Angela Debruyne

Bringing together live, quantitative, multi-parameter, minimally invasive or label-free optical imaging approaches is hypothesized to help solve problems of heterogeneity of stem cell-derived constructs, provide better control and help validating and choosing best regenerative medicine approaches to the patients, such as organ replacement, or solutions for advanced biofabrication methods. 

Our team continuously develops optical biosensor tools and probes enabling real-time O2 monitoring in the cells and extracellular matrix in a minimally invasive way. To do this, we employ phenomena of the ‘phosphorescence quenching’ and a variety of chemically modified dyes, nanosensors, and solid-state materials. Furthermore, we seek tools not only for measuring O2 gradients in 3D but also for manipulating them, using O2-binding materials with predictable release kinetics.

Additionally, we are developing new advanced biosensor scaffold materials and biosensors for imaging cell metabolism (pH, Ca2+, glucose, and temperature) in stem and cancer cell-based 3D tissue models and are optimizing their use in multi-parameter 3D fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) or ratiometric widefield fluorescent microscopy of multicellular spheroids, microaggregates, bioprinted constructs, and organoids.
 

• Bright and Photostable TADF‐Emitting Zirconium(IV) Pyridinedipyrrolide Complexes: Efficient Dyes for Decay Time‐Based Temperature Sensing and Imaging (February 2023). Advanced Optical Materials. DOI: 10.1002/adom.202202720 
• Balance between the cell viability and death in 3D. (September 2022). Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 144(5547- DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.09.005
   

• Lab address: Tissue engineering and Biomaterials Lab, Department of Human structure and repair, Ghent University, UZ Gent campus, entrance 46, 6B3, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Gent, Belgium
• Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Group
• LinkedIn 
• Angela Debruyne is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks