Biointerfaces International Conference 2024: Conference Report Verified listing

Quick Facts

• Location and date: FHNW Muttenz, August 20-23, 2024
• Participants: 150 participants from 19 countries, including academics, start-ups, suppliers, clinicians
• Talks: 40 + invited and contributed talks, Pre-conference seminar for early career researchers, Technology pitches by exhibitors, Start-up panel discussion on path to market
• Posters and prizes: 40+ posters, 4 poster prizes
• Sponsors and Exhibitors: 20 sponsors and exhibitors, including 11 technology pitches
• Organized by: FHNW (chair), ETH Zürich, Competence Centre TEDD / ZHAW, Empa

Takeaway
BIC 2024 featured a special focus on mRNA interfaces and immune disease interfaces, in addition to the usual topics of biomaterials, bioprinting, and biosensing. The next event will be held in 2027 at EPFL.

Session Highlights

Pre-conference seminar for early-career researchers

The pre-conference seminar provided participants with introductory presentations on key biointerface topics including:

• A keynote by Prof. Dr. David Grainger, University of Utah (US): Immuno-modulation with biomaterials – what are we modulating?
• 6 presentations about academic and industry advances in the 2 special topics of the 2024 edition: mRNA interfaces and immune disease interfaces

Keynote talks by session

• mRNA session: Prof. Dr. Chantal Pichon, INSERM University of Orleans (FR): Messenger RNA vaccines and therapeutics.
• Immune disease interfaces session: Prof. Dr. Suzie Hwang Pun, University of Washington (USA): Biomaterials for cancer immunotherapy applications.
• Biomaterials session: Prof. Dr. Joachim Spatz, Max Plank Institut (DE): Bottom-up designs of synthetic cells, its application and skin models.
• Mechanobiology session: Prof. Dr. Khalid Salaita, Emory University (US): DNA Mechanotechnology: nucleic acids that sense and generate molecular forces enable a new class of biomedical applications and diagnostics.
• Bioprinting and biofabrication session: Prof. Dr. Massimo Mastrangeli, Delft University of Technology (NL): Microelectromechanical organs-on-chip.
• Biosensing and diagnostics session: Prof. Dame Molly Stevens DBE FRS FREng, University of Oxford (UK): Designing and translating materials for advanced therapeutics and biosensing

Technology pitches by exhibitors

11 innovative organizations from across industry presented their expertise and technologies:

• Swiss Nanoscience Institute
• Oerlikon
• IGZ Instruments
• CSEM
• Nanosurf
• Quantum Design
• Bruker
• CELLnTEC
• Milian
• Merck
• Lino Biotech

Panel session with start-ups

3 start-ups provided insights into their path to market:

• Bionomous: Dr. Frank Bonnet, CEO
• CompagOs: Dr. Chris Steffi, Co-Founder and CSO
• MUVON Therapeutics: Dr. Deana Mohr, CEO