The Biometals, Coatings, and Devices Group – BCD Group is dedicated to the research, development, and evaluation of materials within the field of biomedical engineering, with a particular emphasis on metallic materials.

With personalized medicine as a guiding principle, the BCD Group aims to create medical solutions (materials, implants, or biomedical devices) tailored to each patient’s specific needs. This involves selecting the appropriate material (an alloy, composite, or multimaterial), and determining the optimal manufacturing technique.

The BCD Group strives to investigate at the intersection of fundamental and applied research. The goal is to generate foundational knowledge for the design and production of innovative materials that achieve optimal biological performance. This can be achieved by controlling the composition, degradation, and tissue interaction of the material, which in some cases may require advanced coatings.

The group’s research scope encompasses various forms of materials, including scaffolds, meshes, particles, and dense bodies. The purpose is to address the entire production chain, from the rational material design, including composition and structure, to comprehensive validation and characterization at microstructural, mechanical, and corrosion resistance levels. Additionally, this process will be validated through an in vitro biological evaluation at the cellular and molecular levels, facilitating the transition to preclinical in vivo evaluations in collaboration with other research centers and hospitals.

Materials: Magnesium, Zinc, Titanium, Polymers (such as PLA, PCL, PGS, PCEC), Carbon Nanotubes, Nitinol.

Manufacturing Techniques and material characterization: 3D Printing (Laser Powder Bed Deposition (LPBD), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), 3D Printing Pellet Extruder), casting, dynamic and mechanical loading bioreactor, advanced microscopy (SEM, EDS, Confocal), molecular cells testing (western blot, PCR).

Coatings: PEO, Electrodeposition, Hydrothermal coating, Nanoparticles.

Applications: Cardiovascular Stents, Bone Implants, Osteochondral Replacement, Treatment of Brain Tumors, Treatment of Tropical Diseases (Leishmaniasis and Chagas).

• 2024 – 2029: Zinchronous: “A new generation of degradable 3D-printed medical devices based on Zn-alloys”. “Ayudas de atracción de talento investigator “César Nombela 2023” of the Regional Government of Madrid. 
• 2023 – 2026: BIOFUN3D: “Controlled degradation of bioabsorbable implants through the introduction of functional gradients using 3D printing”. Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento; State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation.
• 2022-2023: DITTCe “Implantable device for brain tumor treatment using electrical fields”. (PLEC2022-009308), financed by MCIN/AE1/10.139/501100011033 and the European Union “Next Generation EU/PRTR”.
• 2021-2024: i-IMPLANTS-CM “Printing of metamaterials using shape memory alloys and functional gradients for a new generation of smart implants”. Comunidad de Madrid, Synergy program. 
• 2021-2022: MAMP-CM Project “Materials and models against pandemics” REACT-EU call in response to COVID-19”. 

• 2024: Postdoctoral fellowship program Junior Leader “La Caixa”, Retained.
• 2024 – 2029: Ayudas de atracción de talento “César Nombela 2023”, Regional Government of Madrid. 
• 2020-2022: Postdoctoral Researcher Juan de la Cierva (Formación), Spain. 
• 2021: Ada Byron Award for Women in Technology Chapter, Colombia. 
• 2019: Talented Young Scientist Program (TYSP), Government of People’s Republic of China. 
• 2018: EXPLORE Materials Chain (EXMAC), University Alliance Ruhr, Germany.
• 2017: First place Final Pitch Leaders in Innovation Fellowships Programme, Royal Academy of Engineering, UK. 
• 2017: LIF Programme ‘The Royal Academy of Engineering, London, UK. 
• 2017: Best Oral Presentation Award,W.J. Kolff institute, The Netherlands. 
• 2015-2016: Scholarship EURICA Erasmus Mundus Action 2 consortium, The Netherlands.
• 2015: Scholarship international mobility program “Enlazamundos”, Sapiencia, Colombia.
• 2014: ISCOMS Research Fellowship (IRF) ERIBA, University of Groningen. 
• 2014-2018: D. studies COLCIENCIAS, Colombia.

2024

• Ali; J. Ordoño; A. Kopp; C. González; M. Echeverry-Rendón; J. LLorca – Cytocompatibility, cell-material interaction, and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts in contact with engineered Mg/PLA composites. Journal Of Biomedical Materials Research Part A , 2024. DOI: DOI10.1002/jbm.a.37767
• Aguirre Ocampo; O. Galvis; J. Guillermo Castaño; S. Robledo; F. Echeverría, M. Echeverry-Rendón – Functionalization of modified titanium by plasma electrolytic oxidation with antibiotic and cell adhesion promoters to improve osseointegration processes. Surface And Coatings Technology 481, 2024. DOI: DOI10.1016/j.surfcoat.2024.130680
• Echeverry-Rendón; L.F. Berrio; S.M. Robledo; J.A. Calderón; J.G. Castaño; F. Echeverria – Corrosion Resistance and Biological Properties of Pure Magnesium Modified by PEO in Alkaline Phosphate Solutions. Corrosion And Materials Degradation 4, 196-211, 2024. DOI: DOI10.3390/cmd4020012

2023

• Ribeiro; A. Vázquez-López; M. Vazquez-Pufleau; M. Llamosí; J. Sempere; J. Yuste; M. Domenech; D.Y. Wang; J.J. Vilatela; J. LLorca; M. Echeverry-Rendón – Control of microbial agents by functionalization of commercial air filters with metal oxide particles. Materials Chemistry And Physics 313, 2023. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2023.128684
• T. Ocampo; V.M. Valencia; S.M. Robledo, Y.A. Upegui Zapata; L.M. Restrepo Múnera; F. Echeverría; M. Echeverry-Rendón – Biological response of degradation products of PEO-modified magnesium on vascular tissue cells, hemocompatibility and its influence on the inflammatory response. Biomaterials Advances 154, 2023. DOI: DOI10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213645
• YY; Fernández-Blanco. JP; Yin. GZ; Wang. DY; LLorca. J; Echeverry-Rendón. M – A strategy to tailor the mechanical and degradation properties of PCL-PEG-PCL based copolymers for biomedical application. European Polymer Journal 198, 2023. DOI: DOI10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2023.112388
• Ali, W, Echeverry-Rendon, M, Kopp, A, González, C, LLorca, J – Effect of surface modification on interfacial behaivor in bioabsorbable magnesium wire reinforced poly-lactic acid polymer composites. Npj Materials Degradation 7, 2023. DOI: DOI10.1038/s41529-023-00386-x
• Hernández-Montes, R. Buitrago-Sierra, Mónica Echeverry-Rendón, J. F. Santa-Marín – Ceria-based coatings on magnesium alloys for biomedical applications: a literature review. Rsc Advances 13, 1422-1433, 2023. DOI: 10.1039/D2RA06312C

2022

• Echeverry-Rendon, Monica; Echeverria, Felix; Buikema, Hendrik; Harmsen, Martin C.; Krenning, Guido – Endothelial function after the exposition of magnesium degradation products. Biomaterials Advances 134-112693, 2022. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2022.112693
• Echeverry-Rendon, M; Stancic, B; Muizer, K; Duque, V; Calderon, DJ; Echeverria, F; Harmsen, MC – Cytotoxicity Assessment of Surface-Modified Magnesium Hydroxide Nanoparticles. Acs Omega 21, 17528-17537, 2022. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c06515

2021

• Ali, Wahaaj; Echeverry-Rendon, Monica; Kopp, Alexander; Gonzalez, Carlos; LLorca, Javier – Strength, corrosion resistance and cellular response of interfaces in bioresorbable poly-lactic acid/Mg fiber composites for orthopedic applications. Journal Of The Mechanical Behavior Of Biomedical Materials 123, 104781-104781, 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104781
• Aguirre Ocampo, Robinson; Echeverry-Rendon, Monica; Robledo, Sara; Echeverria Echeverria, Felix – Effect of TiO2 nanotubes size, heat treatment, and UV irradiation on osteoblast behavior. Materials Chemistry And Physics 275, 125137-125137, 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2021.125137