Biomaterials and Cartilage Laboratory (LBC)

The laboratory's research activities focus primarily on the development of chitosan-based biomaterials and nanoparticles for regenerative medicine and gene therapy applications. The lab’s strength lies in the diversity and complementary nature of its cutting-edge infrastructure and its highly qualified personnel’s expertise and know-how. This combination enables in-depth physicochemical understanding  of biomaterials and nanoparticles and their biological activity. The lab’s facilities and equipment include a histology lab, a molecular biology lab, a confocal microscopy room, an environmental scanning electron microscope, a flow cytometer and steric exclusion chromatography devices. Tangibly, the lab’s activities cover the following areas :

• Production, characterization and modification of medical-grade chitosan;
• Development of theoretical tools to predict the behaviour of chitosan in solution;
• Preparation and characterization of nanoparticles for nucleic acid delivery;
• Development of hydrogels for tissular repair;
• Nanostructure visualization by environmental scanning electron microscope;
• In-depth study of the effects of nanoparticles in vitro, by means of advanced cellular biology, molecular biology and confocal microscopy techniques;
• Full histological preparation and detailed analysis of animal study tissues;
• Mechanical characterization of biomaterials and biological tissues.
• The lab has an internal quality assurance service applicable to good fabrication lab practices. Research work has led to the commercialization of a product used to repair joint cartilage (BST-CarGel®, Piramal Healthcare Canada).