Research
Using light to structure biomaterials for cell culture applications
We develop versatile multi-scale (nano-micro-meso) fabrication paradigms to address a range of open questions in cell biology.
We are interested in the design and fabrication of 3D/4D architectures by employing light-assisted additive manufacturing techniques (such as two-photon lithography and stereolithography).
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We plan to exploit these 3D/4D engineered microenvironments for studying the mechanobiology, migration and differentiation mechanisms of cells as well as of spheroids/organoids.
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We dream to use these platforms for prospective applications in the field of in-vitro 3D models (e.g. for neurodegenerative diseases, cancer) and tissue engineering (e.g. for neural or bone scaffolds).
News
June 1, 2019
I officially joined TU Delft within the Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering (PME) as Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Soft Micro- and Nanosystem Technology for Life Sciences and Biology!
Excited to start this challenging adventure and set up my new lab!
September 9, 2019
Beatriz Costa, visiting Master Student from University of Minho (Portugal), is the first member of my team!
She will work on 3D fabrication and mechanical characterization of polymeric/hydrogel scaffolds.
Welcome Beatriz!
September 16, 2019
Keynote Lecture entitled "To scaffold or not to scaffold: pros and cons in the realization of biomimetic neuronal microenvironments" at the Symposium "Bioinspired and Biointegrated Materials as New Frontiers Nanomaterial" that I am honored to chair during the 2019 E-MRS Fall Meeting in Warsaw.
October 7, 2019
Excited to have joined the Brain-on-chip group, part of the human Organ and Disease Model Technologies (hDMT) consortium.
November 14, 2019
The Special Issue "3D Microfabrication Unleashed: Emerging Applications and New Manufacturing Concepts" in Micromachines Journal is open for submissions!
December 10, 2019
Giving a talk in Utrecht on "Multi-scale engineered cell microenvironments by laser-assisted additive manufacturing" at the International MicroNanoConference 2019.
December 13, 2019
The first paper of my professorship at TU Delft is out: "Engineered 3D Polymer and Hydrogel Microenvironments for Cell Culture Applications". (Open Access Review article)
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Also, the first PhD position in my group on "Light-assisted 3D manufacturing of neuronal microenvironments" is now open for applications. (Deadline 15/1/2020)
December 20, 2019
Dian Veldkamp, PME Master Student, joined our team!
She will develop a graduation project on 3D fabrication and 3D imaging of engineered micro-environments for guiding the fate of neural stem cells.
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Welcome Dian!
January 23, 2020
I am very honored to be the recipient of the 1st Place grant of the TU Delft Health Initiative Pilot Projects call. Within this project, involving a strong synergy between TU Delft and the Holland Proton Therapy Center, we will start to explore the development of 3D Onco-Scaffolds as a benchmark tool for Proton Radiobiology.
February 10, 2020
Excited and honored to have been awarded a Cohesion Grant of 200 k€ from Sectorplan funding, together with Dr. Mohammad J. Mirzaali! This project will allow us to develop novel nanostructured 3D scaffolds by combining advanced mechanical engineering designs and light-assisted 3D micro-manufacturing. The beginning of a promising "cohesion" between the Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering (PME) and the Department of BioMechanical Engineering (BME) at TU Delft.
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Please have a look at the available PhD position.
February 14, 2020
First oral presentation of our Visiting MSc Student Beatriz Costa at the hDMT (human Organ and Disease Model Technologies) international meeting! Good job Beatriz!
March 24, 2020
Brian Roos, PME Master Student, joined our team!
He will develop a graduation project on 3D microglia-on-chip in collaboration with the Biomedical Primate Research Center (BPRC).
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Welcome Brian!
April 1, 2020
Welcome Ahmed Sharaf, freshly appointed PhD student in my group!
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His project will be focused on Light-assisted 3D manufacturing of neuronal microenvironments.
May 29, 2020
Congratulations to Saleh Aghajani, PME-MNE section PhD student that I am co-supervising, for his first author's paper entitled "Aerosol Direct Writing and Thermal Tuning of Copper Nanoparticle Patterns as Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensors" just appeared in ACS Applied Nano Materials!
June 2, 2020
I am very excited to announce that, together with Miguel Bessa, Deepesh Toshniwal and David Tax, I will be co-leading MACHINA (Machine Intelligence Advances for Materials), one of the eight interdisciplinary "TU Delft AI Labs". The aim of MACHINA is to discover new materials and structures by bridging the gap between machine learning developers (researchers working in AI) and practitioners (researchers working with AI). The research and education activities will be carried out in collaboration between the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (3mE) and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EWI).
4 PhD positions are available in the lab, among which one is focused on the Development of 4D Shape-Morphing Neuronal Scaffolds by Two-photon Polymerization and Machine Learning
July 27, 2020
Qais Akolawala, PME Master Student, joined our team!
He will develop a graduation project on 3D microenvironments for glioblastoma proton radiobiology studies in collaboration with LUMC and the HollandPTC.
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Welcome Qais!
August 26, 2020
Excited to chair with Dr. Paul Wieringa a symposium on "Strategies for the realization of biomimetic neuronal microenvironments" at the 6th World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS2021) taking place in Maastricht next year!
September 18, 2020
The chapter Nanoscaffolds for Neural Regenerative Medicine, part of the book Neural Regenerative Nanomedicine has been published! A nice collaboration with expert colleagues in the field!
October 8, 2020
Nastaran Barin, PME Master Student, joined our team!
She will develop a graduation project on 3D engineered tumoral microenvironments for the study of primary and patient-derived glioblastoma cells in collaboration with ErasmusMC.
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Welcome Nastaran!
November 1, 2020
Welcome Ebrahim Yarali, freshly appointed PhD student in my group in collaboration with the Department of Biomechanical Engineering!
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His project will be focused on the development of novel nanostructured bio-mimetic meta-implants for bone tissue replacement.
November 15, 2020
Welcome Ana Infante Petidier, freshly appointed PhD student in my group in collaboration with the Department of Materials Science & Engineering!
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Her project will be focused on machine-learning-based design and light-assisted additive manufacturing of cell microenvironments.
