InGRID – the Interdisciplinary Group for Resorbable Implant Development was established in 2025 to accelerate research and innovation in implants that naturally dissolve within the human body. Biodegradable implants hold the potential to eliminate the need for secondary surgeries to remove implants, reduce the risk of hypersensitivity reactions, and actively support healing, particularly in trauma and orthopedic applications. Through our work, we strive to enhance patients’ quality of life while driving innovations that make healthcare more effective and affordable.
InGRID News
Our Ph.D. student Théo Raffort has published his first article
Our Ph.D. student Theo Raffort has published his article titled "Assessing the superelastic properties of SPS NiTi alloy by nanoindentation", as part of the InGRID group’s research activities. We are pleased to share this contribution, which advances the understanding of superelastic behavior in NiTi alloys.
The study focuses on a superelastic Nitinol alloy synthesized by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and investigated using nanoindentation. It demonstrates that spherical indentation provides a more accurate assessment of superelastic properties than the conventional Berkovich tip. A strong agreement between nanoindentation and cyclic tensile tests was also observed.
The results reveal that the SPS-processed alloy exhibits superior superelastic recovery compared to a commercial material, highlighting the great potential of SPS for producing high-performance superelastic alloys. This work also confirms nanoindentation as a reliable tool for the rapid characterization of such materials and benefited from the guidance of supervisors and the support of the FerrMion project.
First InGRID article within our GAČR Junior Star project!
Our master’s student Leonard Hlodák has published his article titled Micromechanical and biodegradation properties of a rapidly solidified Mg-1.3Zn alloy with gradient microstructure. We are very proud of this achievement, as the article originated from Leonard’s bachelor’s thesis and was published in the prestigious journal Materials & Design (IF = 7.9).
The work represents a strong collaborative effort within the InGRID group at FNSPE CTU in Prague. Advanced correlative microscopy and vacuum arc melting were employed, and our Ph.D. student Jiří Liška contributed significantly by carrying out a series of corrosion and biodegradation experiments. In addition to the substantial contributions from the InGRID team within the GAČR Junior Star project, the study also made use of resources from the OP JAK FerrMion project (arc melting and nanoindentation).
By combining vacuum arc melting, annealing, nanoindentation, and biodegradation testing within a single sample, the study provides comprehensive insight into the micromechanical behavior and degradation performance of the Mg-Zn-Mn alloy, which we intend to investigate further as a possible platform for our biodegradable implants.
Presenting InCReMI at the IHI Brokerage Event 2025
This week in Brussels, Karel Tesař presented our pitch “Interdisciplinary Consortium for Resorbable Metallic Implants (InCReMI)” at the IHI Brokerage Event 2025, organized by the Innovative Health Initiative.
Why resorbable metallic implants?
Permanent implants often lead to secondary surgeries, which take surgical time, raise costs, and reduce patient comfort. Hypersensitivity reactions to certain metals are another concern. Resorbable magnesium-based implants offer a promising path to reduce second procedures and improve outcomes.
What we proposed
InCReMI outlines a pre-competitive collaboration where universities, research institutes, SMEs, and industry co-develop a difficult to certify (Class III) implant concept. The plan is to jointly iterate prototypes, share data, align on regulatory strategy, and build the experience needed for future first-in-human studies. The approach is staged over several years, from problem selection and pilot prototypes to a stable design with verified testing routes.
Slides and the event recording are available on the IHI event page.
About
InGRID was founded in 2025 at the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering (FNSPE) of the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) as a direct result of the GACR Junior Star project (25-17788M) awarded by the Czech Science Foundation (GACR): Dynamic testing and in vitro–in vivo correlation of magnesium implants: multidisciplinary challenges. Although the group leader, K. Tesař, is based in the Department of Materials, InGRID is designed to tackle a broad spectrum of topics. Its members come from various FNSPE departments, including the Department of Solid State Engineering and the Department of Radiation Chemistry.
However, the reach of InGRID extends far beyond FNSPE alone. To effectively address the interdisciplinary challenges in the research and development of resorbable implants, we are fortunate to collaborate with a wide range of external group members and collaborators. Among these, a prominent partner is the FZU – Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Here, K. Tesař works within the Department of Dielectrics, while our deputy group leader, J. Pinc, is based at the Department of Functional Materials.
We believe that fundamental research on resorbable metallic implants, particularly those based on magnesium and zinc, is crucial to overcoming the current challenges in implant development. Key questions remain unanswered: the origins of in vitro–in vivo correlation factors are still not fully understood; effective strategies to suppress and repurpose the hydrogen generated during magnesium implant degradation are lacking; and many alloys could benefit from optimization through advanced metallurgical approaches.
To achieve these goals and more, InGRID provides a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration, covering the entire pathway of implant development. Our work spans from mathematical modelling and the use of artificial intelligence for alloy design, through implant manufacturing and characterization, to corrosion testing and biological evaluation. To ensure effective communication and targeted progress, InGRID is organized into ten specialized subgroups, each focusing on a specific area. For example, InGRID-MANU is dedicated to the manufacturing of semi-products and implants.
Yet, we do not intend to stop there. We recognize that for research to truly benefit society, it must be effectively translated into practice. That is why we actively pursue knowledge transfer and welcome collaboration with implant manufacturers and other industry partners.
As a university-based research group, we are proud that many of our members are students. We actively welcome not only doctoral candidates but also bachelor’s and master’s students who are interested in our research topics. FNSPE holds a unique position in the Czech Republic, encompassing most of the disciplines necessary for the development of new implants. We therefore hope that our reach will continue to expand into other fields of study that can support and strengthen our goals.
Despite our group’s name, our research extends beyond the development of resorbable implants alone. We are also engaged in studying other implant materials, such as titanium and titanium alloys produced through severe plastic deformation techniques, conventional machining, and 3D printing, as well as shape-memory and superelastic alloys like Nitinol for biomedical applications. Additionally, we explore quasicrystal-strengthened magnesium alloys and quasicrystals themselves. We believe that broadening our collaborations and applying our infrastructure to diverse topics can bring fresh insights to our core research, particularly in the fields of materials characterization and manufacturing.
Collaborations
We are fortunate to collaborate with a number of domestic and international partners. In addition to our close ties with FZU, we maintain a long-standing collaboration with the Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IRSM), particularly in the area of polymer coatings for our implants. As part of CTU, and together with FZU and IRSM, we strive to translate our joint research into practical applications. This has already resulted in a Czech national patent: Method of surface treatment of a material based on magnesium alloys. More recently, we have initiated a productive collaboration with the group led by P. Tichá at the Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, enabling us to extend our research to in vivo experiments and advanced histological evaluations.
In terms of industrial partners, we are looking forward to the collaboration with the Czech implant manufacturer Medin, a.s., regarding Mg- and Zn-based implants and their currently used titanium alternatives. Internationally, we maintain a long-standing partnership with the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Tsukuba, Japan, particularly in the areas of magnesium alloys, including their production, thermomechanical processing, and characterization. As part of this collaboration, our students regularly participate in the NIMS Internship Program, and we plan to send our Ph.D. students to the International Cooperative Graduate Program (ICGP) to further strengthen our ties and support their research development.