Biomimetic Cornea fabrication by 3D printing and adult Mesenchymal Stem Cell directed differentiation.

MIMECOR aims to develop an artificial and biomimetic cornea to achieve a major improvement in the quality of life of corneal disease patients, reducing their dependence on corneal transplants. This will be reached through the preparation and further modifications of a human-like cornea through the combination of additive manufacturing, stem cell transdifferentiation, and colonisation as an alternative to natural cornea donation. This approach is going to be a major breakthrough in Ophthalmology, as it will overcome the existing limitations of current treatments: it could become a reference in the therapy for specific corneal pathologies. The candidate researcher, Dr. Marć will provide to the project with her broad experience in applied preclinical research, gained in academic and industrial research groups of different European countries. She will learn cutting-edge techniques in Regenerative Medicine applied to Ophthalmology, through the interaction with a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and creative environment with specialists in engineering, medicine, physics, biology, and biochemistry. The candidate will perfect research skills such as experimental design, scientific writing, open science and data analysis. Moreover, through diverse training activities and a non-academic placement at a small-medium enterprise (the largest monographic ophthalmological private hospital in Europe), Dr. Marć will also acquire transferable skills and experience in grant implementation, ethics in Responsible Research and Innovation, time management, and scientific communication and divulgation. Besides, this formative plan accommodates her needs with the capabilities of the hosting group and institution. All this knowledge and skills will be crucial for the career success of the researcher. Due to her knowledge of the local language, Dr. Marć intends to become an established biomedical scientist in Spain after MSCA-PF, applying for Spanish postdoctoral grants and positions.