PIF2025 - Bacterial Cellulose as engineered living material - (PID2024-157637OB-I00)

ELM for healthcare applications is a rapidly evolving area of research, combining principles from biology, materials science, and engineering. Living materials—biological systems that can respond dynamically to environmental changes—offer unique advantages over traditional synthetic materials due to their ability to self-repair, adapt, and perform complex functions that mimic natural processes. Although research in this area is limited, BC is emerging as an important material for ELM, where BC acts as a polymeric matrix (providing structural or scaffolding functions), incorporating living cells as the second bioactive component (enabling responsive functions). BC brings several advantageous traits to the ELM, including its biocompatibility, water/culturing media holding capacity, conformability, and ability to be cast into different shapes.