Julián Fuentes represented TheraTools project at the European Researchers’ Night 2024 in Aveiro. Julián’s booth focused on advancements in hydrogels, 3D bioprinting, and superhydrophobic surfaces.

Jackeline Soto Cruz represented TheraTools project at the European Researchers’ Night 2024 in Bilbao. Her booth titled “Glioblastoma: Una Nueva Esperanza,” used a fun “Star Wars” theme to engage visitors in the fight against glioblastoma, exploring its challenges and potential treatment strategies.

Maria Alexaki gave an oral presentation at CESB2024 – the 8th China-Europe Symposium on Biomaterials in Regenerative Medicine, held in Nuremberg from 15-18 September.
Maria presented her research on the fabrication of perfusable and flexible tubes in all-aqueous conditions, contributing valuable insights to the field of biomaterials.

Our Doctoral Candidate Beatriz Passos recently attended the 21st edition of the European School on Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies (ESONN) in Grenoble, France. Over two intensive weeks, Beatriz joined a diverse group of over 40 young scientists from around the world, diving deep into the latest in Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies. The program, organized by Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble INP – UGA, CNRS, and CEA, offered a mix of lectures, hands-on training, and invaluable networking.
Beatriz embraced every moment—from learning about nano-structures and nano-components to sharing her own research and connecting with like-minded peers. She also made great connections with fellow researchers from around the world.

On June 3rd, we held the mid-term meeting of TheraTools MSCA program in Aveiro. Our doctoral candidates showcased their individual research progress and future plans.We were honored to have an officer from the European Research Executive Agency (REA) who attended all the presentations, provided valuable feedback after engaging with DCs and project coordinators.

Kamil Ziaja has published his first research paper within TheraTools project: “Sensorization of microfluidic brain-on-a-chip devices: Towards a new generation of integrated drug screening systems”.
This review explores Brain-on-a-chip (BoC) devices, mimicking key aspects of the human brain. BoC is valuable for testing drug delivery to the brain. The focus is on advancements in BoC and blood-brain barrier-on-a-chip models, especially sensor technology. Biosensors enable real-time monitoring of processes like growth factor release and immune cell activation. The review highlights improvements in sensor technology, discussing their benefits, limitations, and future challenges in the field.

Our team member, DC2 Julián Fuentes, was part of the organizing committee for the SupraLife EU Second School, coordinated by the COMPASS Research Group at CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, Universidade de Aveiro. Congratulations to Julian for his invaluable contributions to this remarkable conference!

Jackeline Soto participated in the event Inspira Bizitzak, giving a talk to high school students about the importance of studying science and chemistry. She shared insights from TheraTools project, focusing on synthesizing nanocarriers for targeted antibody delivery in glioblastoma. 
Jackeline showcased polymeric carriers’ responsiveness to temperature, pH etc., highlighting their advantages in cargo release. She demonstrated a gel’s transition from swelling to shrinking when heated. She also explained synthesizing gold and iron nanoparticles, emphasizing their potential for triggering cargo release in tumors.”