Project Leader: Dr. Maciej Gawroński
The implementation of innovative biomaterials in the biomedical sector faces numerous barriers, including the lack of proper coordination between teams specializing in different stages of their development—from synthesis, through modification, to biological evaluation and clinical implementation. Although such teams already operate at our University, there is a lack of effective integration of activities and a common language between them. This results in longer development times for technologies and materials, increased costs, and a low implementation rate.
The proposed research team aims to overcome these limitations by creating an interdisciplinary structure combining expertise in materials chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, pharmacology, microbiology, and analytics. This team will be responsible for the comprehensive development of novel biomaterials and their validation—not only in terms of physicochemical properties but also regarding their biocompatibility.
The team’s focus will include, among others, bio-inks dedicated to 3D bioprinting, nanoencapsulation systems, drug delivery carriers, as well as materials and matrices used in tissue engineering. A unique aspect of the team’s activities will be the expansion of standard biomaterial evaluation procedures to include analysis of their impact on cellular metabolism, gene expression, and epigenetic changes—both in situ and systemically, under in vitro and in vivo conditions. This approach will not only allow for a deeper understanding of potential therapeutic and side effects but will also enable the early elimination of materials that do not meet implementation criteria, without the need for further costly studies.
By integrating production and analytical competencies within a single team, it will be possible to shorten the implementation pathway and increase the effectiveness of translating research results into clinical practice. The team will benefit from state-of-the-art infrastructure, including two-dimensional chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (2D-UPLC-MS/MS), metabolomic profiling technologies, and advanced biomolecular analysis methods (NGS, RT-qPCR, HRM). The implementation of DESI-MS technology for biomaterial surface studies is also planned, enabling ultra-specific analysis of their chemical composition.
The team leader, Dr. Maciej Gawroński, is a medical biotechnologist with experience in conducting research projects and managing teams within NCN and Medical Research Agency grants. The team also has access to infrastructure with the formal status of a Genetic Engineering Laboratory, as well as extensive experience and competence in working with diverse biological and clinical material and translational models.
Extensive collaboration is planned with other units of Nicolaus Copernicus University, including the Faculty of Chemistry (e.g., the Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials), the Department of Oncology, the Department of Immunology, the Department of Microbiology, the Department of Urology and Andrology, as well as the Department of Pharmacodynamics and Molecular Pharmacology. The team-building stage will also allow for addressing potential competency gaps, such as in rheology, advanced quantitative imaging, or modeling of active substance release kinetics.