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Sijtze Buwalda

Sijtze Buwalda

Researcher Scientist

Center · CEMEF

Keywords

Team

BIO - Polymères et Composites Biosourcés

Biography

Sijtze Buwalda is a researcher specializing in biomaterials and controlled-release systems for active ingredients. His work focuses primarily on the design and optimization of bio-based polymeric materials—including hydrogels, aerogels, and cryogels—for biomedical applications. His research explores the use of plant-derived polysaccharides, such as alginate, cellulose, pectin, and hyaluronic acid, as well as functionalized synthetic polymers, to develop materials with tunable properties (porosity, degradability, biocompatibility). A significant portion of his work focuses on the application of *click chemistry* and innovative cross-linking methods to improve the performance of hydrogels and drug delivery systems. His studies also include the analysis of mechanisms for the release of therapeutic molecules, the correlation between material structure and functional properties, and the evaluation of their stability and behavior in vitro and in vivo.

Publication(s)

Teaching

Implantable Devices and Materials for Medical Use

Lecturer

Syllabus The numerous and extremely varied concepts covered in this course will be illustrated by the teaching team using one or two real-life cases involving organs or tissues (dental, osteoarticular, cardiovascular, etc.) to serve as “guiding themes” throughout the course. During the first session, students will take on the role of an R&D team tasked with developing a material for a healthcare application. They will thus choose their own “guiding theme,” to which they will apply the various concepts covered from one class to the next. Each class session will be organized into three phases: - I - a presentation followed by a discussion during which a pair or trio of students will present how the material from the previous class applies to their project; - II - an introductory lecture on fundamental concepts or a presentation by a guest speaker (a physician, industry professional, or regulatory specialist); - III - a group work session to apply the concepts covered to the selected case study. Furthermore, once the case study has been selected, the teaching team will work with the students to contact one or more specialists in the field (physician, researcher, engineer, etc.), to whom a summary of the study will be presented at the end of the course in the form of a report and a project defense presentation. Students will thus be able to test their approach against the critical opinions of experts and professionals. Content The program will consist of six sessions during which the following concepts will be addressed: • the composition and organization of biological materials, • biocompatibility, bioactivity, biointegration, and bioresorbability, • the mechanical properties of tissues and their mechanical characterization in vivo and in vitro, • the major classes of biomaterials (polymers, metals, ceramics), • new manufacturing processes and the tissue engineering approach, • methods for evaluating the in-service performance of biomaterials and medical devices, • regulatory aspects, • consideration of medical constraints, • the industrial context.

PhD supervision

  • 2025 Magnetic granular aerogels for soft robotics PELLA Dario
  • 2024 Composite hydrogels for dual drug delivery VINCENT Carla
  • 2022 Biosourced nanocomposite hydrogels and aerogels for biomedical applications BOURAS Hiba
  • 2021 Development of hyaluronic acid-based materials LEGAY Laurianne
  • 2019 Chitosan-based aerogels and cryogels for wound treatment CHARTIER Coraline