3B’s Research Group - Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics

The 3B’s Research Group (Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics) was established in 1998 at the University of Minho and supports a multidisciplinary and highly skilled team that works at the interface of biotechnology, biology, biomedical engineering and materials science. The major research areas at our group include development of new biomaterials, drug delivery, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, nanomedicine, in-vitro disease models and stem cell isolation and differentiation.
The group integrates the Portuguese Government Associate Laboratory ICVS/3B´s, a collaboration with the Institute of Health and Life sciences of the School of Medicine of U. Minho. The 3B’s Research Group also leads the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine that has branches in 22 locations in 13 different countries.
The goal of the 3B’s Research Group is to develop novel biomaterials (hydrogels, scaffolds, membranes, nano/microparticles) based on natural polymers for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering of different skeletal and connective tissues. This is accomplished by developing several isolation/purification tools and processing methods, allowing for the fabrication of highly functional natural-derived biomaterials. On the other hand, stem cell research is devoted to the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from different sources (adipose tissue, bone marrow, amniotic membrane and fluid, umbilical cord blood, Warton’s Jelly) and origins (human, goat, rat) towards the lineages of interest (e.g. bone, cartilage, skin, tendon) either using conventional methodologies or combining scaffolds with biological signals.
Research at 3B’s is supported by multiple grants from European (The Framework Programmes for research and technological development from the European Union) and National and Regional Funding Agencies, innovation agencies, cross-border programs, as well as by industrial contracts. The 3B’s Research Group has been in the last few years one of the most active groups in Europe on attracting highly competitive and prestigious large grants for research, educational programs, and supporting infrastructure. This strategy has been positioning the Group as a continuously growing and world-respected center on Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine research.