Project description DEENESFRITPL An innovative scaffold for cell culture Regenerative medicine entails the repair, replacement or restoration of damaged cells or tissues. Key to this strategy is the effective culture of stem or differentiated cells in vitro. To address technical issues associated with in vitro cell cultures, the EU-funded PiezoGel project has developed a novel system that combines a cell-supporting hydrogel with piezoelectric peptides capable of generating electrical energy in response to mechanical deformation. Researchers will optimise the PiezoGel technology for the in vitro growth of organoid cultures as well as for stem cell differentiation. Future applications include tissue regeneration and drug development. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Tissue regeneration has emerged as a promising novel therapy for various disease conditions. A key requirement for the implementation of this advanced approach is the efficient, reliable and reproducible growth of 3D cell cultures, including organoid structures. State-of-the-art 3D culture media support the growth of such cultures, yet exhibit several key setbacks, including low reproducibility and limited modularity. Moreover, no commercial piezoelectric media are currently available, thus prohibiting the option of inducing electrical stimulation of the cells via mechanical stimuli, similar to the in vivo function of several tissues. Here, we aim to develop PiezoGel, a biocompatible, reproducible, controllable and piezoelectric medium for 3D cell cultures. The newly-designed medium will be based on two components, a cell-supporting hydrogel and a piezoelectric self-assembled peptide structure. In the scope of the BISON-694426 Advanced ERC project, we identified promising molecular building blocks for each of these components. The Proof of Concept project will focus both on technological development of the PiezoGel matrix and on business feasibility. Thus, the formulation of the newly-designed cell medium will be optimized, and the resulting matrix will be examined for various properties, including mechanical rigidity and piezoelectricity. The growth of diverse organoid cultures, as well as stem cell differentiation, will be further tested and calibrated. Relevant stakeholders will be approached allowing to map the product requirements and expected features directly from the users. In parallel, the regulatory compliance of the PiezoGel medium will be verified, and the relevant material and methodologies will be patented. We envision diverse applications for the PiezoGel technology, including establishing 3D cell cultures as drug development platforms, basic research exploration, and further advancement of the tissue regeneration field. Fields of science medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug discoverynatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesmedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cellsengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpiezoelectrics Keywords Tissue regeneration 3D cell culture Piezoelectric cell medium Organoids Peptide self-assembly Hydrogel Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2020-POC - Call for proposals for ERC Proof of Concept Grant Call for proposal ERC-2020-PoC See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-POC - Proof of Concept Grant Host institution TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY Net EU contribution € 150 000,00 Address RAMAT AVIV 69978 Tel Aviv Israel See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY Israel Net EU contribution € 150 000,00 Address RAMAT AVIV 69978 Tel Aviv See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost No data