Horizon Europe ESCULAPE project #101131147: Electro-conductive polymeric 3D scaffolds as novel strategies for biomedical applications

ESCULAPE

Project ID: 101131147 MSCA-RISE-2022-SE-01 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) 

ESCULAPE project Horizon EUROPE MSCA RISE MXene compositesThe project ESCULAPE project is targeted to building a strong interdisciplinary partnership in order to support joint research and innovative activities in the fields of biomaterials, polymer science, nanotechnology, tissue engineering, microbiology and medicine with the aim to explore development and implementation of new medical engineering solutions for regenerative medicine and wearable electronics. The project will offer novel solutions using MXenes to modify properties and qualities of porous 3D electrospun nanoscaffolds, which will be used in tissue engineering for regenerative biomedicine and development of wearable electronics on both woven and non-woven fabrics. The main goal of the ESCULAPE project is to build a new training partnership to develop innovative strategies to achieve advanced biomaterials with target-oriented properties (electrical conductivity, biocompatibility etc.) that will be able to deliver specific features for regeneration of heart and nerve tissues, regulation of homeostasis in iPSCs, as well as in development of wearable electronics.

 Electro-conductive polymeric 3D scaffolds as novel strategies for biomedical applications

ESCULAPE Grant agreement ID: 101131147
DOI 10.3030/101131147 
EC signature date 26 July 2023
Funded under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Coordinated by University of Latvia

 Start date 1 November 2023           End date 31 October 2027

Funding Scheme HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-SE - HORIZON TMA MSCA Staff Exchanges

ESCULAPE project is targeted to building a strong interdisciplinary partnership in order to support joint research and innovative activities in the fields of biomaterials, polymer science, nanotechnology, tissue engineering, microbiology and medicine with the aim to explore development and implementation of new medical engineering solutions for regenerative medicine and wearable electronics. The project will offer novel solutions (from the manufacturing stage to exploitation strategies) using MXenes, a new class of two dimensional (2D) materials consisting of transition metal carbides/carbonitrides. MXenes will be employed to modify properties and qualities of porous 3D electrospun nanoscaffolds, which will be used in tissue engineering for regenerative biomedicine and development of wearable electronics on both woven and non-woven fabrics. The main goal of the ESCULAPE project is to build a new training partnership to develop innovative strategies to achieve advanced biomaterials with target-oriented properties (electrical conductivity, biocompatibility etc.) that will be able to deliver specific features for regeneration of heart and nerve tissues, regulation of homeostasis in iPSCs, as well as in development of wearable electronics.

Coordinator
LATVIJAS UNIVERSITATE
RAINA BOULEVARD 19
1586 RIGA
Latvia

Participants:

SUMY STATE UNIVERSITY
Ukraine

ITA-SUOMEN YLIOPISTO
Finland

UNIWERSYTET IM. ADAMA MICKIEWICZA WPOZNANIU
Poland

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE
France

MATERIALS RESEARCH CENTER LLC
Ukraine

BIOFABICS LDA
Portugal

RESPILON MEMBRANES S.R.O.
Czechia


Partners:

UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE CAMPINAS
Brazil

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
Canada

WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
United States

Visit to our project partners from Worcester Polytechnic Institute that joined to ESCULAPE research project consortium

 

 

 

News from MRC.ORG.UA

Pulsed Electrochemical Exfoliation for an HF-Free Sustainable MXene Synthesis

Electrochemical etching of Ti 3 AlC 2 pellet electrodes in aqueous electrolytes: Set-up and workflow with schematic mechanisms to generatedelaminated EC-MXene flakesCongratulations and thank you to our collaborators from TU Wien and CEST for very interesting work and making it published! In this work, an upscalable electrochemical MXene synthesis is presented. Yields of up to 60% electrochemical MXene (EC-MXene) with no byproducts from a single exfoliation cycle are achieved.

 
Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene–silk fibroin composite films: engineering DC conductivity and properties in the THz range

MXene-silk composite film studyThank you to our collaborators for the amazing joint work recently published in Graphene and 2D Nanomaterials about  MXene–silk fibroin composite films aiming to develop materials with tunable electronic and thermal properties

 
Elucidation of Potential Genotoxicity of MXenes Using a DNA Comet Assay

Potential Genotoxicity of MXenes Using a DNA Comet Assay. ACS Appl. Bio Mater. 2024, 7, 12, 8351-8366Congratulations to all collaborators with this interesting joint work!

 MXenes are among the most diverse and prominent 2D materials. They are being explored in almost every field of science and technology, including biomedicine. Despite their proven biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity, their genotoxicity has not been addressed, so we investigated whether MXenes interfere with DNA integrity in cultured cells and examined the fragmentation of their chromosomal DNA by a DNA comet assay. 

 
2024 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit, Boston, Massachusetts, from December 1-6, 2024

2024 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit, Poster Session, from left to right: Prof. Yury Gogotsi, Prof. Maksym Pogorielov, Prof. Goknur Buke, Dr. Babak Anasori and Dr. Oleksiy GogotsiDr. Oleksiy Gogotsi, director of MRC and Carbon-Ukraine, innovative companies that are among the leaders on the world MXene market, visited 2024 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit. together with Dr. Maksym Pogorielov, Head of Advanced Biomaterials and Biophysics Laboratory, University of Latvia.

 
Our team participated in the 3rd International Conference at Drexel University "MXene: Changing the World", August 5-7, 2024

3rd international MXene Confernce at Drexel University, August 5-7, 2024, Philadelphia, USAMRC and Carbon-Ukraine team visited the 3rd International MXene conference held at Drexel University on August 5-8, 2024. Conference brought together the best reserchers and leading experts on MXene field. 

 
Visit to our project partners from Worcester Polytechnic Institute that joined to ESCULAPE research project consortium

Visiting Functional Biomaterials Lab at Worcester Polytechnic Institute led by Dr. Jeannine Coburne

Looking forward to work together with Dr. Lyubov Titova and Dr. Jeannine Coubourne from Worcester Polytechnic Institute on structural and biomedical applications of MXenes and study of their properties within HORIZON EUROPE MSCA RISE ESCULAPE project!

 
MXenes for biomedical applications: MXene-Polydopamine-antiCEACAM1 Antibody Complex as a Strategy for Targeted Ablation of Melanoma

MXene-Polydopamine-antiCEACAM1 Antibody Complex fro cancer therapyTogether with colleagues from the University of Latvia, MRC/Carbone Ukraine, Adam Mickiewicz University, University Clinic Essen, and others, we have developed a novel concept involving the binding of antibodies to MXenes. In our research, we utilized anti-CEACAM1 antibodies to develop targeted photo-thermal therapy for melanoma (in vitro), paving the way for future in vivo studies and clinical trials. For the first time, we demonstrate the feasibility of delivering MXenes specifically targeted to melanoma cells, enabling the effective ablation of cancer cells under near-infrared (NIR) light. This new technique opens up vast potential for the application of MXenes in cancer treatment, diagnostics, drug delivery, and many other medical purposes.

 
Looking forward our collaboration with Dr. Vladimir Tsukruk's team from Georgia Tech University in trilateral research project IMPRESS-U on MXene-Based Composite Bio-membranes with Tailored Properties

SSU, MRC and Carbon-Ukraine team visited research group led by Prof. Vladimir Tsukruk from Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, USA

Looking forward our collaboration with Dr. Vladimir Tsukruk's team from Georgia Tech University in trilateral research project IMPRESS-U, involving teams from Ukraine, Latvia, and the United States funded by National Science Foundation (NSF). project is focused on MXene-Based Composite Bio-membranes with Tailored Properties. Can't wait our Kick-off meeting that will be held at Latvias University in Riga with all project participants.

 

 
Our new collaborative research paper with Drexel team on Porous Ti3AlC2 MAX phase enables efficient synthesis of Ti3C2Tx MXene

porous MAX phase technologyIn this study, we have optimized the synthesis of MAX phases for MXene manufacturing. The main purpose of this study is to develop a porous Ti3AlC2MAX phase that can be easily ground into individual grains manually without time-consuming eliminating the need for drilling and intenseball-milling before MXene synthesis. Moreover, we also demonstrate the synthesis of highly porous Ti3AlC2 (about 70%) from an inexpensive raw materials.

 
Novel electrically conductive electrospun PCL‑MXene scaffolds for cardiac tissue regeneration

Scanning electron microscopy image of PCLMXene membranes crosssection (left side) with the representation of EDX line (dotted line) and example of cross-sectional EDX elements line scan (right side)Here we demonstrate a new developed method for depositing Ti3C2Tx MXenes onto hydrophobic electrospun PCL membranes using oxygen plasma treatment. These novel patches hold tremendous potential for providing mechanical support to damaged heart tissue and enabling electrical signal transmission,thereby mimicking the crucial electroconductivity required for normal cardiac function. After a detailed investigation of scaffold-to-cell interplay, including electrical stimulation, novel technology has the potential for clinical application not only for cardiac regeneration, but also as neural and muscular tissue substitutes.

 
Read recently published paper about our collaborative work: MXene Functionalized Kevlar Yarn via Automated, Continuous Dip Coating

MXene Functionalized Kevlar Yarn via Automated,Continuous Dip CoatingThe rise of the Internet of Things has spurred extensive research on integrating conductive materials into textiles to turn them into sensors, antennas, energy storage devices, and heaters. MXenes, owing to their high electrical conductivity and solution processability, offer an efficient way to add conductivity and electronic functions to textiles. Here, a versatile automated yarn dip coater tailored for producing continuously high-quality MXene-coated yarns and conducted the most comprehensive MXene-yarn dip coating study to date is developed. 

 
MX-MAP project secondment visit of Dr. Oleksiy Gogotsi and Veronika Zahorodna from MRC to University of Padova, Italy, October 2023

altMX-MAP project participants from MRC Dr. Oleksiy Gogotsi and Veronika Zahorodna performed split secondment visit to project partner organization University of Padova (Italy). MX-MAP project works on development of the key strategies for MXene medical applications. 

 
CanbioSe Project Meeting and Project Workshop, September 26-27, 2023, Montpellier, France

altCanbioSe Project Meeting and Project Workshop was held  at European Institute of Membranes (IEM), University of Montpellier, France on September 26-27, 2023. The workshop was focused on the theme of "Commercializing Biosensors, Intellectual Property, and Knowledge Transfer from Academia to Industry.

 
IEEE NAP 2023: 2023 IEEE 13th International Conference “Nanomaterials: Applications & Properties” Sep 10, 2023 - Sep 15, 2023, Bratislava, Slovakia

altDr. Oleksiy Gogotsi and Veronika Zahorodna visited IEEE NAP 2023 conference held in Bratislava on September 10-15, 2023. The prime focus of the IEEE NAP-2023 was on nanoscale materials with emphasis on interdisciplinary research exploring and exploiting their unique physical and chemical proprieties for practical applications.

 
Visit to CEST labs in Wiener Neustadt (Low Energy Ion Scattering, Batteries development) and TU Vienna (ELSA, SFA)

altDirector of MRC and Carbon-Ukraine Dr. Oleksiy Gogotsi visited CEST labs in Wiener Neustadt (Low Energy Ion Scattering, Batteries development) and TU Vienna (ELSA, SFA). He meet with Dr. Pierluigi Bilotto, Dr. Chriatian Pichler and their colleagues, discussing novel materials and r&d activities for new technologies.