The Twinning EU-funded “SupraLife” project held its Second Scientific Retreat in Porto from 15th to 18th November 2024, bringing together researchers and students from its consortium to advance the development of bioinspired supramolecular biomaterials. This retreat followed the first retreat held in the Douro region in 2023, continuing to strengthen the project’s commitment to fostering scientific collaboration and driving innovative research.

The event was hosted by the COMPASS Research Group at the University of Aveiro (UA), which coordinates the SupraLife project in partnership with the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e, Netherlands), the University of Bordeaux (UBx, France) and its affiliated entities Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP) and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). The participants engaged in scientific talks, interactive poster sessions, and dynamic and fruitful discussions on emergent topics, including molecular nanorobotics, self-assembled polymeric nanostructures, multicompartmentalized stimuli-responsive polymeric systems, and supramolecular biomaterials for nanomedicine, controlled drug/therapeutics delivery, cancer treatment, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

The retreat provided an inspiring and informal setting to encourage interdisciplinary exchanges and collaborative thinking to fulfill SupraLife’s goals. The participants shared the research progress on the abovementioned topics, including the research attempted at the partner’s institutions in the framework of the short-term training activities and envisioned applications in biomedicine and healthcare.

The city of Porto, with its rich culture, offered the perfect environment for meaningful interactions and strengthening bonds among the consortium partners.

Looking ahead, the SupraLife consortium is preparing its Third School, themed “Supramolecular Multifunctional Biomaterials”, which will be held in beautiful Aveiro, Portugal, from 9-14^th March 2025. This event will feature a two-parts program:

• A scientific program (9-11^th March) with plenary lectures by world-renowned experts and oral/poster presentations on cutting-edge topics including dynamic, adaptive, self-healing and injectable polymeric hydrogels, (multi)stimuli-responsive soft biomaterials, 3D and 4D (bio)printed multifunctional (bio)materials, multiscale/hierarchical biomaterials, bioinstructive surfaces and structures, biomimetic and bioinspired supramolecular structures and molecular systems, and their use in nanomedicine, drug/therapeutics delivery, biosensing, tissue engineering or regenerative medicine.
• A soft transferable skills’ training program (12-14^th March), organized in collaboration with two other EU-funded twinning projects (EPIBOST, GA no. 101078991; FONDA, GA no. 101079482) and one ERA Chair project BESIDE (GA no. 951389), which aims to advance the professional development and widen the career perspectives of students and researchers, irrespectively of their background and area of specialization. The topics to be covered in the soft skills program include job hunting in science, CV clinics/coaching, roads to leadership, roads to success, networking and career development, the power of volunteering, social media for science, regeneration into action for the greater good, innovation and money making, and AI tools in practice.

The school will also include a popular “Meet the Mentor” session, during the scientific program, where early-career researchers can interact, network, engage in meaningful discussions, and receive career advice from leading experts in the field in an informal environment.

Don’t miss this opportunity to share your research via an oral or poster presentation, and to expand your knowledge and career horizons. Awards will be given to the best oral communication, kindly sponsored by Metatissue, and to the three best poster, sponsored by Biomaterials Science, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, and Materials Advances from the Royal Society of Chemistry!

Abstract submission deadline for oral and poster communication: 15^th December 2024. Submite here .  

The early-bird registration deadline is 31^st January 2025. Submite here. 

For more information and updates regarding the SupraLife Third School, please visit the official event website.

Join it in Aveiro next March for an inspiring week of science and professional growth!