Advanced Training Course in Molecular Bioengineering 2024

Molecularly engineered interfaces:
from biosensing to emergent biomedical applications

Welcome

Molecular Bioengineering is a fast-growing field that explores the most recent advances in chemical, biological and engineering sciences to find advanced molecular-level solutions to complex problems in medicine. The Advanced Training Course in Molecular Bioengineering is designed to provide a training platform to educate the next generation of leaders in Molecular Bioengineering. It will be running on a yearly basis, with each edition focusing on a different topic. This 2nd edition is devoted to “Molecularly engineered interfaces for biomedical applications”

Many physical, chemical and biological phenomena occur at the interface of different phases (solid/liquid, gas/liquid, gas/solid, liquid/liquid) and these interfacial events have been exploited to fabricate advanced 2D and 3D materials with broad utility in biomedical applications (e.g. films formed at planar solid substrates or spherical capsules formed at the droplet interface). Interfaces can be made with highly reproducible properties and modified to manipulate local interactions and drive subsequent molecular and cellular events, such as molecular recognition with binding or repulsion, chemical and enzymatic reactions, material assembly and disassembly. The outcomes of these processes can then be utilized to fabricate high-precision biological assays, anti-infective surfaces, sustainable nanoelectronics and biosensors.

This course will cover the science and technologies behind surface functionalization and characterization and the design of interfaces for a range of biomedical applications, such as cell culture and biosensing. 

Venue

i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde
Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 | 4200-135 Porto, Portugal

Date

2 – 6 December 2024

Organising Committee

Helena Azevedo, Cristina Martins, Mariana Simões, Carlos Redondo, Paula Parreira 

Course duration

Complete course:
Monday – Friday (whole day) | 28 hours

Theoric part only:
Monday – Thursday (mornings) | 8 hours

Course language

English

Requirements

Laptop and labcoat for the practical classes

Target audience

The course is designed for those interested in surface functionalisation and bio-interfaces, the science and enabling technologies supporting the advancements in the area, and their biomedical applications (cell culture, drug screening, biosensing, implant functionalisation).

It can be attended by:

• Postgraduate students: master and PhD students enrolled in Biomedical Engineering or Bioengineering master and doctoral programmes, or related areas.

• Researchers working on surface functionalisation for different biomedical applications.

• Industrial professionals developing biomaterials, sensors and biomedical devices.

Speakers

Carlos Redondo

i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

Cristina Martins

i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

Elena Martinez

Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Spain

Helena Azevedo

i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

Iva Pashkuleva

I3Bs, University of Minho, Portugal

João Borges

CICECO, University of Aveiro, Portugal

Julien Gautrot

Queen Mary University of London, UK

Steffi Krause

Queen Mary University of London, UK

Cláudia Nunes

LAQV - Requimte, Portugal

Demonstrators

Carlos Redondo

i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

Paula López Pérez

i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

Joana Silva

i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

Paula Parreira

i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

Mariana Simões

i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

Ricardo Vidal

i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

Preliminary Program

DAY 1 | 02 DECEMBER 2024

09:00  Reception of participants and registration
09:30

Welcome address and introduction to the course

09:45

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) for the developement of antimicrobial biomaterial coatings

Cristina Martins | i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

10:45 Coffee Break

11:15

Peptide-based self-assembling monolayers: Advanced interfaces for biomedical applications and beyond

Carlos Redondo | i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

12:15 Lunch Break
14:00

Seminar

Julien Gautrot | Queen Mary University of London, UK 

15:30 – 18:00

Laboratory Session 1: Preparation of model SAMs

Instructor TBA

DAY 2 | 03 DECEMBER 2024

09:30

Molecularly engineered surfaces for understanding and perturbing hyaluronan functions

Iva Pashkuleva | I3Bs, University of Minho, Portugal

10:30 Coffee Break
11:00

Protein Assembly at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces – Impact on Interfacial Viscoelasticity, Toughness and Applications for Stem Cell Technologies

Julien Gautrot | Queen Mary University of London, UK

12:00 Lunch Break
13:00

Guided tour of the scientific platforms at i3S & team work activity

Mariana Simões and Paula Pérez | i3S, University of Porto, Portugal

14:00 

Laboratory Session 2: SAMs characterization – Contact Angle

Instructor TBA

15:30 Coffee Break
16:00-18:00

Laboratory Session 3: SAMs characterization

Instructor TBA

DAY 3 | 04 DECEMBER 2024

09:30

Tunning drug-lipids interplay towards unlocking better therapies

Cláudia Nunes | LAQV REQUIMTE, Portugal

10:30 Coffee Break
11:00

Molecular engineering of layer-by-layer-driven soft self-assembling nanobiomaterials for biomedical applications

João Borges | CICECO, University of Aveiro, Portugal

12:00 Lunch Break
13:30 – 15:00

Laboratory Session 4: SAMs characterization – SEM

Instructor TBA

15:00 Coffee Break

15:30 – 17:30

Laboratory Session 5: SAMs characterization – QCMD

Instructor TBA

DAY 4 | 05 DECEMBER 2024

09:30

From biosensors to bio-electrochemical imaging

Steffi Krause | Queen Mary University of London, UK

10:30 Coffee Break
11:00 

Microfabrication and surface patterning to guide the self-assembly of intestinal cells

Elena Martinez | Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Spain

12:00 Lunch Break
13:30 – 17:45

Data analysis 

(15:30 – 15:45 Coffee Break)

DAY 5 | 06 DECEMBER 2024

09:30 – 12:30 

Preparation of presentations 

12:30 Lunch Break
13:30

Delivery of presentations

17:30

Course Closure

Registration

Early bird registration | Until 3rd Sep
Payment Deadline | 10th Sep

i3S/P.CCC*/ MOBILIsE Hub**

Complete - 250 €

Theory Only - 100 €

Early bird registration | Until 3rd SEP
Payment Deadline | 10th Sep

Other

Complete - 300 €

Theory Only - 150 €

Late registration | 4th Sept - 4th Oct
Payment deadline | 10th Oct

i3S/P.CCC*/ MOBILIsE Hub**

Complete - 350 €

Theory Only - 200 €

Late registration | 4th Sept - 4th Oct
PAYMENT DEADLINE | 10th Oct

Other

Complete - 400 €

Theory Only - 250 €

*P.CCC – Porto Cancer Comprehensive Centre

**MOBILIsE Hub (i3S, LAQV REQUIMTE, IPO.PORTO)

Please note that your pre-registration does not confirm that you have been selected for the course.

Payment will only be requested after registration confirmation. Details for payment will be sent in the confirmation registration e-mail. 

Certificates:

A Certificate of attendance (complete and theory only) will be assigned to participants attending all sessions.

Cancelation policy:
In case of cancelation, the registration fee will not be refunded.
The organiser reserves the right to cancel the course in case of an insufficient number of participants, organisational reasons, for other unforeseeable events that render the execution of the course impossible. The organiser shall immediately inform the pre-registered participants of such changes. 

Sponsors

More Information:
Advanced Training Unit | E-mail: training@i3s.up.pt | Tel: +351 226 074 900