Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, has announced €23 million Research Ireland funding to support early-career researchers. Congratulations to UCD School of Medicine's Dr Jing Lyu on her successful project, Novel hyperbranched polymers from kinetically controlled polymerization of multivinyl monomers and their application in injectable stem cell hydrogel scaffolds for cartilage repair. Dr Lyu is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology and her project has been awarded over €670,000.
About the project: Cartilage tissue engineering, particularly stem cell therapy with the development of injectable hydrogels, has emerged as a promising strategy for cartilage defect repair. The principal challenge lies in creating a hydrogel that can be tuned to match the specific microenvironment in mechanical properties and cellular interactions. This project aims to develop a novel injectable hydrogel scaffold with tunable microstructure and properties based on hyperbranched (HB) polymers. The in situ formed HB hydrogel system is hypothesized to effectively retain stem cells and recapitulate the physiological and biological environment of the knee joint for enhancing cartilage defect repair. Initially, this study will elucidate the kinetically controlled ATRP mechanism of multivinyl monomers towards HB structure formation with the help of Monte Carlo simulation. Subsequently, PEG-based HB polymers will be tailor-synthesized. These polymers will in situ crosslink with thiolated collagen to form 3D scaffolds mimicking natural cartilage tissue to support the growth of ADSCs. The anticipated outcome of this project is the development of a stem cell “niche” injectable hydrogel scaffold system using structurally and functionally adaptable HB materials. This system will be characterized by adjustable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, making it an ideal candidate for minimally invasive cartilage regeneration techniques.
Making the announcement, Minister Lawless said: “This investment, through Research Ireland’s Pathway programme, will support emerging researchers in their journey from postdoctoral work towards establishing themselves as independent investigators. The projects receiving funding span a broad range of disciplines, ensuring a broad impact on scientific discovery and societal progress. By aligning with Ireland’s national research priorities, these projects will help drive advancements in key sectors such as healthcare, environmental sustainability, history and education.”
Among the 36 projects to be funded are 5 UCD projects:
Commenting on the awards, Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO, Research Ireland, said “Our Pathway programme equips promising researchers with the resources needed to reach the next level and help drive impactful discoveries. These projects will contribute valuable insights into pressing global and national issues including public health policy, digital well-being, technological advancements, healthcare and more.”
The funding, covering a four-year period, will support researchers and provide resources to establish independent research careers. This targeted investment will provide each project with additional support for a postgraduate student who will be primarily supervised by the awardee.
Co-funders in this Research Ireland Pathway programme investment are the Environmental Protection Agency (4 projects), Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (2 projects), and Met Éireann (1 project), and have contributed a total of €1.7 million to the programme.