The University of San Carlos (USC) celebrates anothermilestone as Rommel G. Bacabac, Ph.D., program leader of the Medical Biophysics Group (MBG)–Center for Tissue Engineering and Biological Soft Materials, earned the prestigious Excellence in Project Implementation and Completion (EPIC) Award.
The award was presented during the 16th Anniversary Celebration of the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technologies Research and Development (DOST PCIEERD) on June 29, 2026 at the Fairmont Makati Hotel.
Dr. Bacabac, who also serves as the Deputy Director of the USC Research, Development, Extension, and Publications Office, led the recognized project titled “3D-BTM: BioFabrication of Bone, Muscle, and Pancreatic Biomimetic Tissue Models for Printable and Injectable Scaffolds.”
Joining him in receiving the accolade was Dr. Frances E. Edillo, a Full Professor at the USC Department of Biology. Serving as the Study Leader on the genetic aspects of the 3D-BTM project, Dr. Edillo played a major role and conducted some core work in Dr. Bacabac’s research program.
Dr. Edillo served as the project’s Officer-in-Charge (OIC) during the period when Dr. Bacabac was in the United States as a visiting researcher to participate in a six-month “Training in Additive Manufacturing with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence” at the University of Tennessee.
Spearheaded by Dr. Bacabac and Dr. Edillo alongside their project members within the USC MBG, the 3D-BTM initiative addresses a vital need for patient-specific medical treatments.
The project uses carrageenan—a polysaccharide derived from Cebu’s abundant native red seaweeds—to formulate a printable and injectable hydrogel ink. This biomimetic technology allows scientists to 3D print custom artificial scaffolds that closely mirror bone, muscle, and pancreatic tissues based on specific patient imaging.
Currently in its in vitro phase, the 3D-BTM project holds immense potential for life-saving tissue implants and creating anatomical models that could eventually minimize the reliance on animal testing in laboratory settings.
Two years ago, Dr. Bacabac also accepted an EPIC Award on behalf of the USC MBG team for their project, “Pectin-Carrageenan Mixture (PCM): High Precision Characterization of Hydrogel Heterogeneity Properties with Optical Tweezers and FESEM Imaging.”