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 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!

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 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.

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.