Francesca Perin
Nature explorer and PhD student at Maastricht University / University of Trento
I am a PhD candidate with one foot in Maastricht one in Trento, working to combine biology with materials science. In my research, my goal is to create versatile bioinks that can enable the transition from the research laboratory to real life applications in medical research and drug development.
The unpredictable nature of biology makes trying to reproduce the complex structures that cells build in our bodies an exciting challenge.
The winding path to discovery
I started my academic journey in industrial engineering. When I was choosing what to study at university, I could not decide if I wanted to focus on biology or do some form of engineering, and eventually my choice fell on industrial engineering.
You can perhaps say that my transition to where I am today started with my Bachelor thesis, where I worked with 3D printing. Then, during my Master, I discovered my interest for biomedical applications of engineering, with a project that was a about using oxygen-generating particles to prevent hypoxia in tissue scaffolds.
I’m not one of those people who always knew that they wanted to be a scientist. This realization came for me during my master thesis internship, which focused on bioprinting. This is when I realized that I really like being in the lab and made me want to pursue a PhD.
My way into BIRDIE started with a seminar that Carlos gave, presenting his research in bioprinting. I found the technology very interesting and asked if I could come to his lab. Eventually after we had been in touch for a while, he told me that he had an opening in his group. And that is how I came to Maastricht and BIRDIE.
Where biology and materials science meet
The work that I do in BIRDIE is mainly focused on materials science. My role is to develop gels that become the cell microenvironment envisioned for bioprinting and the final kidney device. A big part of the work is designing the actual materials, but I also work on developing ways to print structures that mimic the tubules in the kidneys.
One of the most interesting things about the project is realizing how complex the relationship between cells and the material that surrounds them is and how this can sometimes produce unexpected results. The unpredictable nature of biology makes trying to reproduce the complex structures that cells build in our bodies an exciting challenge.
Before I came to the Netherlands, I still worked with bioprinting, but with a more isolated focus on the material itself, trying to make the geometries really nice without thinking too much about the cells. Here, my focus is much more on finding out which materials and which printing parameters create the best conditions for the cells.
Within BIRDIE, I have learned a lot about biology that I didn’t know before, and it has been really inspiring to work in such close contact with experienced biologists.
Finding inspiration in nature
Being in nature is something that I enjoy a lot. I love both hiking and traveling, although hiking is not something you do a lot of in the Netherlands. I think my love for nature comes from my childhood. When I was a child, my parents always took us out hiking, which perhaps inspired my interest in science. My mom has always been into nature and knows how to find edible plants in the wild.
BIRDIE Project Website 