HTH Centre of Excellence
The goal of the cross-disciplinary international Hybrid Technology Hub - Centre for Organ on a Chip-Technology is to develop an open source “organ on a chip" platform that reproduces core functionalities of the human body and allows real time data acquisition upon exposure to therapeutic reagents. A current focus is on energy metabolism regulating organs.
Dr. Hanne Scholz is the Vice Director of the HTH Centre of Excellence and partaking in the work package focusing on organoids. She is also the leader of the research group Experimental Cell Transplantation.
Her group consist of 10 members with research background in medicine, biology, stem cell biology, tissue engineering, transplantation and laboratory engineering. The research is focused on the development of beta cell replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes and on understanding human islet cell biology.
Along the experimental research line, the group has contributed to several studies showing that human islets can be protected from a diabetic micro-environmental stress such as inflammation and hyperglycaemia. They actively participate in European networks of leading islet laboratories that investigate and improve the methodology for the isolation process of islets from donor pancreas as documented by a series of publications. They are continuing to develop innovative approaches using 3D bioprinting technology for delivery of pancreatic islets with supporting cells that will allow us to define alternative graft sites. These studies form a basis for optimizing the design of an OoC platform for ex vivo islet survival and long-term functionality.
Dr. Hanne Scholz is also representing the Hybrid Technology Hub in the steering committee in the newly established Research School for Training the Next Generation of Micro- and Nanotechnology Researchers in Norway (TNNN). The school will contribute both to raising the quality of Norwegian micro and nano research and to making PhD education in Micro and Nano Science and Technology more relevant.
Read more about the HTH Centre of Excellence and the research and collaboration conducted on site and internationally.