of Camerino is a positive, productive and creative environment where your personal objective can be reached, thanks to small size classes, excellent facilities and services, and an excellent professor/student ratio. International students are a very important and valued part of the University of Camerino, making up nearly 10% of the student body. < UNICAM has a long and respected tradition in quality teaching and quality scientific research.  Research projects and Technological Transfer are of top priority.

Dr. Roberto Spurio is an Assistant Professor of Genetics at UNICAM. His research activities are directed towards: 1) Selection of microorganisms for bio-industrial applications; 2) Structure-function relationships of prokaryotic translation initiation factors; 3) Study of the oligomerization properties of the nucleoid protein H-NS using in vivotwo-hybrid assays and in vitro approaches based on EMSA and time-resolved footprinting techniques; 4) Design, construction and development of DNA macroarrays for the identification of microorganisms in freshwater samples. Co-author of 44 publications, 2 reviews and 3 chapters in scientific books (H index 20).

Project role: Production of antibacterial compounds active against multi drug resistant S. aureus and other biofilm forming bacteria. Leader of WP3.

Dr. Phillippe Lavalle is Director in Chief of the Unité UMR1121 (INSERM Strasbourg) Bimatériaux et Bioingénierie and Director of Research of the Implants Nouvelle Générations pour ORL et chirurgie pédiatrique branch. Lavalle focuses his research at the interfaces of different disciplines ranging from chemistry of materials, physics, biochemistry and cell biology. Some recent projects concerned the design of mechanical stimuli-responsive materials, smart surface coatings to prevent contaminations by pathogens or to control monocyte differentiation and personalized biomaterials.

Project role: Development of multifunctional coatings and study of immunomodulation on medical implants. Leader of WP5.

Philippe Lavalle

Nihal E. Vrana6

Dr. Nihal Engin Vrana is Co-founder of SPARTHA Medical and Scientific Coordinator of H2020 PANBioRA. He was Vice President (Scientific Affairs) of Protip Medical and is a researcher at the Unit of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM). His major research interests include multifunctional coatings, immunomodulation, cell biomaterials interactions and titanium and silicone-based medical implants. He has published 66 articles (H-index: 25), 7 book chapters, 2 edited book and holds 6 EU patents (1 more in progress). Awards: Parlar Foundation Thesis of the Year (2006), ESB Translational Research award (2011) and 2nd Aegean R&D Patent competition 1st place award (2012), IFOS Outstanding paper award (2013).

Project role: Industrial know-how. Market potential analysis of the technologies developed in Bio-TUNE. Leader of WP6.