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Ms Sarah Galea and Dr Leonardo Fanton, from the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Malta, presented their research at the , held in Conil de la Frontera, Spain, from 24 to 29 August 2026. The international symposium brought together researchers working on biodegradable metals for medical applications.

Ms Galea, a doctoral researcher, delivered a presentation titled “Degradation Control of WE43 Magnesium Alloy using CaP and PLA Coatings,” which investigates how coatings can be used to control the degradation of WE43 magnesium alloy for potential biomedical applications.

Her research forms part of the project “A Paradigm Shift in Orthopaedic Implants: Surface Engineering of Biodegradable Magnesium Alloy for Sustainable Healthcare”, led by Prof. InÄ¡. Bertram Mallia, under the Pillar “Good Health and Wellbeing,” of the Engineering Research and Innovation Cluster for Sustainable Development (ENRICH). The research work disclosed in this presentation is partially funded by the . The project is co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021–2027.

Dr Fanton presented research titled “Exploring Hydrothermal Conversion for Corrosion Control of LPBF Gyroid and Voronoi WE43 Scaffolds”. The study explores the application of conversion treatments to 3D-printed magnesium structures designed to support bone-regeneration applications. This research forms part of the project “Orthopaedic Biodegradable Mg-Based Scaffolds: 3D-Printed and Surface-Engineered for Personalised Therapy” (OsteoMag-3D), led by Prof. InÄ¡. Joseph Buhagiar.

The project is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (2025YFE0110100) and Xjenza Malta through SINO-MALTA-2024–11 (Science and Technology Cooperation).

The University of Malta delegation also included Prof. Inġ. Bertram Mallia, Prof. Inġ. Joseph Buhagiar, Prof. Daniel A. Vella and Dr Inġ. Anthea Agius Anastasi. Prof. Buhagiar chaired a session on in vitro research during the conference, while Prof. Mallia was an evaluator of conference presentations.

Participation in the symposium enabled the University of Malta delegation to present its research on the surface engineering of biodegradable magnesium to an international audience, exchange knowledge on emerging approaches, and discuss
current challenges in the field.

The University of Malta delegation at the 18th Biometal Symposium: Prof. Daniel A. Vella, Prof. Inġ. Bertram Mallia, and Prof. Inġ. Joseph Buhagiar (front row, left to right); Dr Inġ. Anthea Agius Anastasi, Ms Sarah Galea, and Dr Leonardo Fanton (standing, left to right).