Neoteric Biomaterials for hIPSCs Monitorized Differentiation to RGCs: Creation, Microfabrication & Microfluidics - bioMAT4EYE

Project summary

Matrigel is a benchmark costly supporting material for cell culture, being a basement membrane matrix extracted from Engelbreth–Holm–Swarm murine sarcomas, presenting ethical issues, low productivity, low batch-to-batch reproducibility, and an extraordinary complex physicochemical nature. Therefore, highly reliable and tuneable materials adequate for large-scale production to replace Matrigel are desirable. bioMAT4EYE will address this need by joining several multidisciplinary research teams with key expertise in biomaterial production (fermentation, extraction), physicochemical modification and conformation in 2D, 2D+ and 3D structures by diverse technologies, micro-bioreactor design, construction and physicochemical control, and hiPSCs generation, culture and monitored differentiation to RGCs. RGCs can be the basis for cell therapies for patients with optic neuropathies of low prevalence (e.g. LHON, DOA) and age-related increasingly prevalent ones (e.g. glaucoma).