The SupraLife’s consortium is delighted to announce that we will be organizing a focus session/symposium at the 49th IUPAC World Chemistry Congress and 11th edition of CHAINS (IUPAC|CHAINS 2023), the largest chemistry conference covering all topics across the chemical sciences, to be held in The Hague, The Netherlands, from 20-25 August 2023.

The symposium entitled “Bringing Supramolecular Materials to Life”, to be chaired by Dr. João Borges (University of Aveiro, Portugal), Dr. Roxanne Kieltyka (University of Leiden, The Netherlands) and Dr. Matthew Baker (University of Maastricht, The Netherlands), will be held on Tuesday, August 22 from 15:10-16:40 CEST and will bring together three fantastic keynote speakers in the supramolecular biomaterials’ chemistry field – Prof. Tanja Weil (Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Germany), Prof. Matthew Webber (University of Notre Dame, USA) and Prof. Patricia Dankers (Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands). They will elucidate the design features, synthesis and structural-property-function relationships of dynamic polymeric biomaterials to be used in the biomedical arena, including in drug/therapeutics delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Their potential to be translated into the clinics by pursuing advanced therapies to improve human health will also be covered.

If you are attending the IUPAC|CHAINS 2023, do not miss this unique opportunity to join, engage, and network with us!

The SupraLife’s consortium is delighted to announce that we will be organizing a symposium at the 33rd Annual Conference of the European Society of Biomaterials (ESB 2023), one of the premier biomaterials’ conferences in Europe, to be held in Davos, Switzerland, from 4-8 September 2023. The specific date for the symposium is not yet know but we will let you all know soon. Please keep an eye here, as well as on our social media channels.

The symposium entitled “Life-like molecular systems via dynamic self-assembling biomaterials”, to be chaired by Prof. João F. Mano and Dr. João Borges, both affiliated to the University of Aveiro, Portugal, will have Prof. Mark Tibbitt (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) as keynote speaker and will include four oral communications selected from contributed abstracts. Mark will talk about the engineering of dynamic supramolecular hydrogels for the encapsulation and release of complex biomolecules or for the design of extrudable materials for 3D printing, while also understanding the structural-function-dynamics relationships in this class of dynamic biomaterials. He will also discuss how these biomaterials can be applied for the thermal stabilization of biologics, including protein-based and viral vaccines.

If you are attending the ESB 2023, do not miss this unique opportunity to join, engage, and network with us!

The upcoming hands-on workshop titled "Synthesis and Advanced Characterization of Functional Supramolecular Polymers," organized by Prof. E.W. “Bert” Meijer and Prof. Patricia Dankers at ICMS-TU/e is set for 24th-25th October 2023 in Eindhoven (The Netherlands). It will bring together participants exclusively affiliated with institutions within the SupraLife consortium. The event includes lectures by esteemed scientists, laboratory demonstrations, and practical hands-on tutorial classes led by TU/e focusing on supramolecular chemistry and supramolecular biomaterials for healthcare. This workshop aims to provide comprehensive scientific education and training to students and researchers associated with the University of Aveiro (UAVR, Portugal), the University of Bordeaux (UBx, France), Bordeaux INP, and French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), introducing them to ICMS-TU/e's research work and techniques. It will implement audience and laboratory rotation schemes to facilitate an efficient learning experience, knowledge exchange, and networking among participants. Additionally, the event will serve as a platform for consortium members to discuss collaborative research projects, upcoming training activities, and initiatives planned under the SupraLife framework in 2024. Stay tuned for further details and updates on this workshop on our website.

The SupraLife Scientific Retreat 2023 “Bonding across Borders” will be chaired by DR. João Borges and will be held in the picturesque Douro region, a special landscape for a unique gathering of scientific minds in fostering scientific exchanges and collaborative efforts in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. This retreat will be a unique opportunity for our consortium to strengthen bonds, socialise and build networks, foster cross-disciplinary scientific interactions and deep synergies, boost students/young researchers’ creativity, as well as engage in fruitful scientific discussions in nurturing new paradigm shifts on supramolecular biomaterials for healthcare. In addition, the retreat will provide plenty of opportunities for exploring new and innovative research directions on supramolecular biomaterials leading us into the future. Inspired by the serenity and beautiful Douro region, participants will dive themselves into the project’s progression, developments, and innovations, and chart the course for the project’s future in meeting its goals.

Join us at the 12th World Biomaterials Congress (WBC 2024) the largest biomaterials’ conference in the world to be held in Daegu, Republic of Korea, from May 26th to 31st, 2024, for our international symposium on "Self-assembling polymeric biomaterials for healthcare". Chaired by João F. Mano (University of Aveiro, Portugal) and Jeroen Leijten (University of Twente, the Netherlands), the symposium will feature João Borges (University of Aveiro, Portugal) as the keynote speaker and Martina Stenzel (University of New South Wales, Australia), Insung S. Choi (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea) and Elisa Migliorini (University of Grenoble Alpes, France) as invited speakers. Join us to learn and explore the latest advancements in self-assembled polymeric biomaterials in the form of nanostructured multilayered films, dynamic supramolecular hydrogels and glycopolymer-based nanoparticles for 3D cell culture, drug/protein/therapeutics delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. More information on the symposium can be found here. We look forward to meeting you in Daegu, South Korea, next May 2024!

We are pleased to announce the second SupraLife hands-on thematic workshop, scheduled to take place in Bordeaux, France, from September 23rd to 25th, 2024. This workshop will feature a series of high-quality scientific lectures and practical hands-on training sessions designed to foster the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and stimulate collaborative efforts among the consortium participants. The event will provide valuable networking opportunities while also enabling participants to get acquainted with the culture and experience the historic and vibrant city of Bordeaux!

We are thrilled to announce that the second scientific retreat of the EU-funded SupraLife project will take place in Porto, Portugal, from November 15th to 18th, 2024. Following the success of the first retreat in the Douro region, this year’s event promises to build on the collaborative spirit and will put the focus of the challenges, perspectives and opportunities for the translation of supramolecular biomaterials. The retreat will, once again, bring together students and researchers from the University of Aveiro (UAVR, Portugal), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e, The Netherlands), University of Bordeaux (UBx, France), along with its affiliated entities Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). We look forward to another inspiring and productive gathering in the picturesque city of Porto!

The SupraLife’s consortium will be attending the TERMIS-EU 2025 conference in Freiburg, Germany, from 19-23 May 2025!
We will be organizing our own symposium entitled “Designing advanced bioinspired materials by merging natural macromolecules with supramolecular chemistry” having Prof. Patricia Dankers (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands) and Dr. João Borges (University of Aveiro, Portugal) as invited speakers.
They will be sharing their team efforts and engaging with the biomaterials community on the development of artificial extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic biomaterials by combining natural macromolecules with supramolecular chemistry aiming to engineer tissue-inspired biomaterials. Emphasis will be given to the interplay between natural biopolymers (e.g., polysaccharides, proteins) and small synthetic building blocks that self-assemble into supramolecular polymers towards the development of advanced supra(macro)molecular biomaterials that could better recreate, the complexity, dynamics, bioactive and mechanical signals of the native ECM.
Besides the two invited lectures, we have 4 open slots for oral communications and very much look forward to receiving your abstract submissions, learn from your work and engage in fruitful collaborations in moving towards advanced therapies to shape the future of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
We kindly invite the biomaterials community to submit their latest work in the field to our symposium in the form of oral communications until 15 November: https://eu2025.termis.org/abstract-submission/

On December 13th at 2 pm (Amphitheatre 23.1.7), we will organize an informative session aiming to present SupraLife - a recently Horizon Europe EU funded Twinning project (Coordination and Support Action) that will start in January 2023.

SupraLife is a project coordinated by the COMPASS Research Group at the Department of Chemistry (DQ)/CICECO at the University of Aveiro (UAVR, Portugal) and brings together the Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands), the University of Bordeaux (France) and its affiliated entities (Bordeaux INP and CNRS) as partner organizations.

This project aims to strengthen the scientific excellence, innovation capacity and research management skills of DQ/CICECO’s students, researchers and staff at UAVR in the supramolecular biomaterials' chemistry field aiming to rationally design and develop advanced supramolecular multicomponent biomaterials for healthcare.

In the framework of this project, we will be organizing a series of scientific events, training activities and networking actions aiming to raise the profile of students, researchers and staff in this research field by fostering the exchange of complementary knowledge and expertise. 

Besides the scientific component, we will be organizing a series of soft skills training workshops that aim to advance the professional development and widen the career perspectives of students and researchers, irrespectively on their background and research domain.

We will also present and discuss general aspects of the Twinning call that could be useful for future applications.

Event images:

The SUPRALIFE First School will be the very first event organized by the COMPASS Research Group at the University of Aveiro (UAVR; Coordinator) and will be held in the pleasant and beautiful city of Aveiro, Portugal, from 19-24 March 2023.

It will be split in two parts:

a scientific program from 19-21 March which aims at teaching fundamental-to-advanced concepts to students and researchers on functional supramolecular polymeric biomaterials for biomedicine.

a soft skills training from 22-24 March which aims to advance the professional development and widen the career perspectives of students and researchers to outperform in their professional duties and career paths. The training sessions will include the following topics: science communication, grant writing, scientific writing and publishing, and career development.

Do not miss this unique opportunity for interacting closely with the invited speakers and networking with peers in an informal and relaxed environment.

We look forward to meeting you in Aveiro!

On January 13th, we kicked off the SupraLife Horizon Europe EU funded Twinning project with an online meeting.

During the meeting, which counted on the presence and participation of all consortium partners and Project Officer (PO) from the European Commission, each partner presented its institution and research group work, and the University of Aveiro’s team presented the project, its motivation, goals, Consortium Agreement and budget, work packages’ structure, objectives, tasks, and their deliverables and milestones. Moreover, all partners engaged in an open discussion about the networking, training, and research activities in the framework of the project, with a particular focus on the first-year events and activities. The meeting also counted on a presentation by the PO which covered the Horizon Europe widening participation and strengthening the European research area funding programmes, project lifecycle, role distribution among the partners, deliverables and reporting, financial aspects and amendments, open access and data management plan, and communication and dissemination strategy.

The meeting was a fantastic opportunity to meet and exchange with all consortium partners on the project goals and activities in working together towards accelerating the pace on the development of supramolecular multifunctional biomaterials for healthcare.

Participants: João F. Mano, João Borges, Ana Lourenço and Luísa Sal from the University of Aveiro (UAVR, Portugal), E.W. “Bert” Meijer from the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e, The Netherlands), and Sébastien Lecommandoux from the University of Bordeaux/Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux/French National Centre for Scientific Research (UBx/Bordeaux INP/CNRS, France).

On March 23rd, we organized the first in-person progress meeting of the research support office and management teams of the SupraLife’s EU project.

The meeting counted on the presence and active participation of all consortium beneficiaries (University of Aveiro – UAVR, Eindhoven University of Technology – TU/e, and University of Bordeaux/Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux/French National Centre for Scientific Research – UBx/IPB/CNRS) that got to know each other prior to engaging on the activities aiming to strengthen the research management and administrative skills of the staff at the UAVR.

Luísa Sal, Coordinator of the UAVR’s Research and Support Office (GAI) welcome all participants and presented a brief description of the work package and its tasks, deliverables and milestones, highlighting the need to strength the research management and administration skills, know-how, organizational procedures, and resources of UAVR’s GAI. Dr. João Borges introduced the timeline of the training activities and networking events in the framework of the SupraLife EU project. Then, an open discussion and exchange of ideas about the upcoming meetings and training and networking activities took place aiming for the successful implementation of the project.

Participants: João Borges, Luísa Sal and Ana M. Lourenço (UAVR, Portugal); Gabriela Dima (TU/e, The Netherlands); Amélie Delmon and Floriane Worm (UBx, France).

The First School of the SupraLife Project entitled “Functional Supramolecular Polymeric Biomaterials“ took place at the Auditorium Renato Araújo, within the Central and Rectorate Building at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, from 19-24 March 2023.

This event included a very strong scientific program which counted on the active participation of world-renowned scientists from 8 different European countries which met in Aveiro and delivered plenary lectures covering the topics of functional supramolecular polymers, bioinspired polymers, biomimetic strategies, molecular modelling and molecular dynamics simulations, bioinstructive platforms/matrices, dynamic self-assembled biomaterials, supramolecular hydrogels, adaptive life-like molecular systems, and their use in drug/therapeutics delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering or regenerative medicine. The scientific program also included 3 poster sessions mostly devoted to students and early-career researchers which allowed them to present and discuss their work with peers, as well as interact closely and exchange ideas with the plenary speakers in an informal environment.

It was a privilege to host, learn from and engage with such distinguished scientists at the frontiers of supramolecular and biomaterials chemistry, who inspired the young scientists and researchers to pursue frontier research in the supramolecular biomaterials’ chemistry field.

Moreover, the First School also hosted a soft transferable skills training program, which aimed to advance the professional development and widen the career perspectives of students and early-career researchers, irrespectively on their academic background and research domain. The training program consisted of 4 distinct workshops on the topics of grant writing, career development, science communication, and scientific writing and publishing and 12 invited speakers, experts and highly skilled professionals on the topics, who provided the students and researchers with the skills to thrive in their professional duties and career paths.

This was the very first event of the SUPRALIFE EU funded Twinning project, which started on January 1st, 2023 and is coordinated by the University of Aveiro (UAVR, Portugal) with the Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands), and the University of Bordeaux, Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP, France) and French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS, France) as partners.

On March 21st, we organized the first in-person scientific progress meeting of the SupraLife’s consortium.

The meeting counted on the active participation of several participants affiliated to all consortium beneficiaries (University of Aveiro – UAVR, Portugal; Eindhoven University of Technology – TU/e, the Netherlands; University of Bordeaux/Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux/French National Centre for Scientific Research – UBx/IPB/CNRS, France) that briefly introduced to one another prior to exchanging on the training and networking activities and events planned for 2023 and 2024. Dr. João Borges (UAVR, Portugal) introduced the timeline of the training and networking activities and all participants exchanged on the content, dates and location of the upcoming events, as well as on the speakers to be invited for the second school (2024). The participants also had a fruitful discussion on the different tasks, deliverables and milestones, role of each beneficiary, and research projects to be pursued in the framework of the exploratory research project. Furthermore, the beneficiaries exchanged and unanimously agreed on the scientists to be invited to be a part of the External Scientific Advisory Board.

Participants: João F. Mano, João Borges, Ana M. Lourenço and Vera Sousa (UAVR, Portugal); E.W. “Bert” Meijer, Patricia Dankers and Ghislaine Vantomme (TU/e, The Netherlands); Sébastien Lecommandoux, Elisabeth Garanger and Angela Mutschler (UBx/IPB/CNRS, France).

The SupraLife’s consortium will be organizing two symposia and sharing our work at IUPAC|CHAINS 2023 (20-25 August 2023, The Hague, The Netherlands) and ESB 2023 (4-8 September 2023, Davos, Switzerland), two of the most prestigious conferences in the chemistry and biomaterials’ fields, respectively.

Get to know about the topics of our symposia and invited speakers under “Activities – Training Calendar”.

We look forward to meeting you, exchanging ideas and networking at these conferences!

The SUPRALIFE Second School will be organized by the COMPASS Research Group at the University of Aveiro (UAVR; Coordinator) and will be held in the pleasant and beautiful city of Aveiro, Portugal, from 10-15 March 2024.

It will be split in two parts:

- A scientific program from 10-12 March  which aims at teaching fundamental-to-advanced concepts to students and researchers with backgrounds in chemistry, biochemistry, (bio)materials science, biomedical engineering, bioengineering, biotechnology and biology on the molecular design, synthesis, development and advanced characterization of bioinspired supramolecular self-assemblies for biomedical applications and healthcare.

The program will consist of plenary lectures (see images below) and will also include oral and poster presentations selected from contributed abstracts submitted by participants.

- A soft transferable skills' training program from 13-15 March which aims to advance the professional development and widen the career perspectives of students and researchers, irrespectively of their background and area of specialization, to outperform in their professional duties and career paths. The topics of the training sessions will be announced soon.

Do not miss this unique opportunity for interacting closely with the invited speakers and networking with peers in an informal and relaxed environment.

We look forward to meeting you in Aveiro!

The SupraLife scientific retreat 2023 “Bonding across Borders” will be held in the picturesque Douro region, a special landscape for a unique gathering of scientific minds in fostering scientific exchanges and collaborative efforts in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. This retreat will be a unique opportunity for our consortium to strengthen bonds, socialise and build networks, foster cross-disciplinary scientific interactions and deep synergies, boost students/young researchers’ creativity, as well as engage in fruitful scientific discussions in nurturing new paradigm shifts on supramolecular biomaterials for healthcare. In addition, the retreat will provide plenty of opportunities for exploring new and innovative research directions on supramolecular biomaterials leading us into the future. Inspired by the serenity and beautiful Douro region, participants will dive themselves into the project’s progression, developments, and innovations, and chart the course for the project’s future in meeting its goals.

The first Scientific Retreat of the SupraLife project , chaired by Dr. João Borges, took place on the banks of the Douro region between 29th September and 2nd October, 2023. Entitled “Bonding across Borders”, the retreat reunited students and researchers from the COMPASS Research Group at the University of Aveiro (UA), as well as from the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e, the Netherlands), the University of Bordeaux (UBx, France) and its affiliated entities Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP) and French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

The retreat encompassed individual scientific talks, by each consortium partner, and a poster session, gathering students and researchers with different backgrounds and expertise and affiliated with different institutions at each poster, aiming to stimulate scientific exchanges, creativity, and “thinking outside-the-box”, aligned with the project goals.

The retreat was a unique opportunity for the consortium to strengthen bonds, network, share experiences, foster cross-disciplinary scientific interactions, and deep synergies, as well as engage in stimulating scientific discussions in nurturing innovative collaborative research projects and new paradigm shifts on advanced supramolecular biomaterials for healthcare in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. It was also an opportunity for our partners from TU/e, UBx, Bordeaux INP, and CNRS to learn about the Portuguese culture and traditional costumes while being bioinspired by the stunning Douro scenario.

Please submit your abstract for oral and poster communication until DECEMBER 15th, 2023 at 23:59 UTC.

Abstracts received after this deadline will not be considered. Notification of abstract acceptance or rejection and presentation format will be communicated by e-mail to the presenting authors until DECEMBER 31st, 2023.

Click in "MORE INFO" below, to submit your abstract!

The hands-on workshop on the "Synthesis and advanced characterization of functional supramolecular polymers", was an immersive learning experience for SupraLife consortium members. Attendees delved into critical discussions and gained insights into essential aspects such as supramolecular chemistry, polymerization, and biomaterials for healthcare via exceptional scientific talks and innovative research shared by instructors. They actively participated in practical sessions aiming to become acquainted with advanced methods to characterize functional supramolecular polymers and biomaterials at ICMS-TU/e, including analyzing their own samples. Before the hands-on sessions, participants were introduced to theoretical aspects of each technique, ensuring a comprehensive understanding before the practical application phase. From particle tracking and coacervate synthesis to optical microscopy and cutting-edge cell characterization techniques, attendees acquired crucial skills to understand and characterize advanced supramolecular (bio)materials for healthcare applications.

The participants found the experience extremely valuable, emphasizing the inspiring lectures and the cross-disciplinary learning opportunities at the intersection of scientific fields such as supramolecular chemistry, polymer chemistry, nanoengineering, biomaterials, and cell biology. The consortium is actively forming collaborative research projects utilizing ICMS-TU/e's advanced scientific knowledge and techniques to develop sophisticated supramolecular biofunctional materials for healthcare.

Overall, the workshop effectively achieved its objectives by fostering the exchange of knowledge, sharing best practices, and providing high-quality scientific education. It significantly enhanced the research skills, technological acumen, and critical thinking of students and researchers associated with UAVR, UBx, Bordeaux INP, and CNRS in the realms of supramolecular chemistry, self-assembly, and supramolecular biomaterials. Participants gained essential tools to contribute meaningfully to the evolving landscape of research in supramolecular and biomaterials chemistry for healthcare.

While attending the SupraLife hands-on workshop at the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS) at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), the Netherlands, João Borges took the change to visit Roxanne Kieltyka’s research group at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands. The visit aimed at exchanging on our ongoing collaborative research project on supramolecular biomaterials for tissue engineering, as well as giving as talk to introduce the SupraLife project and the research work being developed in the framework of the project. We enjoyed fruitful exchanges and discussions moving forward and had a great time together in Leiden.

The SupraLife consortium members João Borges (University of Aveiro, Portugal), Patricia Y. W. Dankers (Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands), João F. Mano (University of Aveiro, Portugal), and Sébastien Lecommandoux (University of Bordeaux, France) are Guest Editors of the themed collection Bioinspired Functional Supramolecular Systems to be published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry B. This collection aims to share the latest developments in the fascinating field of the bioinspired supramolecular systems from the fundamentals on the supramolecular design and synthesis to their application in drug/gene/protein/therapeutics/cell delivery, biosensing, diagnostics, theranostics, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, among others.

We welcome and encourage the submission of articles in the form of full papers, communications, reviews and perspective articles until 30th June 2024!

Find out more about this collection and how to submit your paper, below in MORE INFO.

We are excited to share our incredible experience at IUPAC|CHAINS 2023 held in The Hague, the Netherlands from 20-25th August 2023, where the world’s largest congress across the chemical sciences unfolded and distinguished scientists and peers met. We could attend and learn from the nine plenary lecturers, as well as keynote lectures, oral communications and poster presented over the week. The week was truly fantastic, being fully packed by scientific insights and engaging discussions.

João Borges (University of Aveiro, Portugal) and Roxanne Kieltyka (University of Leiden, the Netherlands) had the pleasure of chairing a stimulating Focus Session/Symposium on "Bringing Supramolecular Materials to Life" on August 21st. The session featured distinguished speakers in the supramolecular chemistry and supramolecular biomaterials fields. The keynote speakers were Tanja Weil (Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany), Patricia Dankers (Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), the Netherlands) and Matthew Webber (University of Notre Dame, USA) who delivered fantastic lectures on diverse topics, including supramolecular materials design, self-assembling peptides, host-guest systems, cell-material interactions, and ECM-inspired supramolecular hydrogels.

The symposium gathered a lot of interest and engagement by the scientific community, who contributed to the discussion turning it into a truly enriching symposium. We were also pleased to engage with E.W. “Bert” Meijer (TU/e, the Netherlands), who was in the audience and engaged with the organizers and invited speakers.

Reflecting on the remarkable experience at ESB 2023 in Davos, Switzerland, we are excited to share the highlights of this fantastic scientific conference which unveiled the latest discoveries on biomaterials science research for healthcare and was held amidst the stunning Swiss landscape from 4-8th September 2023. Our time exploring the surroundings was breathtaking, setting the stone for a week filled with engaging scientific insights and discussions, networking opportunities, and connections with both old and new friends.

João Borges and João F. Mano (University of Aveiro, Portugal) chaired a symposium on “Dynamic self-assembling biomaterials”, on September 5th, featuring an inspiring keynote lecture by Mark Tibbitt from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, on the “Macromolecular engineering dynamic biomaterials with reversible bonds”. Besides Mark’s lecture, the symposium was very diverse, including four shorter talks by PhD students, researchers and assistant professors from Europe, USA, Australia, and Asia on dynamic supramolecular hydrogels. Those included dynamic bioinspired self-assembling peptide hydrogels for targeted gene delivery, boronate-ester-based hydrogels for biomedical applications, and DNA-based materials towards adaptive biosensors. The fantastic attendance and lively engagement in our symposium, as well as throughout the whole conference, including in the plenary lectures and numerous keynotes, oral and poster presentations were truly inspiring. We took the chance to interact closely with several speakers working on supramolecular biomaterials, to introduce the SupraLife project, and to invite them to our upcoming events.

We extend heartfelt thanks to Matteo D’Este and the ESB 2023 organizing team for their remarkable coordination of the conference, fostering both scientific excellence and valuable networking opportunities in Davos. The event was truly inspirational, igniting ideas that will guide our future research. We eagerly anticipate further engagement, seeking to contribute and collaborate within the biomaterials science community.

The Second School of the SupraLife Project entitled "Bioinspired Supramolecular Self-Assemblies" was held at the Auditorium Renato Araújo within the University of Aveiro’s Central and Rectorate Building, in Aveiro, Portugal, from 10-15th March 2024.

This event included a strong scientific program, from 10-12th March, featuring plenary lectures by world-renowned scientists from ten European countries. The talks focused on topics including bioinspired polymers; functional supramolecular self-assemblies; adaptive, dynamic, responsive and interactive soft materials and molecular systems; compartmentalized structures; life-like systems; and their use in nanomedicine, diagnostics, theranostics, biosensing, drug/therapeutics delivery, soft robotics, tissue engineering or regenerative medicine.

In addition, the scientific program included oral and poster presentations by students and early-career scientists, providing them with the opportunity to showcase their scientific research work and engage in scientific dialogue and discussions with the plenary speakers and peers, fostering the exchange of ideas and collaborative efforts. Awards were given top best oral communication (Vera Sousa, University of Aveiro, Portugal), sponsored by Metatissue, a spin-off company of the University of Aveiro, and to the best three posters (Cathrine Meyer, Aarhus University, Denmark; Margarida Sacramento, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Joana Calvário, ITQB-NOVA, Portuga), sponsored by the Journal of Materials Chemistry B, Materials Advances e Biomaterials Science of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The scientific program also included an activity entitled ‘Meet the Mentor’ in which the plenary speakers were invited to share their career path and research experiences, as well as to interact with the young scientists and answer their curiosities in an informal environment over the lunch time.

Furthermore, the Second School included a soft transferable skills’ training program, from 13-15th March, which aimed at advancing the professional development and broadening the career perspectives of students and early-career scientists, regardless of their academic background and research domain. The program featured invited speakers, experts and highly skilled professionals covering a wide range of topics, including diverse career routes, career development, science publishing and ethics, mental health and imposter phenomenon, diversity, equity and inclusion in science, open science, project management, data management, community building for scientists, and science innovation.

This event was the second school of the EU-funded Twinning project SUPRALIFE which commenced on January 1st, 2023. The project is coordinated by the University of Aveiro (UAVR, Portugal) and counts on the Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands), the University of Bordeaux (France) and its affiliated entities Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP) and French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) as consortium partners.

More information about the Second School, SUPRALIFE project and upcoming training activities can be found here: https://www.supralife.eu/secondschool; https://www.supralife.eu.

The SupraLife consortium members João Borges (University of Aveiro, Portugal), Patricia Y. W. Dankers (Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands), João F. Mano (University of Aveiro, Portugal), and Sébastien Lecommandoux (University of Bordeaux, France) are Guest Editors of the themed collection Bioinspired Functional Supramolecular Systems to be published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry B. This collection aims to share the latest developments in the fascinating field of the bioinspired supramolecular systems from the fundamentals on the supramolecular design and synthesis to their application in drug/gene/protein/therapeutics/cell delivery, biosensing, diagnostics, theranostics, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, among others.

We welcome and encourage the submission of articles in the form of full papers, communications, reviews and perspective articles until 31st July 2024!

Find out more about this collection and how to submit your paper, below in MORE INFO.

The SUPRALIFE Third School will be organized by the COMPASS Research Group at the University of Aveiro (UAVR; Coordinator) and will be held in the pleasant and beautiful city of Aveiro, Portugal, from 9-14 March 2025.

It will be split in two parts:

- A scientific program from 9-11 March  which aims at teaching fundamental-to-advanced concepts to students and researchers with backgrounds in chemistry, biochemistry, (bio)materials science, biomedical engineering, bioengineering, biotechnology and biology on the molecular design, synthesis, development and advanced characterization of supramolecular and macromolecular multifunctional biomaterials and systems for biomedical applications and healthcare.

The program will consist of plenary lectures (see images below) and will also include oral and poster presentations selected from contributed abstracts submitted by participants.

- A soft transferable skills' training program from 12-14 March which aims to advance the professional development and widen the career perspectives of students and researchers, irrespectively of their background and area of specialization, to outperform in their professional duties and career paths. The topics to be covered in the soft skills program will be announced soon.

Do not miss this unique opportunity for interacting closely with the invited speakers and networking with peers in an informal and relaxed environment.

We look forward to meeting you in Aveiro!

The SupraLife’s consortium will be attending the TERMIS-EU 2025 conference in Freiburg, Germany, from 19-23 May 2025!
We will be organizing our own symposium entitled “Designing advanced bioinspired materials by merging natural macromolecules with supramolecular chemistry” having Prof. Patricia Dankers (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands) and Dr. João Borges (University of Aveiro, Portugal) as invited speakers.
They will be sharing their team efforts and engaging with the biomaterials community on the development of artificial extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic biomaterials by combining natural macromolecules with supramolecular chemistry aiming to engineer tissue-inspired biomaterials. Emphasis will be given to the interplay between natural biopolymers (e.g., polysaccharides, proteins) and small synthetic building blocks that self-assemble into supramolecular polymers towards the development of advanced supra(macro)molecular biomaterials that could better recreate, the complexity, dynamics, bioactive and mechanical signals of the native ECM.
Besides the two invited lectures, we have 4 open slots for oral communications and very much look forward to receiving your abstract submissions, learn from your work and engage in fruitful collaborations in moving towards advanced therapies to shape the future of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
We kindly invite the biomaterials community to submit their latest work in the field to our symposium in the form of oral communications until 15 November: https://eu2025.termis.org/abstract-submission/

The SupraLife’s team , at the University of Aveiro was at the European Researchers’ Night last September 27th, at Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro, inspiring and engaging with the general public and contributing to improving society’s awareness of science. It was a fantastic opportunity to share our research on supramolecular hydrogels, free-standing membranes, 3D bioprinting structures, bioinspired materials/surfaces and superhydrophobic surfaces, as well as its impact on healthcare with the public, including children, youth and all curious minds willing to learn more about our science and SupraLife’s goals. What a great day to celebrate the joy and the importance of science for society!

The University of Aveiro (UAveiro) and the Agência Nacional de Inovação (ANI) are organizing an info session and training event dedicated to the funding opportunities under the EIC Pathfinder 2025. The event NCPInTheHouse 2024 – EIC Pathfinder: From the lab to the market, will take place on November 26th , at the UAveiro – Academic Acts Room (10:30 am - 12:30 pm) and Senate Room (2:00 pm - 5:00 pm). The event will be split into two parts:

• Part I (10:30 am – 12:30 pm) – Academic Acts Room, Rectory of the UAveiro

This session will include an informative presentation on the latest developments in the EIC Pathfinder program for 2025, highlighting the new challenges. Also during the morning, an info session will be held dedicated to the importance of the intellectual property protection strategy in the EIC panorama.

• Part II (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm) – Senate Room, Rectory of the UAveiro

This session will be dedicated to a set of bilateral meetings (NCP x Entities) aiming to frame ideas and clarify specific doubts related with EIC Pathfinder. The sessions will be scheduled in due course, depending on the interest of the participants.

This initiative aims to inform and train the scientific, technological and entrepreneurial community in terms of funding opportunities (with projects of up to €4 million) for disruptive ideas and scientific developments of low technological maturity (up to TRL 4). The EIC Pathfinder is mainly aimed at consortium projects, with a minimum of three entities, encompassing SMEs, Start-Ups, Higher Education Institutions and Technology Centers.

The agenda can be consulted here.

Registration is free, but limited and mandatory through this link.

We count on your presence!

Please submit your abstract for oral and poster communication until DECEMBER 15th, 2024 at 23:59 UTC.

Abstracts received after this deadline will not be considered. Notification of abstract acceptance or rejection and presentation format will be communicated by e-mail to the presenting authors until DECEMBER 31st, 2024.

Click in "MORE INFO" below, to submit your abstract!

The second Scientific Retreat of the SupraLife project, chaired by Professor João Mano, was held in the vibrant city of Porto from 15th to 18th November, 2024. Titled “Strengthening Ties, Unleashing Opportunities,” this year’s event built on the success of the inaugural retreat and brought together students and researchers from the COMPASS Research Group at the University of Aveiro (UA) alongside representatives from the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e, the Netherlands), the University of Bordeaux (UBx, France), and their partners at the Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

The retreat focused on collaborations, featuring a series of engaging scientific presentations and interactive poster sessions that provided participants with a platform to showcase their diverse research and promote interdisciplinary dialogue. This year's emphasis on strengthening partnerships and exploring groundbreaking advancements in supramolecular biomaterials created a sense of community and shared purpose among the consortium partners in a relaxed and culturally rich setting.

The SupraLife’s consortium will be organizing one international symposium and sharing our work at the 12th World Biomaterials Congress 2024 (26-31 May 2024, Daegu, South Korea), the largest and most prestigious biomaterials’ conference worldwide.

The symposium entitled "Self-assembling polymeric biomaterials for healthcare" will be chaired by João F. Mano (University of Aveiro, Portugal) and Jeroen Leijten (University of Twente, the Netherlands) and will feature João Borges (University of Aveiro, Portugal), as the keynote speaker, and Martina Stenzel (University of New South Wales, Australia), Insung S. Choi (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea) and Elisa Migliorini (University of Grenoble Alpes, France) as invited speakers.

Join us to learn and explore the latest advancements in self-assembled polymeric biomaterials in the form of nanostructured multilayered films, dynamic supramolecular hydrogels and glycopolymer-based nanoparticles for 3D cell culture, drug/protein/therapeutics delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

We look forward to meeting, exchanging ideas and networking with you in Daegu, South Korea, next May 2024!

Get to know more about the topics of our symposia and invited speakers under “Activities – Training Calendar – 2024”.

Our symposium entitled “Self-assembling polymeric biomaterials for healthcare” was chaired by João F. Mano (University of Aveiro, Portugal) and Jeroen Leijten (University of Twente, The Netherlands) on May 29th, and began with a keynote lecture by João Borges from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, who provided insightful perspectives on the molecular design and development of biofunctional supramolecular polymeric biomaterials and their interactions with living systems, pursued in the framework of SupraLife, and advertised the project aims and activities. The symposium also featured invited talks by Martina Stenzel (University of New South Wales, Australia) on glycopolymers for drug delivery, Insung Choi (KAIST, Republic of Korea) on hydrogels for 3D astrocyte culture, and Elisa Migliorini (University of Grenoble Alpes / CEA, France) on biomimetic materials to studying bone morphogenetic protein bioactivity. In addition, the symposium also included oral communications by Babatunde Okesola (University of Nottingham, UK) on self-assembling hydrogels for instructing tumor cell phenotypes and therapy resistance in pancreatic cancer models, and Herdeline Ann Ardoña (University of California, Irvine, USA) on surface-assembled optoelectronic assemblies for directing tissue anisotropy. The symposium ignited stimulating discussions and attracted plenty of attention by the scientific community.

In addition, João F. Mano (University of Aveiro, Portugal) delivered an inspiring plenary lecture, and João Rodrigues (Junior Researcher at the University of Aveiro, Portugal), Rita Sobreiro Almeida (Junior Researcher at the University of Aveiro, Portugal), and Vera Sousa (PhD student at the University of Aveiro, Portugal) shared their research work with the attendees through oral communications. The Aveiro’s team was very well represented and truly appreciated the congress.

Also, attending the 12th World Biomaterials Congress 2024 was an opportunity to meet and exchange further with Patricia Dankers from TU/e, The Netherlands, as well as with the SUPRALIFE’s Scientific Advisory Board members Catherine Picart (University of Grenoble Alpes / CEA, France), Alvaro Mata (University of Nottingham, UK) and Insung Choi (KAIST, Republic of Korea), who delivered inspiring lectures at the congress.

Sébastien Lecommandoux, Angela Mutschler, Elisabeth Garanger and Colin Bonduelle hosted a three-day cutting-edge workshop on the "Synthesis and advanced characterization of block copolymers at the nanoscale" at the University of Bordeaux, France, from 23rd to 25th September 2024. The event featured top-level scientific lectures in the microfluidic formulation of polymersomes, production of giant and compartmentalized polymersomes, production and purification of recombinant polypeptides, and aqueous ring-opening polymerization induced self-assembly.

The workshop also included laboratory rotation schemes, demonstrations, and practical hands-on training on cutting-edge techniques for (macro)molecular synthesis and characterization of polymeric materials and self-assembled supramolecular systems. Those included microfluidics for the preparation of polymersomes at the nanoscale; flow-through cell dissolution testing apparatus to monitor the drug release profile; high-resolution confocal laser scanning microscopy to monitor the photo-induced degradation and drug release in giant and compartmentalized polymersomes; chemical tools for enabling the synthesis of amphiphilic polymers, polypeptides and self-assembled nano-objects in one-step; and detailed extraction and purification procedures to obtain recombinant polypeptides.

The workshop promoted knowledge exchange and ensured a high quality educational training to students and researchers from UAVR and TU/e in the synthesis and advanced characterization of block polymers and self-assembled polymeric nanostructures. All participants emphasized the truly inspirational lectures, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities, as well as the very well organized lab activities. Collaborative research projects are currently ongoing aiming for the development of light-responsive polymersomes and compartmentalized structures for biomedical and healthcare purposes.

The Third school of the European Twinning project SupraLife (Grant Agreement No. 101079482), entitled " Supramolecular Multifunctional Biomaterials", took place at the University of Aveiro from March 9 to 14, 2025.

This event featured an excellent scientific program from March 9 to 11, including twelve plenary lectures delivered by internationally recognized scientists from eight European countries: E.W. “Bert” Meijer (Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands), Mark Tibbitt (ETH Zurich, Switzerland), Matthew Baker (Maastricht University, Netherlands), José Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello (University of Valladolid, Spain), Elisabeth Garanger (University of Bordeaux, France), Aránzazu del Campo (Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Germany), Anna Rising (Karolinska Institute, Sweden), Sandra Camarero-Espinosa (POLYMAT, Spain), Sander Wezenberg (Leiden University, Netherlands), Sandra Van Vlierberghe (Ghent University, Belgium), Laura De Laporte (Aachen University, Germany), and Cristina Barrias (Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Portugal).

The lectures focused on topics including injectable, dynamic, adaptive, and self-healing polymeric hydrogels; soft biomaterials responsive to multiple stimuli; multifunctional 3D and 4D (bio)printed (bio)materials; multiscale/hierarchical biomaterials; bio-instructive surfaces and structures; biomimetic and bioinspired supramolecular molecular systems and structures; and their applications in nanomedicine, drug delivery, biosensors, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. The scientific program also included oral and poster presentations by PhD students and early-career researchers, with over 112 participants in attendance. Awards were presented for the best oral presentation (Cátia Monteiro, University of Aveiro, Portugal), sponsored by Metatissue, a spin-off of the University of Aveiro, and for the three best posters (Hugo Brummer, University of Groningen, Netherlands; Chloé Manseau, University of Bordeaux, France; Andreia Malafaia, University of Aveiro, Portugal), sponsored by the scientific journals Journal of Materials Chemistry B, Biomaterials Science, Chemical Communications, and Materials Advances of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The scientific program also included an activity entitled "Meet the Mentor", where plenary speakers were invited to share their career paths and research experiences, as well as interact with and answer questions from young scientists in an informal setting during lunch.

The event also hosted the 3rd edition of the transferable and transversal skills training program from March 12 to 14, which featured twenty-seven invited speakers and over 345 registered participants. This program aimed to support capacity building, professional development, and career advancement for students and early-career researchers, regardless of their field of study or research domain. It included workshops and discussion panels on topics such as job searching in science; tips on structuring a CV for industry; pathways to leadership; strategies for success; networking and career development; the power of volunteering in career advancement; regeneration in action for a greater good; the use of social media for science communication; innovation management; and artificial intelligence tools and their benefits in research. This program was developed by the SupraLife project team in collaboration with two other Twinning projects – EPIBOOST (Grant Agreement No. 101078991) and FONDA (Grant Agreement No. 101079134) – and with the European ERA Chair BESIDE project (Grant Agreement No. 951389), all of which are ongoing and coordinated by the University of Aveiro.

Participants highlighted, as in the first and second schools, the excellence of the event, the opportunity to learn, share their work, and interact with internationally renowned speakers in the field of multifunctional supramolecular biomaterials, as well as the value of the transferable and transversal skills workshops for their personal and professional development.

More information about the Third School, SUPRALIFE project and upcoming training activities can be found here: https://www.supralife.eu/thirdschool; https://www.supralife.eu.

On the 21st March, 2023, the University of Aveiro (UAVR) hosted a key meeting with representatives from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the University of Bordeaux/CNRS. Among the discussion topics, were, the training activities and events planned for 2023 (WP3), upcoming events for the SupraLife Second School in 2024, and the establishment of a Scientific Advisory Board. The meeting also covered exploratory scientific research projects (WP4) and the exchange of students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff (WP3). This meeting aimed to strengthen collaboration and enhance research efforts.

Photo 1st Progress Meeting:

On the 1st October, 2023, the University of Aveiro (UAVR) hosted an important meeting with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the University of Bordeaux/CNRS. The discussion focused on collaborative scientific research projects between UAVR and its partners, in line with Work Package 4 (WP4). Additionally, the meeting addressed plans for knowledge sharing, training, and networking activities scheduled for 2024, following the guidelines of Work Package 3 (WP3). This meeting aimed to enhance cooperation and advance shared research initiatives.

Photo 2nd Progress Meeting:

On the 25th October, 2023, the University of Aveiro (UAVR) held an important meeting with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The discussion focused on the exchange of students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff between UAVR and TU/e, in line with Work Package 3 (WP3). Additionally, information on collaborative scientific research projects, was exchanged, aligned with Work Package 4 (WP4). This meeting aimed to enhance cooperation and advance shared research initiatives.

Photo 3rd Progress Meeting:

On the 12th March, 2024, the University of Aveiro (UAVR) conducted an important meeting to discuss several key topics. The agenda included an exchange of ideas on training activities and events planned for 2024 (WP3), as well as events for 2025, such as the Third School and the Final International Conference. Additionally, the discussion covered project development, exploratory research projects (WP4), and the exchange of students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff (WP3). This meeting aimed to strengthen collaboration and advance shared research initiatives.

Photo 4th Progress Meeting:

In the first and second year of the project, the University of Aveiro's (UAVR) Research Support Office (GAI) organized six debriefing sessions (3 in the first project year and 3 in the second project year) related to the research support structures and organizational procedures in general and related with specific Horizon Europe or other European subprograms. Several debriefing sessions were incorporated in the general meetings for efficiency reasons.

Photos Debriefing sessions:

1 short-term visit (October 2023) by UAVR’s Research Support Office (GAI) and UACOOPERA (TTO) staff to the research support, management and administrative units of TU/e was made, to receive advice and exchange on best practices on EU grants, project management, IPR, knowledge transfer and business development.

Photos Short-term visit:

3 workshops in the first project year, and 2 workshops in the second project year, were organized by UAVR’s Research Support Office (GAI) on the following topics: grant writing, science communication and dissemination, data management research management and administration, dedicated to UAVR support staff, researchers and students with the aim of enhance their capacity preparing R&I proposals and managing and coordinating funded projects. For efficiency reasons and or in order to attract a higher number of participants, workshops were integrated into other events, such as in the Summer Schools presented in WP3 or in the debriefing sessions.

Photos On-site training workshops:

The workshop also included a short-term visit by the UAVR's Research Support Office to UBx, from 23rd to 26th September 2024, to exchange knowledge, experiences and best practices with the research management staff at UBx. The visit was hosted by Floriane Worm. During this short-term visit the participants exchanged on several topics, including best practices on project management, how to write competitive EU proposals, how to enhance the interaction in between research support offices and the scientific community, tools to discover funding opportunities, and how to boost the translation of research outputs to society.

Photos Short-term visit:

In this article, Pires-Santos et al. discloses that more recently, single-cell encapsulation emerged as a promising field in biomedicine due to its potential applications, in cell analysis and therapy. Traditional techniques involve embedding cells in crosslinked polymers to create continuous microgels, suitable mainly for adherent cells, or encapsulating them in droplets for only short-term analysis, due to their instability. In this study, we developed a method for encapsulating single cells in liquid-core microcapsules to address these limitations. The liquid encapsulation system is generated in an all aqueous environment through polymeric electrostatic interactions. Additionally, we design an innovative and low cost sorting system utilizing magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to efficiently select single-cell encapsulated units for further analysis and applications. This system is tested with both suspension and adherent cell types, demonstrating cytocompatibility and no abnormal effects on cell behavior. The MNP-based sorting achieved nearly 80% purity of the single-cell population. Overall, this technology provides a highly efficient method for single-cell applications, such as cell screening, by enabling precise short to medium-term analysis, real time monitoring, and high resolution imaging of cellular behavior. Furthermore, the semipermeable membrane unlocks new potential for advancing cell therapy by offering protection for encapsulated cells while ensuring the efficient diffusion of therapeutic factors, paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies.

In this article, Ladeira et al. conclude that recapitulating, the biophysical and biochemical complexity of the extracellular matrix (ECM) remains a major challenge in tissue engineering. Hydrogels derived from decellularized ECM provide a unique opportunity to replicate the architecture and bioactivity of native ECM, however, they exhibit limited long-term stability and mechanical integrity. In turn, materials assembled through supramolecular interactions have achieved considerable success in replicating the dynamic biophysical properties of the ECM. Here, we merge both methodologies by promoting the supramolecular assembly of decellularized human amniotic membrane (hAM), mediated by host-guest interactions between hAM proteins and acryloyl-β-cyclodextrin (AcβCD). Photopolymerization of the cyclodextrins results in the formation of soft hydrogels that exhibit tunable stress relaxation and strain-stiffening. Disaggregation of bulk hydrogels yields an injectable granular material that self-reconstitutes into shape-adaptable bulk hydrogels, supporting cell delivery and promoting neovascularization. Additionally, cells encapsulated within bulk hydrogels sense and respond to the biophysical properties of the surrounding matrix, as early cell spreading is favored in hydrogels that exhibit greater susceptibility to applied stress, evidencing proper cell-matrix interplay. Thus, this system is shown to be a promising substitute for native ECM in tissue repair and modelling.

In this article, Pinho et al. describes soft liquified capsules are explored for various biotechnological applications owing to their versatility and protective nature. However, it is challenging to assess and control their internal environment post-production without compromising their structural integrity. This study explores liquid capsules with shells created from gelatin modified with hydroxypyridinone groups and coordinated with iron ions to enable access to and control over their internal content. Using glycerol as a cryoprotectant prevents ice crystal formation in gelatin-derived hydrogel pores during storage at −20 °C. The hygroscopic properties provided by glycerol effectively preserve the structural and self-healing features of the shell over time, supporting large-scale production of off-the-shelf containers. As a proof-of-concept, the ability to manipulate the internal content, and real-time analysis of internal pH, oxygen, and protein levels is shown. The nature of these capsules allows them to closely emulate the elasticity and self-healing of natural cell membranes, enabling in situ modulation of the internal content without compromising the capsule structural integrity. These findings support the development of universal incubator units for in vitro studies, advancing bioreactors, sensors, and frameworks crucial for bioengineering microtissues across diverse applications.

In this article, Sprang et al. discloses the biochemical complexity of a material determines the biological response of cells triggered by a cell-material interaction. The degree in which this complexity influences basic cell-material interactions such as cell adhesion, spreading, and mechanotransduction is not entirely clear. To this end, we compared three different hydrogel systems, ranging from completely natural to synthetic, in their ability to induce mechanotransduction in kidney epithelial cells (HK-2). A natural hydrogel system was developed based on a decellularized kidney extracellular matrix (dECM). Supramolecular ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy)-glycinamide molecules, with self-associative behavior, were used for a hybrid and complete synthetic system. A hybrid system was engineered by co-assembling this monovalent UPy molecule with a hyaluronic acid, functionalized with ∼7 UPy-groups (UPy-HA), into a transient network. A similar approach was used for the synthetic hydrogel system, in which the multivalent UPy-HA was replaced with a bivalent UPy-PEG molecule with bioinert properties. Both hybrid and synthetic hydrogel systems were more mechanically tunable compared to the dECM hydrogel. The higher bulk stiffness in combination with the introduction of collagen type I mimicking UPy-additives allowed these materials to induce more nuclear yes-associated protein translocation in HK-2 cells compared to the biochemically complex dECM hydrogel. This demonstrated that minimal biochemical complexity is sufficient for inducing mechanotransduction.

In this article, Rijns et al. discloses synthetic supramolecular polymers and hydrogels in water are emerging as promising biomaterials due to their modularity and intrinsic dynamics. Here, we introduce temperature sensitivity into the nonfunctionalized benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA-EG4) supramolecular system by incorporating a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-functionalized (BTA-PNIPAM) moiety, enabling 3D cell encapsulation applications. The viscous and structural properties in the solution state as well as the mechanical and dynamic features in the gel state of BTA-PNIPAM/BTA-EG4 mixtures were investigated and modulated. In the dilute state (c ∼μM), BTA-PNIPAM acted as a chain capper below the cloud point temperature (Tcp = 24 °C) but served as a cross-linker above Tcp. At higher concentrations (c ∼mM), weak or stiff hydrogels were obtained, depending on the BTA-PNIPAM/BTA-EG4 ratio. The mixture with the highest BTA-PNIPAM ratio was ∼100 times stiffer and ∼10 times less dynamic than BTA-EG4 hydrogel. Facile cell encapsulation in 3D was realized by leveraging the temperature-sensitive sol–gel transition, opening opportunities for utilizing this hydrogel as an extracellular matrix mimic

In this article, Rijns et al. describes hydrogels have emerged as a promising class of extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking materials in regenerative medicine. Here, we briefly describe current state-of-the-art of ECM-mimicking hydrogels, ranging from natural to hybrid to completely synthetic versions, giving the prelude to the importance of supramolecular interactions to make true ECM mimics. The potential of supramolecular interactions to create ECM mimics for cell culture is illustrated through a focus on two different supramolecular hydrogel systems, both developed in our laboratories. We use some recent, significant findings to present important design principles underlying the cell–material interaction. To achieve cell spreading, we propose that slow molecular dynamics (monomer exchange within fibers) is crucial to ensure the robust incorporation of cell adhesion ligands within supramolecular fibers. Slow bulk dynamics (stress–relaxation─fiber rearrangements, τ1/2 ≈ 1000 s) is required to achieve cell spreading in soft gels (<1 kPa), while gel stiffness overrules dynamics in stiffer gels. Importantly, this resonates with the findings of others which specialize in different material types: cell spreading is impaired in case substrate relaxation occurs faster than clutch binding and focal adhesion lifetime. We conclude with discussing considerations and limitations of the supramolecular approach as well as provide a forward thinking perspective to further understand supramolecular hydrogel–cell interactions. Future work may utilize the presented guidelines underlying cell–material interactions to not only arrive at the next generation of ECM-mimicking hydrogels but also advance other fields, such as bioelectronics, opening up new opportunities for innovative applications.

In this article, Rosas et al. describes that Silk sericin (SS) has been widely discarded as a waste by the silk textile industry during the degumming process to obtain fibroin. However, in the past decade, an in-depth understanding of its properties and functions turned it into a high added-value biomaterial for biomedical applications. Herein, we report the molecular design and development of sustainable supramolecular multilayered nanobiomaterials encompassing SS and oppositely charged chitosan (CHT) through a combination of self-assembly and electrostatically driven layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technology. The successful buildup of SS/CHT multilayered nanobiomaterials was demonstrated by the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the nanofilms’ wettable properties and nanofibrillar-like topography were shown by water contact angle, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In vitro assays demonstrated the cytocompatibility of the LbL nanofilms toward human primary dermal fibroblasts, holding great promise as biofunctional nanocoatings for drug/therapeutics/cell delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.

In this article, Simon et al. reportes that, to achieve the desired therapeutic response, drug delivery systems must ensure the controlled release of the loaded content at the targeted site. One possible strategy relies on the improvement of conventional drug delivery systems. To do so, smart polymers, able to change their behavior upon chemical, physical, or biological stimuli, can be used. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the potential of natural amphiphilic smart elastin-like polypeptides grafted with alkyl chains (ELP-g-Bu) to stabilize conventional oil-in-water emulsions and trigger the release of loaded molecules upon dual stimuli. With butyl pendant chains and methionine residues, the macromolecular surfactant ELP-g-Bu demonstrated a modification of physicochemical properties, looking at critical aggregation concentration, upon both temperature and oxidation stimuli. The macromolecular surfactant was then able to stabilize a paraffin-oil-in-water emulsion. The ELP-g-Bu emulsion presented a droplet size of 9 ± 1 μm and stability for at least a month at 4 and 25 °C. After successful loading of a fluorescent lipophilic molecule used as a drug model, a complete destabilization of the ELP-g-Bu emulsion and burst release of the content was achieved with thermal triggering at 42 °C. In oxidative conditions, a partial release was measured, which can be improved by increasing the number of oxidable thioether groups. Overall, these dually responsive amphiphilic ELP-g-Bu demonstrated their potential for smart-polymer-based drug delivery systems that can be promising for inflammatory disease treatment as increased temperature and radical oxygen species are present in such cases.

In this article, Malafaia et al. communicate that, 3D bioprinting has gained increasing popularity, being a technique capable of producing well-defined tissue-like structures. One of its most groundbreaking features is the ability to create personalized therapies tailored to the specific demands of individual patients. However, challenges including the selection of materials and crosslinking strategies, still need to be addressed to enhance ink characteristics and develop robust biomaterials. Herein, the authors showcase the potential of overcoming these challenges, focusing on the use of versatile, fast, and selective thiol-ene click chemistry to formulate inks for 3D bioprinting. The exploration of natural polymers, specifically proteins and polysaccharides, will be discussed and highlighted, outlining the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. Leveraging advanced thiol-ene click chemistry and natural polymers in the development of 3D printable bioinks may face the current challenges and is envisioned to pave the way towards innovative and personalized biomaterials for biomedical applications.

In this article, Rovers et al. discloses how microgels show advantages over bulk hydrogels due to convenient control over microgel size and composition, and the ability to use microgels to modularly construct larger hierarchical scaffold hydrogel materials. Here, supramolecular chemistry is used to formulate supramolecular polymer, dynamic microgels solely held together by non-covalent interactions. Four-fold hydrogen bonding ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) monomers with different functionalities are applied to precisely tune microgel properties in a modular way, via variations in monomer concentration, bifunctional crosslinker ratio, and the incorporation of supramolecular dyes and peptides. Functionalization with a bioactive supramolecular cell-adhesive peptide induced selectivity of cells toward the bioactive microgels over non-active, non-functionalized versions. Importantly, the supramolecular microgels can also be applied as microscale building blocks into supramolecular bulk macrogels with tunable dynamic behavior: a robust and weak macrogel, where the micro- and macrogels are composed of similar molecular building blocks. In a robust macrogel, microgels act as modular micro-building blocks, introducing multi-compartmentalization, while in a weak macrogel, microgels reinforce and enhance mechanical properties. This work demonstrates the potential to modularly engineer higher-length-scale structures using small molecule supramolecular monomers, wherein microgels serve as versatile and modular micro-building units.

In this article, Pires-Santos et al. disclose the encapsulation of single cells has emerged as a promising field in recent years, owing to its potential applications in cell-based therapeutics, bioprinting, in vitro cell culture, high-throughput screening, and diagnostics. Single-cell units offer several advantages, including compatibility with standard imaging techniques, superior diffusion rates, and lower material-to-cell volume ratios. They also serve as effective carriers for targeted drug delivery, allowing precise administration of therapeutics in cell-mediated quantities. Moreover, single-cell units exhibit improved circulation potential throughout the vasculature, with a reduced likelihood of entrapment compared to multicell strategies. However, the production of single-cell units from random dispersion of cells follows the Poisson distribution, requiring the separation of empty and multicell units from single-cell ones. Various methods have been developed to address this challenge; nevertheless, the majority of these strategies are either expensive or time-consuming. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the advantages and limitations of single-cell units and their applications, as well as a comprehensive overview of the most used techniques for single-cell encapsulation and sorting strategies.

In this article, Palivan et al. emphasize that the fundamental building block of living organisms is the cell, which is the universal biological base of all living entities. This micrometric mass of cytoplasm and the membrane border have fascinated scientists due to the highly complex and multicompartmentalized structure. This specific organization enables numerous metabolic reactions to occur simultaneously and in segregated spaces, without disturbing each other, but with a promotion of inter- and intracellular communication of biomolecules. At present, artificial nano- and microcompartments, whether as single components or self-organized in multicompartment architectures, hold significant value in the study of life development and advanced functional materials and in the fabrication of molecular devices for medical applications. These artificial compartments also possess the properties to encapsulate, protect, and control the release of bio(macro)molecules through selective transport processes, and they are capable of embedding or being connected with other types of compartments. The self-assembly mechanism of specific synthetic compartments and thus the fabrication of a simulated organelle membrane are some of the major aspects to gain insight. Considerable efforts have now been devoted to design various nano- and microcompartments and understand their functionality for precise control over properties. Of particular interest is the use of polymeric vesicles for communication in synthetic cells and colloidal systems to reinitiate chemical and biological communication and thus close the gap toward biological functions. Multicompartment systems can now be effectively created with a high level of hierarchical control. In this way, these structures can not only be explored to deepen our understanding of the functional organization of living cells, but also pave the way for many more exciting developments in the biomedical field.

In this article, Schvartzman et al. report that living cells, especially eukaryotic ones, use multicompartmentalization to regulate intra- and extracellular activities, featuring membrane-bound and membraneless organelles. These structures govern numerous biological and chemical processes spatially and temporally. Synthetic cell models, primarily utilizing lipidic and polymeric vesicles, have been developed to carry out cascade reactions within their compartments. However, these reconstructions often segregate membrane-bound and membraneless organelles, neglecting their collaborative role in cellular regulation. To address this, they propose a structural design incorporating microfluidic-produced liposomes housing synthetic membrane-bound organelles made from self-assembled poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(trimethylene carbonate) nanovesicles and synthetic membraneless organelles formed via temperature-sensitive elastin-like polypeptide phase separation. This architecture mirrors natural cellular organization, facilitating a detailed examination of the interactions for a comprehensive understanding of cellular dynamics.

In this article, Monteiro et al. disclose that amyloid-like fibrils are garnering keen interest in biotechnology as supramolecular nanofunctional units to be used as biomimetic platforms to control cell behavior. Recent insights into fibril functionality have highlighted their importance in tissue structure, mechanical properties, and improved cell adhesion, emphasizing the need for scalable and high-kinetics fibril synthesis. In this study, we present the instantaneous and bulk formation of amyloid-like nanofibrils from human platelet lysate (PL) using the ionic liquid cholinium tosylate as a fibrillating agent. The instant fibrillation of PL proteins upon supramolecular protein–ionic liquid interactions was confirmed from the protein conformational transition toward cross-β-sheet-rich structures. These nanofibrils were utilized as building blocks for the formation of thin and flexible free-standing membranes via solvent casting to support cell self-aggregation. These PL-derived fibril membranes reveal a nanotopographically rough surface and high stability over 14 days under cell culture conditions. The culture of mesenchymal stem cells or tumor cells on the top of the membrane demonstrated that cells are able to adhere and self-organize in a three-dimensional (3D) spheroid-like microtissue while tightly folding the fibril membrane. Results suggest that nanofibril membrane incorporation in cell aggregates can improve cell viability and metabolic activity, recreating native tissues’ organization. Altogether, these PL-derived nanofibril membranes are suitable bioactive platforms to generate 3D cell-guided microtissues, which can be explored as bottom-up strategies to faithfully emulate native tissues in a fully human microenvironment.

In this article, Cunha et al. announce that food smart packaging has emerged as a promising technology to address consumer concerns regarding food conservation and food safety. In this context, they report the rational design of azide-containing pyranoflavylium-based pH-sensitive dye for subsequent click chemistry conjugation toward a chitosan-modified alkyne. The chitosan-pyranoflavylium conjugate was characterized by infrared (ATR-FTIR), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, and dynamic light scattering (DLS), as well as its thermodynamic parameters related to their pH-dependent chromatic features. The fabrication of thin-films through electrostatic-driven layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technology was first screened by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) onto gold substrates, and then free-standing (FS) multilayered membranes from polypropylene substrate were obtained using a homemade automatic dipping robot. The membranes’ characterization included morphology analysis and thickness evaluation, assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pH-responsive color change performance tests using buffer solutions at different pH levels, and biogenic amines-enriched model solutions, demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of the chitosan-pyranoflavylium/alginate biomembranes for food spoilage monitoring. This work provides insights toward the development of innovative pH-responsive smart biomaterials for advanced and sustainable technological packaging solutions, which could significantly contribute to ensuring food safety and quality, while reducing food waste.

In this article, Dankers et al. report that combinatorial high throughput screening using polymer microarrays has become an established method for discovering new biomaterials. This study creates a supramolecular ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) polymer microarray to screen antimicrobial materials for cell adhesion. Results show enhanced cell adhesion on spots containing (combinations of) antimicrobial peptides. This approach efficiently screens additive libraries for desired biological responses.

In this article, Dankers et al. highlight that small bioactive peptide sequences derived from extracellular matrix proteins possess the ability to interact with cell receptors. As such, these peptide additives are excellent mimics to develop materials for 3D cell culture. Two types of supramolecular modified collagen type I mimicking peptide additives are presented; UPy-GFOGER (39 amino acids), with a novel superstructure, and the more simplistic UPy-DGEA (7 amino acids). Here, we studied the impact of the conformational differences between both peptide additives, on their biological performance. Various analyzing techniques demonstrated the ability of the supramolecular UPy-GFOGER to self-assemble into short nanofibers with brush-like outer features, suggesting trimerization into a triple helix. UPy-DGEA is a short additive without a complex structure. Since, collagen type I is a major component of the human corneal stroma, primary keratocytes (PKs) are encapsulated within the functionalized hydrogels to provide insights in the induced bioactivity of both additives. Incorporation of UPy-GFOGER supported an elongated morphology and (re-)differentiation of the encapsulated PKs, while tiny round-shaped cells were observed within the hydrogels functionalized with UPy-DGEA. This difference in biological success between UPy-GFOGER and UPy-DGEA indicates the difficulty of using short peptide additives without a complex structure to mimic the complex structure of natural collagen.

In this article, Sacramento et al. an adhesive coacervate formed by tannic acid and methacrylate pullulan through supramolecular interactions, with stable wet adhesion, high cytocompatibility, antibacterial activity, and hemostatic properties, is reported. The use of photopolymerizable groups leads to the development of an on-demand detachment adhesive. The new biomaterial is designed for wound closure and healing, being a promising bioadhesive for biomedical applications.

In this article, Borges et al. emphasize that Layer-by-layer (LbL) films represent a powerful approach for surface functionalization and for the production of free-standing objects. This article reviews recent applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering, coming closer to clinical applications. New methods for LbL deposition and artificial intelligence will foster LbL developments in the near future.

In this article, Pinto et al. highlight that cell surface engineering can be explored for generating multicellular living assemblies with user-defined designs and biological programmability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of currently available toolboxes, as well as presents a critical discussion on the most recent advances and exploitable paths to open potential applications of surface functionalized cells in biotechnology and healthcare.

In this article, Gomes et al. disclose protein-based microparticles with defined surface topography created by forming new intra- and inter-protein disulfide bonds. These bioactive microstructures promote the formation of cell-guided microaggregates and have applications in bottom-up approaches.

In this article, Sousa et al. report that the preparation of free-standing (FS) membranes encompassing N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-3-trimethylammonium chitosan choride (HTCC) and alginate (ALG) multilayers, which trigger a sustained release of FITC-BSA when incorporated as an intrinsic building block of the FS membranes.

In this article, Sousa et al. emphasize dynamic HA-functionalized G-quadruplex based supramolecular hydrogels as sacrificial biomaterials to bioengineer perfusable 3D constructs for enabling the diffusion of oxygen and nutrients essential for cell survival.

In this article, Lopes et al. highlight that the supramolecular presentation of bioinstructive peptides on multilayered nanofilms enable the formation of self-assembled nanofibers with high laminin derived IKVAV epitope density, enhacing neuronal cell adhesion, viability, morphology and neurite outgrowth.

In this article, Ouro et al. describe a straightforward method to develop a neutrally charged, biomimetic, injectable, and cytocompatible dual-crosslinked hydrogel based on a double functionalized chitosan with methacryloyl and tricine motifs (CHTMA-Tricine), fully processed at physiological pH, and with three-dimensional printing potential.