BUT presented its research in bioengineering and biomedicine to an expert from the U.S. NIH

On May 26, Tuba Fehr, director of two programs at the influential National Institutes of Health (NIH), visited the Brno University of Technology. This agency is as much of an authority in global medical research as NASA is in space exploration. The distinguished scientist and manager toured the Brno University of Technology to see how researchers there are pushing the boundaries of bioengineering, biomedicine, and biotechnology. The guest’s intensive visit took her through the facilities of CEITEC BUT and three of the university’s faculties (FCH, FEEC, and FME).

Dr. Tuba Fehr and the Future Energy and Innovation research group, led by Martin Pumera at CEITEC BUT. | Author: Václav Koníček

The visit took place as part of the U.S. Embassy Science Fellows program, which offers researchers from U.S. government agencies the opportunity to engage in international collaboration in various strategic fields. In this particular case, the focus was on familiarizing participants with the Czech research environment and exploring opportunities for collaboration in bioengineering, biomedicine, and biotechnology. It is precisely in these areas that the NIH ranks among the world’s best.

At CEITEC VUT, Dr. Fehr toured the CEITEC Nano facilities, accompanied by Pavel Krečmer, deputy director of the research center. She then met with experts who are developing bioelectronic materials and advanced biomaterials for medicine, as well as those exploring pathways to the sustainable energy of the future. Specifically, Lucy Vojtová from the Advanced Biomaterials Laboratory demonstrated 3D bioprinting of hydrogels with living cells; Eric Glowacki from the Bioelectronic Materials and Devices research group presented the development of biomedical devices and procedures capable of wirelessly stimulating the nervous system; and researchers from the Future Energy and Innovation laboratory, led by Martin Pumera, introduced visitors to current projects in the fields of micro- and nanorobots in biomedical applications, flexible wearable sensors, and 3D printing technologies.

Eric Glowacki from the Bioelectronic Materials and Devices research group presented the development of biomedical devices and procedures capable of wirelessly stimulating the nervous system. | Author: Václav Koníček

Ucy Vojtová (right) from the CEITEC BUT Advanced Biomaterials Laboratory demonstrated 3D bioprinting of hydrogels containing living cells. | Author: Václav Koníček

Next, Dr. Fehr visited the Faculty of Chemistry BUT which showcased its biotechnology facilities. There, she got a behind-the-scenes look at the Department of Food Chemistry and Biotechnology and the Department of Physical and Consumer Chemistry. “It was very interesting to see the active and genuine interest Dr. [Name] showed in the topics we presented to her. Perhaps this was also due to the fact that she herself holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry – chemistry and chemists are simply everywhere – and many of the topics presented were thus professionally relevant to her,” said Stanislav Obruča, Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry at BUT.

Dr. Fehr was welcomed at the FCH BUT by Dean Stanislav Obruča. | Author: Václav Koníček

The visit continued with a meeting at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication BUT. The program included a presentation of the department’s educational and scientific activities, the BioSys_BUT research group, and a tour of the department’s laboratory facilities.

Dr. Tuba Fehr in the laboratory of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the FEEC BUT. | Author: Oto Janoušek

The visit concluded at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering BUT. At the Department of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics, and Biomechanics, researchers presented projects linking mechanical engineering, medicine, and biology, such as research on artificial vocal cords or interdisciplinary collaboration focused on the mechanical properties of tumor cells.

At the Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics, and Biomechanics, researchers presented projects linking mechanical engineering, medicine, and biology. | Author: Iveta Hovorková

“There is a lot of very interesting research being conducted in the Czech Republic. And although I have collaborated with mechanical engineers on several occasions, I have never actually been to a mechanical engineering faculty. I am surprised by everything you do here,” said Dr. Fehr regarding the research topics presented at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Brno University of Technology.

Dr. Tuba Fehr earned her Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard University. She then conducted research at the University of Illinois Chicago on rare diseases in which cells lose the ability to break down waste products due to a genetic defect. Today at the NIH, she leads programs focused on cellular technologies and living materials. In the past, she has also addressed issues of science policy, public health, and mentoring young scientists.

Dr. Fehr’s visit to BUT was part of a broader program in Brno for the American expert, during which she also visited CEITEC MU and Mendel University. The trip to Brno also includes participation in the "Meet up 120" event organized by the JIC innovation agency, where he will meet with the Brno electron microscopy community.