Introduction

SSB meetings are broad in scope. Topics include all aspects of materials for surgical and medical use and their interactions with cells and tissues. Studies of tissues as materials, including their mechanical properties, are also of interest. Papers can describe research, development, lab evaluation, or results of animal and clinical studies based on biomaterials, including characterization of retrieved specimens.

Our annual meetings are open to everyone interested in biomaterials science and engineering. Attendees typically include engineers, scientists, graduate students, physicians/surgeons/dentists in practice or still in training, and everyone from industries dealing with biomaterials. Students are especially encouraged to attend and to submit both podium presentations and posters.

2008 Meeting Theme & Structure

Our 2008 theme, and focus of the morning oral presentation sessions was:
Mechanics of Cell & Materials Interactions.

The theme-related topics included
* Mechanobiology-effects of mechanical environment on cells in vitro and in vivo
* Tissue engineering mechanics: effects of fluid flow and other mechanical factors
on cell proliferation and tissue formation
* Mechanics of cell attachment/locomotion and bioactive molecules on surfaces
* Mechanical properties of cells and natural or engineered tissues
* Implant material/tissue interface mechanics

The afternoon sessions and all posters were open to all aspects of biomaterials science.
Following the last podium presentation, meeting attendees were invited to a farewell apéro where awards for best oral and poster presentations were given.

We thank SSB for the opportunity to organize and host the meeting here in Basel. We are also grateful to Prof. Malgorzata Lewandowska-Szumiel (Medical University of Warsaw) for providing our theme-related invited lecture and to Prof. Ivan Martin (University of Basel) for his invited lecture on bioreactor-based tissue engineering. Special thanks also to our colleagues on the Scientific Program Committee (Drs. Kurt Ruffleaux and Andreas Zumbuehl) and all of our Basel students and lab staff members for their help.
We are pleased to have received such a wide variety of abstracts. In addition to the two invited lectures we selected 15 for oral presentations and 49 for posters. We are delighted to report that there were over 100 registered attendees, coming not only from around Switzerland but several other countries. So finally, we especially thank all of you who submitted abstracts and attended our meeting.

Bert Müller, Ph.D. A.U. Dan Daniels, Ph.D.
Thomas Straumann Professor Professor for Experimental Surgery
of Materials Science in Medicine & Head, Laboratory for Orthopedic
& Head, Biomaterials Center Biomechanics
Clinical Morphology & Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel Faculty of Medicine

Swiss Society for Biomaterials (SSB)

The SSB is the assembly of people in Switzerland working or interested in the field of biomaterials, be it on the industrial or the university level. Our Charter and Bylaws describe the goals of our Society. We welcome everybody interested in the wide field of biomaterials to participate in our meetings and to join our Society. The SSB is officially affiliated with the European Society for Biomaterials.