News
| [5 Feb 2026] | On February 5, 2026, on TV SLO 1, the programme
Orthopedic Implants brought together leading experts
from research, clinical practice, and engineering. The
programme featured the collaborators from the
BIOAD
project! Prof. Dr. Ingrid Milošev, together with Dr. Vesna
Levašič from Ortopedska bolnišnica Valdoltra
Ankaran, Slovenia. In addition, research activities at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, were presented during a faculty visit led by Prof. Dr Edvard Govekar, including laboratory work and 3D printing of implant materials, as well as by Prof. Dr Franc Pušavec, who presented surface treatment. The TV programme offered valuable insight into how science, engineering, and clinical practice are shaping the future of orthopaedic implants. A recording of the TV program Ugriznimo znanost is available here: https://365.rtvslo.si/arhiv/ugriznimo-znanost/175195988 
|
| [4 Dec 2025] | Prof. Ingrid Milošev, the project leader of
BIOAD, was
featured in a recent Delo
interview discussing our latest advancement — enhancing
titanium alloys with a small amount of copper to improve
antibacterial performance and overall implant safety. In
the interview, Prof. Ingrid Milošev shared insights into
the project’s progress, the importance of interdisciplinary
collaboration, the potential of 3D additive manufacturing,
and the metals that may shape the future of medical
implants. Funded by the Public Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation, BIOAD brings together natural sciences, engineering, and medicine with a clear mission: to develop a new generation of metallic implant materials with long-term antibacterial activity, supported by strong collaborations across Slovenia — including the Jožef Stefan Institute, University of Ljubljana, Faculty Of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, and the Ortopedska bolnišnica Valdoltra Ankaran Slovenia. The interview can be read here: https://www.delo.si/novice/znanoteh/novi-materiali-za-varnejse-vsadke-titanovi-zlitini-dodali-malo-bakra  |
| [18 Oct 2025] | The second BIOAD joint
paper has been published in the Journal of Materials
Research and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2025.10.151. Intedisciplinary BIOAD team including co-workers from the Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry of the Jožef Stefan Institute, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana and Valdoltra Orthopaedic Hospital investigated the microstructure, composition, corrosion behaviour and biocompatibility of additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V–4Cu alloy produced by directed-energy deposition of powder using a laser beam (DED-LB) method. Together, these findings confirm the in vivo biocompatibility and material stability of the powder DED-LB process-based additive manufacturing of the Ti–6Al–4V–4Cu alloy, supporting its potential for biomedical applications requiring both corrosion resistance and biological safety.  |
| [1 Jun 2025] | The first BIOAD joint paper has been published in
Journal of Alloys and Compounds (doi:
10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.181280)! Coworkers from the
Department of Physical and Organic Chemistry of the Jožef
Stefan Institute and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of
the university of Ljubljana investigated the
microstructure, composition, and corrosion behaviour of
additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V alloy produced by
directed-energy deposition of powder using a laser beam
(DED-LB) method and compares it with conventionally wrought
Ti–6Al–4V, which is widely used in medical applications.
Key findings include alloy preparation, advanced
characterisation, and biomedical performance. Understanding
how additive manufacturing alters corrosion resistance is
essential for developing next-generation biomedical
implants with tailored mechanical and electrochemical
properties. |
| [25 Mar 2025] |
As part of the 33rd Stefan Days at the Jožef
Stefan Institute, selected outstanding national and
international projects were presented, recognised for
their topical scientific relevance, interdisciplinarity,
and scale of funding. In the field of chemistry, the
following top projects were presented (from left to right
in the photo below):
 Foto: Marjan Verč |
| [15 Feb 2024] | On February 15, 2024, a meeting of partners in the
BIOAD project was held at the Jožef Stefan Institute, which
was aimed at reviewing the results after the sixteen
project months and planning further research. The first
project year focused on developing the novel Ti-6Al-4V and
Ti-6Al-4V-Cu alloys with an additive direct energy
deposition manufacturing method. We are now concentrating
on characterising the developed materials and their
antibacterial properties. We expect to obtain even more
results in the following months and finalise the first
scientific paper. |
| [09 Nov 2023] | We have reached the first milestone in the research
part of the project BIOAD,
namely the development of a new titanium alloy with
additive technology, which has great potential for use in
biomedicine. On November 9, 2023, a meeting of partners in
the BIOAD
project was held at the Jožef Stefan Institute, which was
aimed at reviewing the results after the first project year
and planning further research. The BIOAD
project was approved at the Slovenian Research and
Innovation Agency (ARIS) public call for (co)financing of
research projects in 2022. The BIOAD
project entitled "Antibacterial alloys: development with
additive 3D manufacturing, characterization and clinical
applications" (J7-4639), coordinated by Prof. Ingrid
Milošev, unites a consortium of five partners: Jožef Stefan
Institute, Valdoltra Orthopaedic Hospital and the Faculty
of Mechanical Engineering, the Faculty of Medicine and the
Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Ljubljana. We
continue the research work in full swing, along with the
preparation of the first scientific publications. |
| [31 May 2023] | On 31 May 2022, the project partners met at the
Valdoltra Orthopaedic Hospital to discuss the progress of
the scientific work. |
| [16 Dec 2022] | On November 16, 2022, the project members visited the
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Andrej Jeromen
explained additive manufacturing principles using direct
energy deposition (DED) at the Laboratory for Synergetics,
chaired by Prof. Govekar (LASIN). Stainless steel samples
were printed to demonstrate the printing process. We also
learned about the second additive manufacturing technique,
i.e. selective laser melting (SLM). The visit continued at
the Laboratory for Cutting (LABOD), chaired by Prof.
Pušavec. Prof. Kramar and Prof. Šturm demonstrated various
post-treatment procedures and instrumentations. We also
discussed the materials' characteristics, size and number
of samples to be ordered. |
| [11 Nov 2022] | The kick-off meeting of the BIOAD
project, which was approved at the Public call of the
Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) for (co)financing of
research projects in 2022, took place on November 11, 2022,
at the Jožef Stefan Institute. BIOAD is the
acronym of the three-year project "Antibacterial alloys:
development with additive 3D manufacturing,
characterization and clinical applications" (J7-4639)
coordinated by Prof. dr. Ingrid Milošev from the Department
of Physical and Organic Chemistry. The project unites a
consortium of five partners: Jožef Stefan Institute,
Valdoltra Orthopaedic Hospital and the Faculty of
Mechanical Engineering, the Faculty of Medicine and the
Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Ljubljana and
will be financed by 1.5 million € over three years. |
