Menu
Hear about exciting science and technologies across experimental and computational disciplines in the Biointerfaces community, from Swiss and international research teams in academia, hospitals and industry.
The three-day program will be preceeded by a pre-conference seminar.
Chaired by Sina Saxer, FHNW
The pre-conference seminar is designed for early-career researchers and participants seeking to acquire state-of-the-art background knowledge relevant to the BIC 2024 conference. It will provide introductory presentations on the two key topics: immune disease interfaces and mRNA. Additionally, it will provide industry insights into these topics and showcase digital innovations in Biointerfaces.
The workshop format will enable personalized and informal engagement with lecturers. Students and early-career scientists as well as participants from industry and government are very-welcome to attend.
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 8.30 | Registration |
| 9.00 | Welcome: Dr. Sina Saxer, NanoLab, FHNW School of Life Sciences |
| 9.10 | Introduction to Biomaterials – Prof. Dr. David Grainger, University of Utah (US) Immuno-modulation with biomaterials – what are we modulating? |
| 9.50 | Coffee break |
| Session 1: Foundations in immune disease interfaces | |
| 10.20 | Immune disease interfaces – Introduction. Prof. Dr. Li Tang, EPFL (CH) Multidimensional immunoengineering approaches to enhanced cancer immunotherapy |
| 11.00 | Immune disease interfaces – Industry insights. Dr. Joerg Betschinger, Novartis AG (CH) Secukinumab for treating psoriatic disease |
| 11.50 | Lunch and more – Ask anything |
| 13.10 | Immune disease interfaces – Industry insights. Dr. Christina Bauer, Bühlmann Laboratories (CH) Development of an autoimmune test |
| Session 2: Foundations in mRNA therapeutics | |
| 13.50 | mRNA Therapeutics – Introduction. Prof. Dr. Chantal Pichon, INSERM University of Orleans (FR) |
| 14.30 | Coffee break |
| 15.00 | mRNA Therapeutics – Industry insights. Dr. Tilo Netzer, Lonza (CH) The chemical and pharmaceutical development journey of a new mRNA-LNP drug |
| 15.40 | mRNA Therapeutics – Industry insights. Dr. Jayesh Kulkarni, NanoVation (CA) Lipid nanoparticle delivery of nucleic acids, mRNA and DNA: mechanisms, limitations and guiding principles of design |
| 16.20 | Wrap up and transfer |
| 17.00 | Exhibition visit at Novartis Pavilion |
| 19.00 | Dinner at Volta Bräu, sponsored by Roche and Bühlmann Laboratories |
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 8.00 | Registration |
| 9.00 | Welcome to Biointerfaces 2024! Prof. Dr. Oya Tagit and Prof. Dr. Simone Schuerle, FHNW and ETH Zürich |
| 9.05 | Welcome FHNW Campus Muttenz: Prof. Dr. Falko Schlottig, Director, FHNW School of Life Sciences |
| 9.10 | Swiss welcome and group photo 📷 |
| 9.15 | Opening Keynote: Prof. Dr. David Grainger, University of Utah (USA) Allogenic mesenchymal cell sheet properties in regenerative medicine strategies |
| Session 1: mRNA Chaired by Oya Tagit (CH) |
|
| 9.55 | Keynote 1: Prof. Dr. Chantal Pichon, INSERM University of Orleans (FR) Messenger RNA vaccines and therapeutics |
| 10.35 | Coffee break |
| 11.05 | Invited talk 1: Dr. Tilo Netzer, Lonza (CH) Optimizing GMP manufacturing of mRNA Lipid Nanoparticles |
| 11.35 | Contributed talk: Dr. Jayesh Kulkarni, NanoVation (CA) Enabling extrahepatic delivery of mRNA therapeutics using NTx long-circulating LNP |
| 11.55 | Contributed talk: Dr. Bogdan Mateescu, University of Zürich (CH) Decoding cell-free RNA: Potential for RNA diagnostics and therapeutics |
| 12.15 | Lunch, posters, exhibition, and networking |
| Session 2: Biomaterials Chaired by: Simone Schuerle |
|
| 13.15 | Keynote 2: Prof. Dr. Suzie Hwang Pun, University of Washington (USA) Biomaterials for cancer immunotherapy applications |
| 13.55 | Contributed talk 4179: Dr. Ekaterina Umnyakova, University of Basel (CH) Complement Modulation on Biosurfaces: Click Chemistry Approach for Natural Regulators Recruitment |
| 14.15 | Contributed talk 4162: Dr. Céline Labouesse, ETH Zürich (CH) Granular biomaterials as bioactive sponges for the sequestration and release of signaling molecules |
| Flash poster presentations | |
| 14.35 | Flash poster 4113: Dr. Edith Perret, Empa (CH) Local drug delivery with melt-spun liquid core fibers |
| 14.40 | Flash poster 4165: Léo Sifringer, ETH Zürich (CH) A soft, implantable nerve model on a chip towards biohybrid regenerative electronics |
| 14.45 | Flash poster 4169: Dr. Romy Marek, FHNW (CH) Enhancing the degradation behavior and osseointegration of resorbable Mg-Zn-Ca orthopedic screws by PEO surface treatment |
| 14.50 | Flash poster 4173: Paula De Dios Andres, Inano (DK) Interfacing Artificial Cells with Hepatocytes |
| 14.55 | Flash poster 4174: Dr. Santosh Sadashiv Mathapati, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (IN) Placental ECM hydrogels: a promising biomaterial |
| 15.00 | Flash poster 4177: Camillo Colli, Politecnico di Milano (IT) Thermoresponsive UCST nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery in cancer hyperthermia treatment |
| 15.05 | Flash poster 4187: Annina Stuber, ETH Zürich (CH) Sensing neurotransmitters with aptamer-modified nanopipettes at the interface of neuronal systems |
| 15.10 | Flash poster 4245: Dr. Shabnam Tarvirdipour, University of Basel (CH) Co-delivery of an antisense oligonucleotide and photosensitizer using a peptide nanocarrier |
| 15.15 | Flash poster 4284: Dr. Ionel Adrian Dinu, University of Basel (CH) Designing catalytic nanocompartments to support parallel reactions and promote localized cell internalization |
| 15.20 | Coffee break |
| Session 3: Biomaterials Chaired by: Katharina Maniura |
|
| 16.00 | Keynote 3: Prof. Dr. Joachim Spatz, Max Plank Institut (DE) Bottom-up designs of synthetic cells, its application and skin models |
| 16.40 | Invited talk 3: Dr. Nicholas Reynolds, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences (AU) Self-healing self-assembled peptide based Bioinks for 3D printing applications |
| 17.10 | Contributed talk: Beatriz Moura, University of Aveiro (PT) Glycoengineered Bio-clickable Spheroidal Units for Generating Hierarchical Living Materials |
| 17.30 | Poster Session and Welcome Apéro |
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 8.00 | Registration |
| 8.30 | Welcome |
| 8.40 | Technology pitches by sponsors Swiss Nanoscience Institute: Oerlikon: Dr. Noora Manninen, Project Manager R&D Product Development |
| Session 4: Computational approaches / Labs of the future Chaired by: Inge Wortel |
|
| 9.00 | Keynote 4: Dr. Gregoire Altan-Bonnet, National Cancer Institute (US) Building models of CAR-T signal integration, using automatized/dynamic high-dimensional dynamic profiling |
| 9.40 | Invited talk 4: Prof. Dr. Dagmar Iber, ETH Zürich (CH) Morphogenesis of biological interfaces – from 3D cell shapes to 3D tissue shapes |
| 10.10 | Contributed talk: Dr. Vincent Hickl, Empa (CH) Single-cell live imaging of bacterial infections at 3D surfaces |
| 10.30 | Coffee break |
| 11.00 | Contributed talk: 4098: Peng Xuan, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (DE) Investigation of Dual-Targeting Tumor Spheroids with CAR T Cell Therapy in Hydrogel Microbeads |
| 11.20 | Technology pitches by exhibitors IGZ Instruments: Sebastian Düblin, Product Manager CSEM: Dr. Felix Kurth, Group Leader Biosystems Engineering Nanosurf: Dr. Marco Portalupi, Sales Manager Europe Quantum Design: Dr. Raimund Sauter, Product Manager Life Sciences |
| 12.00 | Lunch, posters, exhibition and networking |
| 13.00 | Technology pitches by exhibitors Bruker: Prem Kumar Viji Babu, Application Specialist CELLnTEC: Dr. Stefan Baertschi, Head of R&D Milian: Michel Emmenegger, Sales Representative Merck: Dr. Adelina Braun, Technology Manager, Chemistry and Materials Science Innovation |
| Session 5: Immune disease interfaces Chaired by: Li Tang |
|
| 13.40 | Keynote 5: Prof. Dr. Carole Bourquin, University of Geneva (CH) Nanomaterials for drug delivery in cancer and inflammation |
| 14.20 | Invited talk 5: Dr. Inge Wortel, Radboud University (NL) When motility matters: simulating host-pathogen interactions during Listeria invasion of the gut epithelium |
| 14.50 | Contributed talk 4175: Emanuele Mauri, Politecnico di Milano (IT) Advanced formulation of hyaluronan-based nanogels for targeted therapy in ovarian cancer |
| 15.10 | Contributed talk 4176: Jannes Felsch, University of Basel (CH) Protection of Biomaterials Against Immune-Mediated Complications: Using a Bacterial Surface Model to Evaluate the Efficacy of Complement Regulator-Recruiting Peptide Coatings |
| 15.30 | Coffee break |
| Session 6: Mechanobiology and mechanoimmunology Chaired by: Michael Nash |
|
| 16.00 | Keynote 6: Prof. Dr. Khalid Salaita, Emory University (US) DNA Mechanotechnology: nucleic acids that sense and generate molecular forces enable a new class of biomedical applications and diagnostics |
| 16.40 | Contributed talk 4164: Tamara Zünd, ETH Zürich (CH) Mechanobiological T cell stimulation using nanoporous confinement of microvilli induces T cell signaling leading to CD69 and Il-2 expression |
| 17.00 | Contributed talk 4168: Prof. Dr. Anne Géraldine Guex, University of Basel (CH) Mechanical compression and shear induce distinct macrophage polarisation and subsequent mesenchymal stromal cell differentiation |
| 17.20 | End of Day 2 |
| 19.00 | Conference Dinner in Basel (extra fee applies) |
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 8.00 | Registration |
| 8.30 | Welcome |
| 8.40 | Technology pitches Lino Biotech: Dr. Simona Notova, Application Scientist |
| Session 7: Bioprinting and biofabrication Chaired by: Markus Rimann and Maurizio Gullo |
|
| 9.00 | Keynote 7: Prof. Dr. Massimo Mastrangeli, Delft University of Technology (NL) Microelectromechanical organs-on-chip |
| 9.40 | Invited talk 7: Prof. Dr. Bart Spee, Utrecht University (NL) Liver adult stem cells for advanced in vitro models and whole organ engineering |
| 10.10 | Contributed talk 4191: Prof. Dr. Laura Suter-Dick, FHNW (CH) A “plug & play” microphysiological system to quantify the liver fibrosis AOP in vitro |
| 10.30 | Coffee break |
| 11.00 | Contributed talk 4095: Dr. Behnam Akhavan, University of Newcastle (AU) Ion-Assisted Plasma Surface Bio-Functionalisation: Bio-Instructive Interfaces for Implantable Medical Devices |
| Session 8: Science to market Chaired by: Canet Acikgoz and Samantha Paoletti Panel moderated by: Maria Hakanson |
|
| 11.20 | Short pitches – Start-ups: • Bionomous: Dr. Frank Bonnet, CEO • CompagOs: Dr. Chris Steffi, Co-Founder and CSO • MUVON Therapeutics: Dr. Deana Mohr, CEO |
| 11.50 | Panel discussion • Career paths and roles in a start-up • Market and regulatory • Financing and acquisition • Science and innovation |
| 12.20 | Lunch, posters, exhibition and networking |
| Session 9: Biosensing and diagnostics Chaired by: Oya Tagit and Simone Schuerle |
|
| 13.30 | Contributed talk 4099: Dr. Jiangtao Zhou, ETH Zürich (CH) An optical fiber-based nanomotion sensor for rapid antibiotic and antifungal susceptibility tests |
| 13.50 | Contributed talk 4183: Alessandro Stumpo, FHNW and University of Basel (CH) Raman microscopy: Enhancing EGFR Targeting in Ovarian Cancer Cells through Surface Modifications of Gold Nanoparticles |
| 14.10 | Closing Keynote (virtual): Prof. Dame Molly Stevens DBE FRS FREng, University of Oxford (UK) Designing and translating materials for advanced therapeutics and biosensing Q&A with Prof. Stevens |
| 15.00 | Poster Prizes Announcement |
| 15.10 | Closing remarks |
Session topics for the 2024 edition will include: