The 33rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials is scheduled to take place in Davos, Switzerland, from September 4 to 8, 2023. This event holds significant importance in the field of biomaterials and aims to facilitate connections and partnerships among researchers, educators, clinicians, and industry professionals with an interest in biomaterials. ESB2023 aims to create a platform for participants to exchange cutting-edge ideas and findings related to the treatment of injured and aging tissues and organs, making it an exciting opportunity for all involved.

In the InterLynk project, we are trying to find solutions for complicated musculoskeletal defects where multiple tissues are involved. Restoring the functionality of these tissues is complex because of their complicated biological architectures involving hard and soft connective tissues. In InterLynk we are taking these complexities into account, developing multi-material scaffolds with unprecedented biofunctionality and cell-recruiting capacities via the use of innovative additive manufacturing technologies.

InterLynk Coordinator, Prof. João Mano from the University of Aveiro will address this topic in his keynote lecture and then delve deeper into it in his symposium titled “Emerging biofabrication strategies for engineering bioactive tissue constructs”. The symposium will take place on Thursday, September 7th 2023 from 4:45 - 6:15 pm and feature a series of presenters in the fields of bioprinting and biotechnology. Prof. Mano in particular will focus on “New bioinks from natural-based polymers and new bioprinting strategies to develop 3D constructs for tissue engineering”, explaining how he and his research team deal with requirements that are often times difficult to reconcile when developing 3D biofabricated constructs using bioinks.

Contemporarily, also on Thursday, September 7th 2023 from 4:45 – 6.15 pm, InterLynk scientist Prof. Lorenzo Moroni will talk about another exciting topic, namely biofabrication in space. Taking biofabriction to the next level, he will explore in particular the opportunities and advantages of bioprinting in space, a promising new research direction in the rapidly emerging field of space biomedical sciences. 

As with every year, the conference of the European Society of Biomaterials holds the promise of being an excellent occasion for researchers to exchange knowledge and push the boundaries of innovative biomaterials. It provides a platform for learning from each other and advancing the field, ultimately leading to better treatment approaches for injured and aging tissues.