The University of Aveiro (UA) has recently joined the POLINA project, bringing their expertise with leading-edge research on engineered tissues using cell-polymer interfaces to our mission of adapting high-resolution photolithography technologies for high-precision geometrical structuring of natural amino acids. This collaboration has been made possible through the Hop-On Facility scheme, which aims to improve the inclusiveness of Horizon Europe by involving more research institutions from widening countries in collaborative projects.

Founded in 1973, UA is a leading Portuguese public institution recognised for its innovation in education, research and cooperation with society. Combining both university and polytechnic subsystems, UA brings together 16 departments and four schools, fostering a uniquely interdisciplinary and flexible environment.

UA is a university oriented towards investigation and deeply committed to developing state-of-the-art research, in fields of strategic knowledge. At the University of Aveiro there are 20 research units, five of them with Associate Laboratory status.

In the context of the POLINA project, UA will synthetize poly(amino acids) with pendant groups for subsequent coupling of click-chemistry moieties and also lead the light-based fabrication of human Living Materials using these clickable polymers as biorthogonal cell-interlinking macromolecules with light-configurable geometries.

UA’s participation in POLINA aligns perfectly with our overarching objective of creating photolithography-processable and greener biomaterials while opening new possibilities for expanding our concepts to new technologies. Together, we will work on innovative approaches and technologies that can pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future!