The Austrian Society for Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Molekulare Biowissenschaften und Biotechnologie, ÖGMBT) has honored five young researchers for their internationally outstanding work. Among the winners was Barbara Bachmann, member of the Competence Center for Mechanobiology at LBI Trauma and the Cell Chip Group at Vienna University of Technology, who received the award for her sensational dissertation. Due to the pandemic, the award ceremony took place on a small scale and the presentations were broadcasted online.
Barbara Bachmann develops organ-on-a-chip systems to apply mechanical stimuli to cellular systems. An organ-on-a-chip is a biochip that artificially simulates the function of organs. Bachmann developed such tissue models for vessels and cartilage. The insights gained from this not only contribute to basic research, but also have the potential to improve the effectiveness of vaccines and chemotherapeutic agents administered via the lymphatic system. Her work also provides important insights into the mechanobiology of cartilage, where dysfunction leads to arthritis. Her research has already resulted in several patents and the formation of a company. To honor her work, Barbara was awarded the Life Science PhD Award 2021 in the category applied research.
left to right: Benjamin Salzer, Barbara Bachmann, Domen Kampjut, Charlotte Zajc, Stefan Terlecki-Zaniewicz
© ÖGMBT/Philipp Schuster