GCI Seminar Series April 2024 - Powering tissue engineering through programmed oxygen delivery: from lab bench towards commercial translation
Presenters: Dr Lilith Caballero Aguilar and Elizabeth Zoneff
Date and Time: Wednesday 24 April, 12 - 1pm
Venue:
- BME Boardroom, Room G32, 203 Bouverie St, Building 261
- or via Zoom Link - Meeting ID: 843 7285 0732, Password: 318774
ABSTRACT:
Oxygen is vital for cells. Within the body, oxygen is transported and stored by specialised proteins, enabling endogenous cells to easily uptake this oxygen for respiration and metabolic processes. However, this delicate balance is disturbed in diseased and injured tissues, and restoring oxygen homeostasis remains a significant challenge limiting the success of regenerative treatment strategies. Therefore, approaching engineered regenerative solutions calls for novel oxygen delivery systems. This talks first presents an insight into the development of protein-based oxygenating vehicles for stem cell transplantation and tissue engineering technologies. The second part of the seminar delves into the journey of translating our research into commercial solutions. We briefly provide our lessons learnt as we navigate bioengineering challenges, customer discovery processes and potential investment opportunities.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
Lilith Caballero Aguilar is a biomedical engineer with expertise in biomaterials, polymers, pharmacology, and medical devices. She holds a BSc in Physics Engineering from Yucatan University in Mexico, a MSc in Biomedical Engineering from KU Leuven in Belgium, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Swinburne University, Australia. Lilith’s field of research lies at the intersection between drug delivery and biomaterials. Over her career, Dr. Aguilar has developed multiple biodegradable materials able to release several bioactive molecules such as growth factors and chemotherapeutics. Lilith is currently working as a Research Fellow at Melbourne University, where she focuses on engineering protein-based biomaterials for cartilage repair in a collaborative project between the Department of Surgery (Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences) and the Graeme Clark Institute, Biomedical Engineering department (Faculty of Engineering).
Elizabeth Zoneff received her BEng (Honours)/ BSci from the Australian National University (ANU). She then worked for several years as an electrical engineer consulting on major construction projects across the Canberra region. Elizabeth began her PhD with the goal of creating biomaterials that can support stem cells used for the treatment of brain injury and neurodegenerative disease. Her research focuses on the development of oxygen-releasing self-assembling peptide hydrogels that can maintain oxygen homeostasis within the implanted cell-grafts. She is a member of the Nisbet Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, the Graeme Clarke Institute and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Melbourne (UoM). Elizabeth is supported by an Ingenium Scholarship from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, UoM.