Tissue Engineering

Biomaterials and engineering research at the IIBM focuses on understanding the mechanisms governing tissue repair, establishing new reliable in vivo models and implementing innovative strategies to improve tissue regeneration.

We have developed a new concept based on the idea of providing a local and constant oxygen supply through a mechanism independent of the blood vessels: photosynthesis. The institute's research represents the first step toward establishing autotrophic tissue engineering approaches and suggests the use of photosynthetic cells to treat a broad spectrum of hypoxia conditions.

Furthermore, thanks to the involvement of scholars from various fields, new collaborations have emerged focused on ex vivo organ perfusion—that is, on the search for oxygenation substitutes to keep complex tissues—such as organs—and even simpler tissues —such as skin—outside the body’s general circulation.