Partners

The Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad (UNSPF) has more than 200 researchers working on various projects. It currently participates in 40 national projects of technological development funded by the MESTDRS, and 7 Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects. UNSPF was the coordinator and participant in TEMPUS, COST, IPA, SEE.ERA NET, FP6, FP7, H2020, and Horizon Europe projects. Furthermore, it established a series of activities in the framework of bilateral cooperation (Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, etc.) and in multilateral projects. The faculty is a member of the following international associations: EUA, ICA, CASEE, VUA, AREV, and AUF. Great importance is given to networking with leading research centers in the country and abroad and the mobility of the faculty’s researchers. Future orientation of the UNSPF is the implementation of its multidisciplinary research and continuation of traditionally fruitful collaboration with various stakeholders (local and regional authorities, different SMEs, etc.). The Faculty of Agriculture is the lead coordinator of project BioMeld. As part of this project, UNSPF will devote full hardware and software systems for modelling computationally expensive simulations and AI algorithms. The project team will be provided with 2 GPU GeForce RTX 3090 (2x 10496 cores), CPU Intel 48-core Workstation server, and computer maintenance for rapid testing of developed algorithms.

Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna is a public institution of university education with special regulations based in Pisa. The BioRobotics Institute is part of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, and is an integrated system pursuing frontier research, advanced education and innovation in the fields of biorobotics and bionics. In brief, we use robotics to mimic life and unveil its principles, to rehab, assist and treat human beings, to educate and change society. Within the Institute, Prof. Leonardo Ricotti coordinates the “Regenerative Technologies” Laboratory (https://www.santannapisa.it/it/regenerative-technologies-laboratory). We possess state-of-the-art micro and nano-fabrication machinery and clean-room facilities dedicated to research in microengineering, sensors, actuators, ultrasound, biomaterials and nanoparticles for biomedical applications. With our expertise in developing new flexible and scalable machines based on smart materials and biohybrid systems, which integrate living cells, tissues, and artificial components, we will concentrate our efforts on the work package 3, related to the Manufacturing modular, adaptable, reconfigurable BHM catheter, and on the Internal Dissemination and early career development.

The Unconventional Computing Laboratory (UCL) at UWE is an academic unit that brings together the disciplines of Information Systems, Computing and Unconventional Computing, Electrical and Electronic Engineering. UCL is amongst the most innovative and ground-breaking research centres in UWE, Bristol. It is based at the College of Arts, Technology and Environment. The College has a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches to both research and teaching. The College employs some 300 people, and funds a number of full-time research studentships. Its vision is to re-invent the future by: defining a new vision for education in computing, engineering and mathematical sciences; becoming a showcase for emerging technology; developing novel ways of using technology; demonstrating excellence in research linked to excellence in teaching and learning; enabling new models of partnership with industry and the community. The UCL is an interdisciplinary cooperation spanning theoretical and experimental studies of novel principles of information processing in physical, chemical and neuronal-based systems. Discovered principles are being applied to the design of experimental massively parallel unconventional computers which exploit the phenomena of non-linear dynamics. Also, members of the UCL focus on nature-inspired computation utilized for optimization techniques in theoretical level, as well as in real-life applications.

The team’s role in the project is centred around the optimisation modules of the modeling and simulation framework of biohybrid machines, which will streamline the processes of design, quoting, manufacturing, verification, and reporting, thus significantly reducing error-prone manual steps. Evolutionary optimization methods will be used with a soft-body physics simulator to produce the best solution in a predefined parameter space for the morphologies and the behaviours of the biohybrid machines under realistic test scenarios. Also, given that actuators in biohybrid systems are very difficult to model accurately, because their dynamics involve nonlinear and non-smooth dissipation, the team will develop supervised Machine Learning approaches (i.e., deep neural networks) to obtain a better characterization of experimental results and enhanced control loops.

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC, https://ibecbarcelona.eu/) conducts interdisciplinary research at the frontiers of engineering and life sciences, generating new knowledge by putting together fields like nanomedicine, biophysics, biotechnology, tissue engineering and the applications of health information technology. Notably, IBEC was awarded in 2015 and 2019 with the prestigious “Severo Ochoa Excellence Award” by the Spanish Ministry, and its location in the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB, https://www.pcb.ub.edu/en/) offers a highly stimulating biomedical environment where the institute can work closely with organizations from the public and private sector interested in the biomedical application of Nanotechnology. IBEC also has access to the powerful technological facilities of the CCiT UB and the PCB services. IBEC is a member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST, https://bist.eu/), a scientific initiative of seven of Catalonia’s research centres of excellence whose objective is to increase their levels of collaboration in order to build together a joint scientific project. The strength of BIST is based on the research capacities of the individual institutes and their potential to promote multidisciplinary, cutting-edge projects. Two research groups from IBEC are involved in the BioMeld project: • Smart nano-bio-devices • Biomimetic systems for cell engineering

Smart nano-bio-devices (led by Prof Samuel Sánchez)

“Biomimetic Systems for Cell Engineering” group (led by Dr Elena Martínez)

The Biomimetic Systems for Cell Engineering group, led by Dr. Elena Martínez, is focused on the development of artificial systems that mimic tissue complex cues (architecture, cell composition, ligand distribution, physical stimuli, etc.) for more biomimetic in vitro assays. Their research involves the development of novel biofabrication techniques which are suitable for soft hydrogels, the fabrication and application of mini-bioreactors that incorporate multiple signalling (mechanical, chemical and electrical), and the creation of in vitro intestinal mucosa models to study barrier function, stroma – epithelial crosstalk, and cancer.

Smart Sensing S.r.l. is an SME born as university spin-off company of the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. It focuses on the study, characterisation, design and implementation of innovative processes, machines and systems in the manufacturing industry for the realisation of products from conceptualisation, to production, to recycling and re-utilisation, by employing advanced technologies and systems based on intelligent/smart methods and tools, also through the KETs of Industry 4.0, for the realization of the Smart Factories. The team members come from the University of Naples Federico II where they have developed their competences on advanced manufacturing technology and systems by implementing R&D projects with research partners and large, medium and small industries in the field of advanced production.

The team’s role in the project is focused on the realization of the demonstration bio-intelligent manufacturing cell (BIMC) for the production of bio-hybrid machines (BHM catheters). Based on the specifications concerning the BHM catheter design and fabrication, including materials, fabrication processes, geometrical and functional features, the necessary resources will be identified and optimally selected for the establishment of the BIMC as an integrated manufacturing cell merging AI with bio-inspired and/or bio-integrated manufacturing solutions, incorporating information channels, sensors and actuators systems.

The UniCA team members belong to the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Cagliari. The team has multi-year experience in the development of innovative solutions for electronics and bioelectronics that will be exploited in the BioMeld framework with the development of the feedback platform for the BHM catheter. The main research skills involved are the development of innovative sensors for physical and biochemical parameters and bi-directional interfaces between electronic modules and living tissues.