BCMaterials Brings Its Materials for a Better Life to Zientzia Astea

BCMaterials took part in a new edition of EHU's Zientzia Astea (Science Week), held from 3 to 8 November. As usual, our centre hosted one of the science stands that remained active throughout the week at Bizkaia Aretoa. Hundreds of people visited our stand, including primary and secondary school students, families, and members of the general public. The aim was to showcase the many applications of materials science and its impact on people's lives through simple, engaging experiments.

Materials for healthcare played a prominent role at our stand. One of the most popular activities was the hydrogel experiment, which allowed visitors to create their own material using alginate, a natural biomaterial. The BCMaterials research team explained how hydrogels are being investigated for controlled drug delivery, advanced wound dressings, and tissue regeneration.

From Tissue Engineering to Functional Printing

Tissue regeneration was also the focus of a demonstration using a microscope displayed at the BCMaterials stand. A bone tissue sample allowed visitors to observe the development and maturation of cartilage cells. BCMaterials has investigated this process of bone tissue maturation with the support of hydrogels and piezoelectric materials.

Within the healthcare area, we also showcased the potential of 2D and 3D printing technologies through a live printing demonstration. This provided an opportunity to explain other applications of both technologies in materials science, including printed electronics, a field of extensive research at BCMaterials.

More Than 20 Researchers Involved

The final demonstration featured metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The experiment aimed to show how these specially designed materials can capture pollutants from water while simultaneously recovering valuable elements for subsequent reuse in industrial processes.

Zientzia Astea is a key science outreach event for BCMaterials, as it offers an exceptional opportunity to communicate the value of science to society and reach a wide audience. More than 20 BCMaterials researchers took part in the stand over the six days of the event, making it a highly rewarding experience for everyone involved.