Macromolecular Engineering LaboratoryOpen OpportunitiesEvery day, our skin undergoes deformations that lead to changes in chemical and pressure potentials, resulting in substantial variations in osmotic pressure, and local substrate stiffness. In vivo is not possible to decouple the effect of osmotic pressure and change of stiffness from the deformation of skin, so our idea is to create a model able to control all of them in an independent way. The connections between these two mechanical signals remain unclear. Human dermal fibroblast (HDF) mechanobiology is crucial for understanding tissue homeostasis and repair, as fibroblasts maintain the extracellular matrix (ECM) and tissue integrity. This study explores how osmotic pressure and substrate stiffness affect fibroblast behavior. Using varying stiffness and sorbitol-induced osmotic stress, we observed that substrate stiffness may modulate fibroblast responses to osmotic pressure, with significant metabolic changes at intermediate stiffness levels. Our goal is to create a precise model to tune mechanical signals, reproduce the skin environment, and understand if the combination of stimuli can amplify or attenuate biological responses compared to individual signals alone. - Biomedical Engineering
- Master Thesis
| Rigid robots have been used and developed over the last 60 years, mainly driven by their ability to automate repetitive tasks. In comparison to rigid robots, soft robots have the potential to be safer for humans, may deform, and may solve more difficult tasks. Due to those potential benefits, many groups are working on soft robots that can fulfill tasks which conventional rigid robots could not. Soft robots, however, also come with their challenges: Due to their compliance and ability to deform they have an infinite number of degrees of freedom (DoF), making their kinematics very difficult to model and sense. Currently, two different approaches are being investigated regarding sensing of soft robots. The first one is motion capture, where an external camera monitors the robot and extracts the state of the robot using computer vision. The second approach is to have onboard sensors, which measure the state of the robot directly. Such an onboard approach is currently being investigated by the Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory. To validate the sensing approach, a testbench utilizing a raspberry pi and computer vision algorithms was built. This thesis should improve on the current setup. - Robotics and Mechatronics
- Bachelor Thesis
| Polymer-Nanoparticle hydrogels are an interesting class of biomaterials formed by interactions between polymers and nanoparticles. To extend the range of mechanical properties of this class of hydrogels, we aim at introducing secondary interaction based on nanoparticle aggregation. For this aim, this project focuses on the characterization of metal-ligand binding to induce aggregation of nanoparticles. - Macromolecular Chemistry, Medical and Health Sciences, Nanotechnology, Organic Chemical Synthesis, Supramolecular Chemistry
- Bachelor Thesis, Master Thesis, Semester Project
| We aimed to design a biomaterial suitable for 3D, in situ stiffening to mimic changes to the dermis during fibrosis and wound healing. By adapting Methacrylated Hyaluoronic Acid (MeHA), a material previously used for 2D in situ studies, to create a 3D macroporous gel comprised of fibrous microgels, we hypothesize we will be able to dynamically increase matrix stiffness without increasing cell confinement, allowing us to identify new mechanotransduction pathways involved in fibrosis and wound healing, specifically myofibroblast activation and macrophage polarization. - Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Macromolecular Chemistry, Materials Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Master Thesis, Semester Project
| The accumulation of metals in tissues can either contribute to or arise from metabolic disorders, resulting in supraphysiological concentrations of deleterious species within organs and tissues. Chronic metal overload can lead to organ failure and arthritis, while in the short term is proinflammatory and complicates wound healing. - Biomaterials, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry
- Bachelor Thesis, Course Project, Internship, Master Thesis, Semester Project
| Hydrogels composed of ultra-high molecular weight polymers exhibit remarkable mechanical properties, including exceptional stretchability exceeding 2000%. This performance stems from the extensive polymer entanglements inherent to their high molecular weight. These entanglements create a dense, interconnected network that distributes stress efficiently, enabling the hydrogel to withstand significant deformation without breaking. The resulting materials combine the advantageous properties of hydrogels, such as high water content and biocompatibility, with superior mechanical robustness, making them ideal for applications in flexible electronics, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. Their ability to endure extreme stretching and recover their original shape highlights their potential in innovative, high-performance material design. - Chemistry, Engineering and Technology
- Bachelor Thesis, Course Project, Internship, Master Thesis, Semester Project
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