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From 19 July to 25 July 2025, Prof. Alicja Stanisławska, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biomaterials Technology, Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland, visited on an mobility the , , University of Malta.

Assistant Prof.  Alicja Stanisławska is from Gdańsk University of Technology in Poland. She holds a Bachelor's degree in biotechnology and a Master's degree in mechanical-medical engineering. In 2018, she earned her PhD in materials engineering, focusing on the production methods of bacterial nanocellulose and their influence on mechanical properties. Her primary research interests involve biomaterials for medical applications, with a particular emphasis on the use of nanocellulose in dermatology, dentistry, and cardiac surgery. She is a co-inventor of a patent related to the production of bacterial nanocellulose for use in artificial heart valve prostheses. In addition, she specializes in nanoindentation techniques, and in 2023, she published a scientific monograph titled "Contact Mechanics in the Characterization of Engineering Materials".

During her one-week stay, Prof. Stanisławska presented a seminar titled “Technology for the production of nanocellulose-based composites for applications in regenerative medicine, cardiac surgery, and bone tissue engineering”. The seminar was attended by academic staff, technical experts, and research support officers from the University of Malta. It also provided an opportunity to broaden the scope of collaborative research efforts between the two institutions.

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Abstract of the seminar: 

Nanocellulose (NC) is a promising biomaterial for biomedical applications due to its excellent structural, chemical, and biological properties. This presentation compares two types of nanocellulose: bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) and SCOBY-derived nanocellulose (SCNC), both of which exhibit similar structural and morphological characteristics.

Functionalisation was carried out using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and hyaluronic acid for applications in chronic wound healing and cardiovascular implants, and using hydroxyapatite (HAp) for dental and bone tissue regeneration. The study highlights that while AgNPs significantly improve antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, high silver concentrations induce cytotoxicity.

Therefore, optimizing silver content is essential to balance antimicrobial effectiveness and biocompatibility. Structural and surface analyses (SEM, FTIR, XRD), as well as mechanical testing, confirm the integrity and suitability of both BNC and SCNC as scaffolding materials. The results support the potential of functionalized nanocellulose in targeted biomedical applications, provided that careful control of functionalization parameters is maintained.