Yogyakarta – Yijie Lie, a PhD student from the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), The University of Strasbourg, France, successfully completed the BioTUNE research project at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) on Friday (24 May 2024). This program, focusing on the development of biomedical scaffolds—particularly antimicrobial polyelectrolyte coatings on medical substrates—ran from April 19 and was supervised by Prof. Ika Dewi Ana from the Department of Biomedical Sciences, FKG UGM.
During her research, Yijie applied polyelectrolyte coatings to products developed by Prof. Ika’s research team. She also conducted microbiological experiments to test the antimicrobial efficacy of the coatings. Additionally, Yijie gained insights into biomedical scaffold fabrication, which holds potential applications in dentistry. This research program aimed to enhance innovation in biomedical scaffolds and bioengineering while strengthening research collaboration between UGM and INSERM.
Furthermore, the BioTUNE program marks a significant step in advancing biomedical sciences, with the hope that its contributions will support safer and more effective medical technology in Indonesia. This success also represents an important milestone in Yijie’s academic journey.
Following his research at UGM, he successfully defended his PhD dissertation, titled "Engineering and Application of Antimicrobial Polyelectrolyte Coatings: Development with Novel Coating Devices," on Wednesday (25 September 2024) at Université Strasbourg, France. This research was conducted at the Biomaterials and Bioengineering Laboratory, a collaboration between INSERM, Université Strasbourg, and SPARTHA Medical, under the supervision of Dr. Philippe Lavalle and Dr. Engin Vrana.
The BioTUNE project also supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3, by contributing to the development of safer medical products, and Goal 9, by driving technological advancements in biomedical scaffolds and implants. Additionally, the collaboration between UGM and INSERM supports Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by strengthening international research and innovation networks.
With the success of the BioTUNE project, UGM and INSERM are expected to continue their collaboration to further advance science and technology while making a positive impact on society.
Authors: Tia & Pram
