Education
Sept. 2000 - June 2005: Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Budapest, Hungary. Graduated as a biologist (molecular biology, biochemistry).
Research experience
- Oct. 2002 – June 2005: National Medical Center, Department of Stem Cell Biology - Budapest, Hungary, Name of Supervisor: Prof. Ferenc Uher
- Diploma thesis: “In vitro chondrogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and the effect of galectin-1 on mobilizaton of hematopoietic stem cells”
- Sept 18. – Dec.18, 2005: Karolinska Institute, Center of Tumorbiology and Microbiology - Stockholm, Sweden. Guest researcher in the research group of Prof. Laszlo Szekely.
- June 1, 2006 – June 1, 2007: National Institute of Oncology, Department of Pathogenetics - Budapest, Hungary
Research Summary
Continuous real time 3d Raman monitoring of cell behavior in bioreactors
Although bioreactor technology is widely perceived as a pivotal tool in optimizing tissue engineering, proper knowledge of the cell in the bioreactors environment is largely unavailable. We foresee to develop a hybrid system which is built around a well controlled bioreactor system which will house 3d printed tissue engineered scaffolds into which Raman imaging can be coupled.
The primal focus of my PhD research relies on the Raman monitoring of cartilage cell proliferation and differentiation. In tissue engineering there is a need for monitoring cell differentiation or proliferation by molecular markers. We have developed a high resolution Raman microscopic technique, which allows monitoring of single cell molecular composition in culture and collecting data on a wide spectrum of nutrient, extracellular matrix, and cellular components of tissue engineered samples. Moreover the technique can be used for continuous real time monitoring of early cell differentiation and cell proliferation.
Publications of Interest
Judit Kiss, Aliz Kunstár, Roberta Fajka-Boja, Valéria Dudics, József Tóvári, Ádám Légrádi, Éva Monostori, Ferenc Uher: A novel anti-inflammatory function of human galectin-1: inhibition of hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization. Exp Hematol. 2007 Feb;35(2):305-13.
Valėria Dudics, Aliz Kunstár, János Kovács, Tamás Lakatos, Pál Géher, Béla Gömör, Ėva Monostori, Ferenc Uher: Chondrogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis: Measurements in a microculture system. Cells Tissues Organs. 2008, vol. 189, No. 5
Contact details
E-mail: a.kunstar@utwente.nl