InGRID Novinky

Our Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellow (MSCA-PF) Vickey Nandal has published his article entitled “Accelerating the Design of Resorbable Magnesium Alloys: A Machine Learning Approach to Property Prediction” in Materials & Design, which combines materials science and artificial intelligence to accelerate the development of next-generation biodegradable magnesium alloys for biomedical implants.

A main aspect of this work is the importance of interpretable machine learning (ML) in materials design. Predictive accuracy alone is not sufficient, understanding which compositional and processing parameters drive the model’s predictions is what transforms machine learning from a “black box” into a practical alloy design tool. The optimized ML model was also used to generate predictive property maps for Mg-Zn-Mn alloy systems, providing practical guidance for designing low-alloyed, high-performance biodegradable materials suitable for biomedical applications. This work highlights the strong potential of integrating artificial intelligence with materials engineering to accelerate the discovery and optimization of advanced bioresorbable alloys.

This research was supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) project AIDDRI (grant agreement No. 101154423) and FerrMion Project.

The InGRID group participated in the International Conference on Biomaterials in Shenzhen, China, presenting recent results on biodegradable magnesium alloys across both oral and poster sessions. The contributions reflected ongoing work on the design, processing, and performance of resorbable materials for medical applications.

Karel Tesař presented a talk titled Resorbable Mg-0.4Zn strands for bone fixation: pilot in vivo tests on minipigs, where he introduced the latest progress in the development of magnesium-based cerclage strands. The presentation covered both the mechanical behaviour of the strands and their biological response, with a focus on their performance under in vivo conditions and their potential use in reconstructive surgery.

In the poster sessions, Jiří Liška presented In vitro corrosion behavior of biodegradable Mg–Zn alloys for implant applications, addressing the relationship between alloy composition, degradation kinetics, and suitability for biomedical use. Leonard Hlodák presented his poster Micromechanical and biodegradation properties of a rapidly solidified Mg-1.3Zn alloy with gradient microstructure, focusing on the link between processing, microstructural gradients, and local mechanical and corrosion properties. His contribution was recognized with a Best Poster Award, and he received a diploma from the esteemed Prof. Xingyu Jiang during the conference.

Alongside the scientific program, the meeting provided opportunities for discussion and collaboration. We met with Martin Balog from Slovakia and his team to discuss future research directions, particularly in the area of extrusion and advanced processing routes for magnesium alloys. In addition, Karel Tesař attended a lunch meeting with journal editors, where discussions with representatives of Biomaterials, Materials Today Bio, Exploration, and other journals focused on current developments in biomaterials research and scientific publishing.

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.

Members of the InGRID team visited the Biomedical Center of the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, to discuss the planned surgical procedures for upcoming in vivo trials of our Mg-Zn cerclage strand prototypes intended for reconstructive hand surgery. The visit brought together Karel Tesař, Jiří Liška, Leonard Hlodák, and Jan Pinc with close collaborators Tomáš Herma and Margit Žaloudková, enabling a detailed exchange between materials scientists and surgeons.

The discussions focused on practical aspects of implant design and handling, including the braiding of the strands, their polymer coating, and the overall usability of the prototypes during surgical procedures. Valuable feedback from the surgical team helped to refine the geometry and structural design of the strands, ensuring that further development aligns closely with clinical requirements.

An important part of the visit was the consultation with Dr. Pavel Klein, an expert in in vivo rat model surgery, who discussed experimental strategies together with Tomáš Herma. These discussions contributed not only to the preparation of future in vivo testing, but also to the design of advanced in vitro experiments. The goal is to simulate surgical handling and implant degradation as realistically as possible while minimizing the need for animal testing, in line with InGRID’s long-term commitment to the European 3R principles (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement).

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.

During 8–9 December, the Annual FerrMion Workshop 2025 was held at the Institute of Thermomechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. We were pleased that two of our students had the opportunity to present their work carried out within the FerrMion project and to share their results with other participating research groups. The workshop also provided a valuable platform for discussions on future measurements and experimental trials, helping to shape effective collaborations across the consortium. For InGRID, the opportunity for our students to present their research in front of a full auditorium is particularly important. We greatly value this experience, and we are very happy that both students delivered clear and engaging talks.

Our Ph.D. student Théo Raffort, presented a talk entitled Nanoindentation as a tool for the comparison of pseudoelastic properties of NiTi. In this work, developed together with InGRID collaborator Jaroslav Čech, a method for the rapid assessment of superelasticity using nanoindentation was introduced. This approach enables efficient screening of newly produced alloys and gradient microstructures for promising ferroic properties.

Our Master’s student Leonard Hlodák gave a talk entitled Using arc melting for quasicrystal development and gradient microstructures. He presented details on the fabrication of gradient microstructures that will be used in upcoming experiments and outlined current efforts to discover and grow new, as well as known, quasicrystalline phases for applications within the FerrMion project.