SFB 1270 ELAINE

From 2nd April to 30th June 2024, Meike Bielfeldt from our SFB 1270 ELAINE stayed at The University of Manchester. Prof Sarah Cartmell and Jose Ricardo Aguilar Cosme hosted Meikes' research stay at the Department of Materials.   Her research stay at The University of Manchester Faculty of Science and Engineering aimed to further improve bone implants' ingrowth and ossification. More precisely, it focused on the capacitive electrical stimulation of mesenchymal stem cells by comparing the osteogenic differentiation on different material surfaces with and without electrical stimulation.   During the stay, Meike got new perspectives on her research and connected with new people about science. We are proud to have such doctoral reseachers open to increasing their experience and expanding their horizons in our CRC! Thank you, Meike Bielfeldt, for sharing your experiences with us! Universität Rostock Universitätsmedizin Rostock

The sixth annual Basics and Trends Workshop (BaTs) of the Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG) of our SFB 1270 ELAINE took place from July 08th to July 10th 2024. The two-and-a-half days at Schloss Hasenwinkel were filled with individual presentations and workshops by doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to provide informal insight into various research areas. The workshops covered science, technology, and medicine topics, such as LaTeX and Python, DNA isolation, and sewing techniques. We thank Nadine Berger (Scientific Coordinator IRTG) and the BaTs committee Jan Philipp Payonk (Spokesperson), Laura Lembcke, Paula Respondek and Meike Statz for organizing the workshop and thus creating an excellent framework for the exchange between our IRTG members. We would also like to thank the IRTG members for contributing to the colorful program. We are already looking forward to next year's BaTs!

Die Entwicklung künstlicher Hüftgelenke hat in den vergangenen Jahren stetige Fortschritte gemacht. Doch völlig problemfrei ist der Ersatz bisher nicht, denn die Implantate haben gewöhnlich nur eine begrenzte Haltbarkeit. Im Sonderforschungsbereich (SFB) 1270 „ELektrisch Aktive ImplaNtatE – „ELAINE“ der Universität Rostock wird an einer möglichen Lösung, einem intelligenten Hüftimplantat, gearbeitet. In Deutschland wurden im Jahr 2022 nach Angaben des Bundesamts für Statistik rund 255 000 Hüftendoprothesen implantiert. Diese Operation ist damit eine der häufigsten in den Kliniken Deutschlands. „Lebensqualität kommt zurück, nach einer Hüft-OP können die Menschen meist schon nach wenigen Tagen wieder gehen“, sagt PD Dr.-Ing. Daniel Klüß, Projektleiter im Sonderforschungsbereich 1270 ELektrisch Aktive ImplaNtatE – „ELAINE“ der Universität Rostock. Aber rund 30 000 dieser Operationen sind sogenannte Revisionen, also der Austausch ganzer Implantate oder von Komponenten, wenn sich zum Beispiel das Implantat nach mehreren Jahren Einsatz lockert. Ziel der interdisziplinären Arbeit an verschiedenen Instituten der Universität und Universitätsmedizin Rostock ist, diese hohe Zahl von Revisionen zu vermindern. Denn die Prognosen für das zweite Implantat sind schlechter als beim ersten Einsatz. „An dieses Problem wollen wir mit einem intelligenten Implantat ran“, sagt der Biomechaniker Klüß. In dem Implantat der Zukunft werden verschiedene Messinstrumente integriert sein. „Das Implantat ist also mehr als ein Metallblock. Mit seinen neuen Details wollen wir auch messen und gleichzeitig Knochenwachstum stimulieren.“ Die Aufgabe der aktuellen Grundlagenforschung besteht darin herauszufinden, wo die verschiedenen Elemente platziert werden müssen. #UniRostock #wissenschaft #forschung #elaine #rostock Bilder © Joachim Mangler | Universität Rostock

We are very proud that Dr Wiebke Radlof, a scientist from the SFB 1270 ELAINE, will be awarded the Joachim Jungius Prize (Joachim-Jungius-Förderpreis) on 5 July 2024. Every year, the Society of Sponsors of the University of Rostock (Gesellschaft der Förderer der Universiät Rostock e. V. , https://www.gfur.de) honors outstanding dissertations by young scientists at the Universität Rostock with the sponsorship award. As part of her dissertation, Wiebke investigated the mechanical stability of porous titanium structures in sub-project B05 of the SFB 1270 ELAINE. These titanium structures are produced by layer-by-layer application using the 3D printing process because it enables different degrees of porosity of the material. The porous titanium structures are suitable for implants as the porosity supports the ingrowth of the implant into the surrounding bone and reduces bone resorption. The dissertation (in German) is available at https://lnkd.in/eAT8dFgi We congratulate Dr Wiebke Radlof on winning the sponsorship award!

Last Friday, 14 June 2024, a press release about our SFB 1270 ELAINE written by Joachim Mangler was published. The press release provides insight into the research work of PD Dr Daniel Klüß and Franziska Geiger. With the development of intelligent hip implants, they want to reduce the number of revisions, in other words, the need to replace entire implants or individual components. In addition to simply replacing the hip joint, the intelligent implants should also measure the strength of the implant in the bone. But as if that wasn't enough, they are also supposed to stimulate bone growth via a piezo element. This way, the bone around the implant should grow back and provide a firm hold. We thank PD Dr Daniel Klüß and Franziska Geiger for this fascinating insight. We are delighted that you are part of our SFB 1270 ELAINE. Please check out the press release (in German) and share your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/efcGdH47 Universität Rostock & Universitätsmedizin Rostock

On 28 May 2024, the Info Day Mecklenburg-Vorpommern of The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation took place at the Universität Greifswald. Prof Rainer Bader, deputy speaker of our SFB 1270 ELAINE, shared his experience on "Collaborative Research Centres" at the event. In his experience report, he took the audience on a journey through time, from the first steps of the application process to the challenges of the present day. His presentation emphasized the importance of thorough preparation and close cooperation between all those involved. He also pointed out possible hurdles in submitting a draft or full proposal when applying for a coordinated Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation funding program. We want to thank Prof Rainer Bader for sharing his experiences. We would also like to thank all participants for the exciting exchange. We hope this exciting event format has encouraged some people to submit a proposal for a coordinated DFG funding format. Universität Rostock Universitätsmedizin Rostock https://lnkd.in/eFbe7vnJ

On 25.04.2024, Laura Lembcke, a PhD student from our SFB 1270 ELAINE, provided an exciting insight into the fascinating world of science exclusively for five girls. On Girls'Day - Mädchen-Zukunftstag, Laura opened the doors of a laboratory of subproject C01 and in small experiments, the girls got a glimpse into what it means to work in a laboratory and why biomedical research can be exciting. We want to thank Laura Lembcke and everyone who made this day so unique! We are already looking forward to next year!

We are happy to share a paper from our ELAINE members Dr. Mareike Fauser, Jan Philipp Payonk, Hanna Weber, Meike Statz, Dr. Revathi Appali, Prof. Ursula van Rienen, and Prof. Alexander Storch published in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience! The paper is entitled "Subthalamic nucleus but not entopeduncular nucleus deep brain stimulation enhances neurogenesis in the SVZ-olfactory bulb system of Parkinsonian rats". It investigated the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the entopeduncular nucleus (EPN) on neurogenesis in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned hemiparkinsonian rats. If you are curious about the details, you can find the article under the following link: https://lnkd.in/eHYGvttg.   We want to thank all authors for their hard work and dedication, and a special mention to Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation for their funding support.   Please feel free to check out the paper and share your thoughts.

We are proud that Prof Aldo Boccaccini, principal investigator in subproject B01 from our SFB 1270 ELAINE, was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s (AIMBE) College of Fellows. Prof Aldo Boccaccini is Professor and Head of the Institute of Biomaterials at the University FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg. He received this honor due to his significant contributions to bioactive materials design for regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and 3D bioprinting. The induction ceremony occurred at the AIMBE Annual Event on March 25, 2024, in Arlington, Virginia. Congratulations to Prof Aldo R. Boccaccini on his induction into American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows! For more information please visit: https://lnkd.in/eYaaYvsk

From 15th April to 23rd April 2024, Lam Vien Che from our SFB 1270 ELAINE visited the Eindhoven University of Technology. Prof Wil Schilders and Pascal den Boef hosted Viens‘ research visit at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. Vien is currently working on a numerical workflow incorporating detailed tissue-specific 3D geometries based on fluorescent microscopic images to determine the dielectric properties of cartilage within subproject A02 of our SFB 1270 ELAINE. The bottleneck of the approach is the long computational time. During his research visit at the Eindhoven University of Technology, Vien got ideas for constructing a Reduced Order Modelling (ROM) to minimize computational time. The ROM presents an opportunity to streamline computational processes, facilitating quicker, e.g., impedance, dielectric properties, electric field strength, and distribution estimation. We want to thank Lam Vien Che for the exciting insight into his work and wish him continued success in his research!