In June 2018 Professor Peter Pivonka visited Professor Aldo Boccaccini, Director of Biomaterials Research at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. Current collaboration with Professor Boccaccini’s group involves advanced characterisation of bioactive glass (BG) based scaffolds, with and without polymer coatings for bone tissue engineering applications. This characterisation assesses the scaffold vascularisation potential by determining the permeability of BG based scaffolds applying both modelling and experimental approaches.
This project is funded by the Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme of DAAD and Universities Australia and involves exchange of early career researchers and professors between both institutions. During his visit, Professor Pivonka presented a seminar: “Microstructural characterisation of the osteocyte lacunar-canalicular network during aging using high resolution imaging – mechanobiological implications”. He also visited the laboratories of the Institute of Biomaterials to plan further collaborative research between BSRG and the Institute of Biomaterials at the University of Erlangen.
