Exit Iceland – SINPAIN Progress Meeting held in Reykjavik

On 21-22 May 2024, the SINPAIN team had the unique opportunity to hold the bi-annual Progress Meeting in beautiful Iceland. The meeting was hosted by Paolo Gargiulo and his team at Reykjavik University.

Two years into the project, we are reaching a critical phase with our experiments and are eager to see if the results achieved so far prove promising enough to move forward as planned. After 1.5 days of lively and stimulating scientific discussions among the partners, we are happy to come to the conclusion that we can be quite optimistic about it. In the next months, the partners involved in the development of the RNA-based nanoformulations, in the safety studies of the advanced nanotherapeutics and in the in vitro modelling will have to find the most promising candidate for the upcoming experiments at Saarland University starting later this year.

Paolo and his team also gave us a tour through their lab at the Institute of Biomedical and Neural Engineering (BNE). Within SINPAIN, the Reykjavik team’s main goal is to develop a patient-specific multiscale profile capable of accurately describing cartilage and bone conditions. They do so with collecting and assessing different parameters illustrating cartilage tissues. During the tour, they showed us their 3D printing facilities but also let us experience firsthand their innovative Motion Sickness Lab.

The meeting closed with a keynote speech from Olafur Sigurjonsson, Director of R&D and stem cell processing at the blood bank and Dean of School of Technology, Reykajvik University; professor in tissue engineering, giving us an insight into metabolomics.

Thank you, Paolo Gargiulo and Magnús Kjartan Gíslason, for a great meeting and a unique experience!