Francesca Gamna, post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Polytechnic of Turin (POLITO) working in the group of Sara Ferraris and Silvia Spriano, completed her KMM-VIN research fellowship at the Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) (host supervisor: Aldo R. Boccaccini) in December 2023. During the research stay, Francesca Gamna worked on the biological characterization, involving biocompatibility and antibacterial assays, of two magnesium alloys with different reactivity and functionalized with polyphenols, for applications respectively on cardiovascular stents and bone implants.

Karolina Cysewska from Gdansk University of Technology (PG) completed her KMM-VIN Research Fellowship at the Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU); host supervisor Aldo R. Boccaccini. During the research stay, Karolina Cysewska worked on electrically conductive alginate based hydrogels for medical applications. Experimental studies were focused on the fabrication of conducting polymer-based natural hydrogels. The cytotoxicity of the developed materials was evaluated in the presence of NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. The growth of the cells on the samples was proved by fluorescence microscopy.

In December 2022, Zhiyan Xu from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) completed the first part of her KMM-VIN Research Fellowship at the Institute of Physics of Materials (IPM) in Brno, hosted by Ivo Dlouhy. Zhiyan carried out an experimental study investigating the mechanical and thermal properties of bioactive glass or biopolymer-bioactive glass coatings fabricated by electrophoretic deposition technique and impregnation method on PEEK and Ti alloy surfaces for implant application, which is included as part of her PhD thesis. This collaboration will continue in 2023.

Ms Elisa Piatti, PhD student at Polytechnic of Torino, Italy, has completed her KMM-VIN Research Fellowship at the FAU Institute of Biomaterials in Erlangen, hosted by Aldo R. Boccaccini. She carried out an experimental study investigating the fabrication of nanofibers incorporating ion doped bioactive glasses (fabricated in her home laboratory) for antibacterial and tissue engineering applications, utilizing the electrospinning facilities available at the host laboratory.

Ms Ewa Rząd, researcher at the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Krakow Institute of Technology (Ł-KIT), Krakow, Poland has completed her KMM-VIN Research Fellowship at the FAU Institute of Biomaterials in Erlangen, hosted by Aldo R. Boccaccini. She carried out an experimental study investigating the biological properties, specially the antibacterial properties, of a new generation of Ti alloys developed at her home laboratory.

Honorata Kapłon, MSc, teaching assistant at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology (WUST), Poland, has completed her KMM-VIN Research Fellowship at the FAU Institute of Biomaterials in Erlangen, hosted by Aldo R. Boccaccini. She carried out an experimental study investigating the electrophoretic deposition of bioactive glass/chitosan coatings on 3D, magnesium-based cellular structures (MgCS) developed at her home laboratory.

Ms Faina Bider, PhD student at the Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) (supervisor: Aldo R. Boccaccini) has completed her KMM-VIN Research Fellowship at Politecnico di Torino (POLITO), Italy, hosted by Enrica Verne and Marta Miola. Faina carried out a research project investigating the mechanical, degradation and antibacterial properties of a new family of composite hydrogels, which are novel biomaterials being developed in the framework of her doctoral thesis at FAU. Potential applications of the new materials are in the field of soft and hard tissue engineering.

In the photo (from left to right): Enrica Verne, Faina Bider and Marta Miola

Ms Zoya Hadzhieva, PhD student at the Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) (supervisor: Aldo R.
Boccaccini) has completed her KMM-VIN Research Fellowship at the Institute for Physics of Materials (IPM), Brno, Czech Republic, hosted by Ivo Dlouhy. Zoya carried out an experimental study investigating the mechanical properties of biopolymer-bioactive glass composite coatings, which have been developed by Electrophoretic deposition technique as part of her doctoral thesis, achieving promising results for potential application of such coatings on metallic substrates for implant applications.

Maria Wątroba from the AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH-UST) in Kraków has completed her KMM-VIN Research Fellowship at the FAU Institute of Biomaterials in Erlangen, hosted by Aldo R. Boccaccini. She carried out an experimental study investigating the biological and antibacterial characteristics of Zn-based biomaterials developed at her home laboratory, achieving interesting results to assess the biocompatibility of different Zn-based alloys with potential for short-term implant applications.

Anna Wójcik from the IMIM Krakow has just completed her KMM-VIN research fellowship at TECNALIA in San Sebastian, hosted by Pedro Egizabal. The main objective of her stay was to compare the in-situ process to produce nanoreinforced aluminium alloys developed at IMIM with the ex-situ process based on the stir casting technology that has been developed in Tecnalia. She has had the opportunity of knowing the details of the fabrication of nanoreinforced aluminium ingots and the subsequent production of injected nanoreinforced components by HPDC with Al-Si alloys and nano Al₂O₃ particulates.

Elisa Zanchi from Politecnico di Torino (POLITO) has just completed her KMM-VIN fellowship at the FAU Institute of Biomaterials in Erlangen (host: Aldo R. Boccaccini). She has carried out a complete experimental study investigating the optimal processing parameters for electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of novel spinel coatings on metallic substrates, aiming at manufacturing robust layers on interconnects for application in solid oxide cells (SOCs). This project is part of a long standing collaboration between POLITO and FAU on the application of EPD in the field of SOCs technology, led by Federico Smeacetto at POLITO.

Eugeni Cañas (ITC, Castellón) has just completed his KMM-VIN fellowship at the FAU Institute of Biomaterials in Erlangen (host: Aldo R. Boccaccini). He investigated the biological activity of bioactive glass coatings obtained by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) employing different bioactive glass powders and precursors. MC3T3-E1 bone cells were cultured and seeded onto the coatings and positive results in terms of cell viability, cell adhesion, distribution, and morphology were achieved. This project is part of a long standing collaboration between ITC and the FAU Institute of Biomaterials on the development and characterisation of bioactive coatings on metallic alloys by APS

Agnieszka Witecka from IPPT (Warsaw) has just completed her KMM-VIN fellowship at the Institute of Biomaterials (FAU, Erlangen). She investigated the development and characterization of novel electrophoretically deposited chitosan (CS) - bioactive glass (BG) composite coatings on WE43 magnesium alloy substrates for biomedical applications. The CS+BG coatings were evaluated in terms of their ability to induce surface hydroxyapatite formation in biological fluids while controlling the substrate degradation. This collaboration will continue with focus on the biological response to the developed CS-BG coatings.

Qaisar Nawaz from Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) has just completed his KMM-VIN fellowship at the Department of Applied Science and Technology (Politecnico di Torino, Italy) hosted by Monica Ferraris. He deposited a thin Ag nanocluster-silica composite coating via Radio-Frequency (RF) co-sputtering on PEEK/MBGNs coated substrate (deposited via EPD). These coating were deposited at two different parameters and characterized in terms of morphology and composition. The antibacterial properties, mechanical properties, cytotoxicity and ion release behavior of fabricated coatings will be further investigated at FAU.

Antonio Gianfranco Sabato from POLITO (Politecnico di Torino, Italy) has completed his research stay in AGH-UST (Krakow), hosted by Adam Kruk. His research stay was focused on TEM/SAED characterization of Crofer22APU and AISI441 stainless steels coated with MnCo-spinel based protective coatings for SOC applications. The analyses were carried out after the sample exposition to 750°C in air for 3200 hours. The results were fundamental for the evaluation of interactions between the steels and the protective coatings during their exposition to relevant conditions and for the assessment of the coating protective performance.

Agata Sotniczuk from Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) has just completed her KMM-VIN research stay at the Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) in Germany, hosted by Aldo R. Boccaccini. The main objective of her stay at FAU was to design and produce chitosan (CS) - bioactive glass (BG) composite coatings on nanocrystalline pure titanium to increase opportunities for application in dental implantology. Electrophoretic deposition, being a room temperature and cost-effective process, was the technique selected for coatings development. Further collaboration between the two groups (WUT-FAU) will focus on investigating the bioactivity and antibacterial properties provided by the coatings.

Sara Metwally from AGH-UST in Krakow has just completed her KMM-VIN fellowship at POLITO in Torino, hosted by Silvia Spriano. The research stay was focused on (i) measurement of zeta potential on spin - coated polymer films and electrospun fibers produced with positive and negative voltage polarities, (ii) verification of surface net charge of the samples in simulated biological conditions for tissue engineering applications. This research fellowship enabled an important complementary analysis to the on-going project on cell interactions to the surface charge carried out at AGH-UST.

Marta Orłowska from the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering (WUT) has just finished her stay at the Institute of Materials Science, Joining and Forming (TU Graz) within KMM-VIN fellowship. Marta is working on severe plastic deformation processes of aluminium. During her stay she investigated the effectiveness of Friction Stir Welding method on aluminium samples with ultrafine grained structure. Both similar and dissimilar welds were performed on samples with different degree of deformation and after different processes. Further cooperation will focus on analysis of microstructural and mechanical properties evolution within welds zone.

Agata Stojny-Nędza from the Institute of Electronic Materials Technology (ITME) in Warsaw (Poland) has just completed her KMM-VIN fellowship at TECNALIA in San Sebastian (Spain), hosted by Pedro Egizabal Luzuriaga. The main objective of the stay was the characterization of material properties such as corrosion resistance and chemical composition as well manufacturing of a new class of composites using stir casting method. Four materials with different compositions were obtained by stir casting: aluminum alloy + Cu-30%SiC, aluminum alloy + Cu-30%SiC/Cr, aluminum alloy + Al-30%SiC, aluminum alloy + Al-30%SiC/Cr.

Pardeep Kumar Gianchandani from Politecnico di Torino (POLITO), Italy, was awarded a KMM-VIN fellowship at the Institute of Physics of Materials of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, hosted by Ivo Dlouhý. The main objective of the stay was to measure mechanical properties of C/SiC joints at room and elevated temperature (1000 °C and 1200 °C). The joints were produced by a novel joining technology named RM-Wrap (RM = Mo, Nb, Ta). This collaboration will continue with further high temperature characterizations. A paper draft has been submitted to an international journal.