Every year, cluster member TU Vienna celebrates outstanding interdisciplinary PhD research with the Ressel Award. This year’s honour goes to chemist Lisa Sinawehl, who impressed the selection committee with her project “Small molecules for the improvement of mechanical properties and degradation of photopolymers”.
Severe bone loss, for example, due to accidents or illness, poses significant challenges during the body’s natural healing process. Temporary bone replacement materials can provide essential support during this process. However, these so-called photopolymers have their downsides – insufficient biocompatibility, bad mechanic properties, and lacking biodegradability are just a few of the issues.
Lisa’s research addressed these challenges by developing biocompatible and biodegradable photopolymers for light-based 3D printing. These materials are designed to mimic the mechanical properties of bone while offering precise control over their biodegradability. They are also individually costumizable for each patient. “Our research has led to novel materials that combine bone strength with rapid, biocompatible degradability, effectively supporting the healing process,” summarises Lisa Sinawehl. Initial in vivo studies have been highly promising – the new material shows enormous potential in terms of both biodegradability and biocompatibility.
(c) TU Wien
Lisa conducted her dissertation project in cooperation with the Polymer Chemistry and Technology Research group at TU Vienna, under the supervision of Prof. Stefan Baudis, a long-standing member of the Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration and the TU Vienna Life Science Cluster. Close collaboration with industry partners, including TraumaCareConsult GmbH (TCC) and Lithoz Gmbh, both Associate Members of the Cluster, played an important role in the project’s success.