Mariachiara Conti

I have joined Dimartino's group in October 2019 to work on 3D printed devices for the separation of biologics.
I was raised in Abruzzo, a region in central Italy, and carried out my studies at the University of Bologna where I completed a BSc in Chemistry and a MEng in Chemical Engineering. In my last year I was awarded with a travel grant by the University of Bologna to carry out my final MEng project at the Institute for Bioengineering at the University of Edinburgh, where I worked on the development of a 3D printed immobilised enzyme bioreactor in Dr. Dimartino's group. This opened my eyes to the vast opportunities of 3D printed complex structures in industrial biotechnology settings. During this time, my group and I made a video explaining how bespoke 3D printed structures can fast forward the separation sciences. Together, we won the 1st prize at the HPLC 2019 contest in Milan. The aim of my research is to develop bespoke devices and materials for the manufacture of life changing drugs. 3D printing enables fabrication of purification devices with custom and ordered designs that will maximize production efficiency while minimising costs. This will represent a significant step change from traditional separation methods still relying on technologies developed in 1940. During this project, I will implement 3D printing technology to serve the healthcare needs by developing a 3D printable materials with a complex geometry to address FDBK separation challenges.
My project is cofounded by FDBK (in the framework of the FDB Centre of Excellence in Bioprocessing 2.0) and Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering.