The University of Aveiro hosted the SupraLife Final International Conference from September 29 to October 3, 2025, marking the culmination of the European Union–funded Horizon Europe project SUPRALIFE (Grant Agreement No. 101079482). The week-long event brought together world-renowned researchers in supramolecular chemistry, materials science, and regenerative medicine to discuss advances shaping the future of bioinspired materials and life-like systems.

A Celebration of Scientific Collaboration

The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Artur Silva, Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation, and 3rd Cycle Studies at the University of Aveiro, and the SupraLife project coordinators, Professors João Borges and João F. Mano. Over five days, participants engaged in plenary lectures, oral presentations, and poster sessions showcasing cutting-edge developments in supramolecular materials and their biomedical applications.

Keynote Highlights

The event featured 15 plenary lectures by internationally recognized scientists, including:

• Samuel Stupp (Northwestern University, USA) – Bioactive supramolecular materials for regenerative medicine
• E.W. “Bert” Meijer (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands) – From supramolecular polymers to functional materials and systems
• Luisa De Cola (University of Milano, Italy) – Supramolecular and hybrid responsive nanomaterials for living organisms
• Marcy Zenobi-Wong (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) – Architecting scaffolds with light

Other talks explored dynamic hydrogels, peptide-based biomaterials, and machine learning approaches to supramolecular design, highlighting the interdisciplinary and forward-looking nature of the field.

Science Meets Society

Dedicated sessions, such as the Young Scientists’ Networking Forum, fostered collaboration and mentoring among emerging researchers. Poster and oral presentations by early-career scientists showcased innovative projects ranging from enzyme-regulated peptide hydrogels to artificial cell engineering.

Beyond scientific exchange, the conference encouraged community and creativity through a Gala Dinner and social events celebrating the success of SUPRALIFE’s interdisciplinary consortium, which spans academia, research institutes, and industry.

Looking Ahead

In his closing remarks, Professor João Borges emphasized the significance of the project:

“This is a project now in its final year. Over the past three years, we focused on a variety of events, always with a strong networking component. The final conference represents the culmination of the project, bringing together some of the best professionals in the field of supramolecular biomaterials. Our goal is to show that this area will play an increasingly important role at the University of Aveiro and to position Aveiro as a reference hub, both at the European and global level. We also aim to create convergence and strengthen collaborative networks around this project.”

Professor João Mano added:

“This is a very special type of project — not a conventional scientific one. It places a strong emphasis on networking, aiming to build new competences within the University of Aveiro. For CICECO and the Department of Chemistry, this initiative focuses on supramolecular chemistry with a truly transdisciplinary dimension. The conference marks the culmination of four years of work, bringing together outstanding international speakers to showcase the real-world applications of these materials. From the very beginning, we envisioned this evolution — moving gradually from fundamental research to applied science — and this week we have seen those applications come to life across diverse and emerging engineering fields.”

The event concluded with Best Oral Presentation and Poster Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions and paving the way for future innovation in supramolecular, life-inspired materials.

See more photos of the Conference at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/supralife-eu/ 

Or follow the initiative on the site: www.supralife.eu