Lorenzo Moroni receives the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant

We are thrilled to announce that our Scientific Director, Lorenzo Moroni, has received the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant for his research project MECCANO. This grant, providing €3.5M in funding over 5 years, will allow him to explore a new direction in his research on engineering complex materials to guide and train stem cells.

Lorenzo leads MERLN’s Biofabrication group, which specializes in architected biomaterials that support the body’s natural ability to repair itself, primarily targeting pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) that can differentiate into diverse cells in the body. These materials are like a university, dynamic places where individuals interact, learn, mature, and receive tailored training towards their career “fates.” Until now, Lorenzo’s group has focused primarily on training specific stem cells to develop into smart scaffold implants, such as engineered bone and cartilage.

With MECCANO, Lorenzo aims to establish a new research program that systematically explores how mechanical loading influences stem cells to mature in 3D cultures. Lorenzo’s group will design mechanically active metamaterial scaffolds, which are porous 3D materials that can morph their shape in response to mechanical loading. These dynamic materials can then cue PSCs to form specific 3D tissues. Lorenzo states, ‘MECCANO will deliver a new paradigm for PSC differentiation, based on the optimization of 3D scaffolds' mechanical and structural properties. This solution holds the potential to generate more targeted, complex products for tissue replacement.’

Lorenzo’s award brings the eight ERC to MERLN; he was a previous recipient of the ERC Starting grant. Learn more about Lorenzo’s research on the Biofabrication Group page. To read more about ERC and its funded MERLN research, see our previous press announcements.