We are proud to announce that Lorenzo Moroni received a Vici grant of €1.5 million from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to conduct research over the next five years on robotic bioprinting.

In this "3D-MENTOR" study, he aims to develop new medical implants in which cells can be introduced and mechanically guided to achieve optimal regeneration of affected tissue. By creating new technologies based on robotic bioprinting and stimuli-responsive biomaterials we can improve the regeneration of joints. Robotic bioprinting offers new possibilities to redesign porous medical implants known as scaffolds so they are better able to mimic the structural properties of our joints. By combining this technology with stimuli-responsive biomaterials, we can create smart implants housing cells which train themselves at programmed times, as if they were at a gym, to repair the damage optimally.

MERLN also extends their congratulations to Prof. Chantal Nederkoorn of the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience who is the second UM recipient of the Vici grant.