University College Dublin researcher to explore the disruptive power of macromolecular crowding in cell culture systems

Professor Dimitrios Zeugolis, University College Dublin (UCD), has received a coveted European Research Council (ERC) 'Proof of Concept' grant to explore the commercial and societal potential of his research. A Full Professor at UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Zeugolis's REMODEL lab develops industry and clinically relevant advanced therapy products and medical devices for injuries and degenerative conditions.

His ERC Proof of Concept project, DECIPHER—Decellularised Extracellular Carpets for the Innovative Production of Human Engineered Replicates, will build on a ERC Consolidator Award he received in 2019 to investigate the fundamentals of macromolecular crowding in cell culture systems.

Zeugolis and his team have been exploring the immense power of macromolecular crowding in eukaryotic cell culture. While cells naturally reside in a highly crowded tissue context, in culture they become drowned in a sea of media, and rapidly lose their function and therapeutic potential. Preliminary data illustrate that the use of macromolecular crowding in cell culture not only offers control over cell fate, but also allows for the accelerated development of functional and truly three-dimensional tissue-like moduli, using only a fraction of cells and time that traditional approaches require.

The team will now exploit the disruptive and transformative power of macromolecular crowding in the applied fields of cell culture technologies, medical devices and regenerative medicine, offering new opportunities for scientific, social and economic impact.

Zeugolis said, "This new programme has been designed to demonstrate feasibility in addressing real-life challenges in an economically-viable, social-responsible, equitable and sustainable manner, ultimately increasing the international competitiveness of European-based biomedical industries, creating new employment and revenue. I am grateful to all REMODEL and UCD personnel and collaborators, funding agencies, and of course, friends and family for their continued support and patience. This ERC Proof of Concept Award is testament to the power of coming together with shared visions to face common challenges."

Provided by University College Dublin