About us
What we do and where is the 3B’s Research Group?
The 3B’s Research Group (Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics) was established in 1998 at the University of Minho and supports a multidisciplinary and highly skilled team that works at the interface of biotechnology, biology, biomedical engineering and materials science. The major research areas at our group include development of new biomaterials, drug delivery, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, nanomedicine, in-vitro disease models and stem cell isolation and differentiation.
The group integrates the Portuguese Government Associate Laboratory ICVS/3B´s. The ICVS/3B´s is a collaboration with the Institute of Health and Life sciences of the School of Medicine of U. Minho. The 3B’s Research Group also leads the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine that has branches in 22 locations in 13 different countries.
Our Mission
The goal of the 3B’s Research Group is to develop novel biomaterials (hydrogels, scaffolds, membranes, nano/microparticles) based on natural polymers for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering of different skeletal and connective tissues. This is accomplished by developing several isolation/purification tools and processing methods, allowing for the fabrication of highly functional natural-derived biomaterials. On the other hand, stem cell research is devoted to the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from different sources (adipose tissue, bone marrow, amniotic membrane and fluid, umbilical cord blood, Warton’s Jelly) and origins (human, goat, rat) towards the lineages of interest (e.g. bone, cartilage, skin) either using conventional methodologies or combining scaffolds with biological signals.
Research at 3B’s is supported by multiple grants from European (The Framework Programmes for research and technological development from the European Union) and National and Regional Funding Agencies, innovation agencies, cross-border programs, as well as by industrial contracts. The 3B’s Research Group has been in the last few years one of the most active groups in Europe on attracting highly competitive and prestigious large grants for research, educational programs, and supporting infrastructure. This strategy has been positioning the Group as a continuously growing and world-respected center on Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine research.
The 3B’s Research Group has been built based on a multidisciplinary research approach where collaboration and cooperation are hallmarks of its culture
The Group
Collaborative long-term partnerships have been developed with universities and research institutes in Europe, Asia, and North America that have provided unique opportunities for student and postdoctoral exchange programs and joint research projects.
In 2008, the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine was formed as a result of the European Network of Excellence (NoE) EXPERTISSUES funded under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) being its Headquarters based at the 3B´s Research Group facilities.
The 3B’s Research Group is also engaged in finding workable solutions to defined societal problems. Stemmatters and HydrUStent are examples of spin-offs of the 3B’s Group developing services and products in the areas of stem cells and materials technology and biodegradable urological devices. The 3Bs’s Research Group multi‐and inter‐disciplinary integrated research environment thus gives the Group a strategic advantage over other groups in finding solutions and in transferring those results for public use and society benefit.
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