Research on biomaterials and engineering at the IIBM focuses on the understanding of the mechanisms that govern tissue repair, the establishment of new reliable in vivo models and the implementation of 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 an independent mechanism to the blood vessels: Photosynthesis. The institute's research represents the first step towards the establishment of engineering approaches in autotrophic tissues and suggests the use of photosynthetic cells to treat a broad spectrum of hypoxia conditions.
In addition, thanks to the incorporation of academics from different areas, new collaborations have emerged focused on ex vivo organ perfusion, that is, in the search for oxygenation substitutes to keep complex tissues alive - such as organs - even simpler tissues - like the skin - outside the general circulation of the organism.
