Dr Gabriella Lindberg

Position	Research Fellow
Department	Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine (Christchurch)
Research summary	Bioresponsive hydrogels, biomaterials, 3D-biofabrication, CReaTE Research Group

Research

Working at the interface of molecular research, biology, chemistry, material science and technology, Dr Lindberg’s research is in pursuit of a blueprint to bridge the gap between engineered and native tissues.

Dr Lindberg is currently a Research Fellow in the Christchurch Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering (CReaTE) Group, University of Otago, Christchurch. Her expertise lies in engineering and integrating structure-function relationships by developing bioresponsive hydrogel biomaterials and applying 3D-biofabrication technologies to replace and/or regenerate damaged and diseased cartilage or bone tissues.p>

Research interests

Dr Lindberg's research is focused on the design of cell-instructive photo-polymerisable hydrogel bioinks and bioresins that mimics the native architectural organisation and biological niche, capable of adapting to the constantly changing micro-environment as the new tissue is forming. She further strives to apply these technologies to study how cells respond to being the engineers themselves compared to environmental signals dictated by researchers.

The development of smart chemical and biological toolkits for tissue engineering applications may provide us with a better understanding of cell-material and cell-extra cellular matrix interactions to help engineering constructs with sufficient tissue quality that further replicates the native 3D organisation.

With only 3 years post-PhD, Dr. Lindberg has secured $615k in contestable funding as PI, including the prestigious Emerging Researcher First Grant ($250k). She furthermore holds a provisional patent and is named investigator on grant funded projects worth over $2.7M.

Her research is part of larger collaborative projects involving both national and international collaborators in the likes of Germany, Netherlands and Australia.

Research projects

Bioinks for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

We explore the design of cell-instructive hydrogels for promotion of functional cartilage tissue in vitro through the identification of controllable chemistry systems and biocomplex matrix components. The combination of chemistry (thiol-ene and methacryloyl), biological (heparin, Vitreous humor, gelatin and hyaluronic acid) and physical (photo-initiating systems and macromolecules) elegantly widened the biofabrication window, establishing structure to function relationships and enhancing cartilage differentiation.

3D-bioassembly of clinically relevant orthopaedic replacement grafts

We explore a roadmap for scalable, reproducible, automated, large-scale biofabrication of tissue engineered products with a high level of cell–cell interaction in combination with structurally reinforcing scaffolds using bottom-up modular 3D-bioassembly technologies.

Oxygen Control in 3D-bioprinted osteochondral constructs

We explore how oxygen can serve as both a metabolic substrate and as a signaling molecule by incorporating biological and synthetic oxygen releasing/generating compounds into bioinks to gain spatial-temporal control over oxygen concentrations.

Personalised 3D Tissue Models: Reducing Health Inequities in Cartilage Therapies

We explore demographic inequities by screening and identifying donor variability and subsequently developing smart, patient-specific, 3D-models and bioimplants to counteract reduced cell regeneration potential in both healthy and diseased osteoarthritic environments.

Publications

Soliman, B. G., Longoni, A., Wang, M., Li, W., Bernal, P. N., Cianciosi, A., Lindberg, G. C. J., … Woodfield, T. B. F., … Lim, K. S. (2023). Programming delayed dissolution into sacrificial bioinks for dynamic temporal control of architecture within 3D-bioprinted constructs. Advanced Functional Materials, 2210521. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/adfm.202210521

Veenendaal, L., Longoni, A., Hooper, G. J., Lim, K. S., Woodfield, T. B. F., & Lindberg, G. C. J. (2022). 3D-bioassembly of VH-spheroids for cartilage regeneration: In vitro evaluation of chondrogenesis, fusion and lateral integration. Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2200882. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/admi.202200882

Cui, X., Alcala-Orozco, C. R., Baer, K., Li, J., Murphy, C. A., Durham, M., Lindberg, G., Hooper, G. J., Lim, K. S., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2022). 3D bioassembly of cell-instructive chondrogenic and osteogenic hydrogel microspheres containing allogeneic stem cells for hybrid biofabrication of osteochondral constructs. Biofabrication, 14(3), 034101. doi: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac61a3

Li, J., Cui, X., Lindberg, G. C. J., Alcala-Orozco, C. R., Hooper, G. J., Lim, K. S., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2022). Hybrid fabrication of photo-clickable vascular hydrogels with additive manufactured titanium implants for enhanced osseointegration and vascularized bone formation. Biofabrication, 14(3), 034103. doi: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac6051

Lindberg, G. C. J., Cui, X., Durham, M., Veenendaal, L., Schon, B. S., Hooper, G. J., Lim, K. S., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2021). Probing multicellular tissue fusion of cocultured spheroids: A 3D-bioassembly model. Advanced Science, 8(22), 2103320. doi: 10.1002/advs.202103320

Journal - Research Article

Lindberg, G. C. J., Lim, K. S., Soliman, B. G., Nguyen, A., Hooper, G. J., Narayan, R. J., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2021). Biological function following radical photo-polymerization of biomedical polymers and surrounding tissues: Design considerations and cellular risk factors. Applied Physics Reviews, 8(1), 011301. doi: 10.1063/5.0015093

Journal - Research Article

Longoni, A., Li, J., Lindberg, G. C. J., Rnjak-Kovacina, J., Wise, L. M., Hooper, G. J., Woodfield, T. B. F., Kieser, D. C., & Lim, K. S. (2021). Strategies for inclusion of growth factors into 3D printed bone grafts. Essays in Biochemistry, 65(3), 569-585. doi: 10.1042/ebc20200130

Journal - Research Article

Yang, K.-H., Lindberg, G., Soliman, B., Lim, K., Woodfield, T., & Narayan, R. J. (2021). Effect of photoinitiator on precursory stability and curing depth of thiol-ene clickable gelatin. Polymers, 13(11), 1877. doi: 10.3390/polym13111877

Journal - Research Article

Lim, K. S., Galarraga, J. H., Cui, X., Lindberg, G. C. J., Burdick, J. A., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2020). Fundamentals and applications of photo-cross-linking in bioprinting. Chemical Reviews, 120, 10662-10694. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00812

Journal - Research Article

Soliman, B. G., Lindberg, G. C. J., Jungst, T., Hooper, G. J., Groll, J., Woodfield, T. B. F., & Lim, K. S. (2020). Stepwise control of crosslinking in a one-pot system for bioprinting of low-density bioinks. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 9, 1901544. doi: 10.1002/adhm.201901544

Journal - Research Article

Lim, K. S., Klotz, B. J., Lindberg, G. C. J., Melchels, F. P. W., Hooper, G. J., Malda, J., … Woodfield, T. B. F. (2019). Visible light cross-linking of gelatin hydrogels offers an enhanced cell microenvironment with improved light penetration depth. Macromolecular Bioscience, 19(6), 1900098. doi: 10.1002/mabi.201900098

Journal - Research Article

Lindberg, G. C. J., Longoni, A., Lim, K. S., Rosenberg, A. J., Hooper, G. J., Gawlitta, D., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2019). Intact vitreous humor as a potential extracellular matrix hydrogel for cartilage tissue engineering applications. Acta Biomaterialia, 85, 117-130. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.12.022

Journal - Research Article

Mekhileri, N. V., Lim, K. S., Brown, G. C. J., Mutreja, I., Schon, B. S., Hooper, G. J., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2018). Automated 3D bioassembly of micro-tissues for biofabrication of hybrid tissue engineered constructs. Biofabrication, 10(2). doi: 10.1088/1758-5090/aa9ef1

Journal - Research Article

Bertlein, S., Brown, G., Lim, K. S., Jungst, T., Boeck, T., Blunk, T., … Hooper, G. J., Woodfield, T. B. F., & Groll, J. (2017). Thiol-ene clickable gelatin: A platform bioink for multiple 3D biofabrication technologies. Advanced Materials, 29(44), 1703404. doi: 10.1002/adma.201703404

Journal - Research Article

Brown, G. C. J., Lim, K. S., Farrugia, B. L., Hooper, G. J., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2017). Covalent incorporation of heparin improves chondrogenesis in photocurable gelatin-methacryloyl hydrogels. Macromolecular Bioscience, 17(12), 1700158. doi: 10.1002/mabi.201700158

Journal - Research Article

Lim, K. S., Schon, B. S., Mekhileri, N. V., Brown, G. C. J., Chia, C. M., Prabakar, S., Hooper, G. J., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2016). New visible-light photoinitiating system for improved print fidelity in gelatin-based bioinks. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 2, 1752-1762. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00149

Journal - Research Article

Massoud, A. A., Langer, V., Gohar, Y. M., Abu-Youssef, M. A. M., Jänis, J., Lindberg, G., … Öhrström, L. (2013). Effects of different substituents on the crystal structures and antimicrobial activities of six Ag(I) quinoline compounds. Inorganic Chemistry, 52, 4046-4060. doi: 10.1021/ic400081v

Journal - Research Article

Naghieh, S., Lindberg, G., Tamaddon, M., & Liu, C. (2021). Biofabrication strategies for musculoskeletal disorders: Evolution towards clinical applications. Bioengineering, 8(9), 123. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering8090123

Journal - Research Other

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Dr Gabriella Lindberg

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