Among all of the materials used in tissue engineering in order to develop bioequivalents, collagen shows to be the most promising due to its superb biocompatibility and biodegradability, thus becoming one of the most widely used materials for scaffold production. However, current imaging techniques of the cells within collagen scaffolds have several limitations, which lead to an urgent need for novel methods of visualization. In this work, we have obtained groups of collagen scaffolds and selected the contrasting agents in order to study pores and patterns of cell growth in a non-disruptive manner via X-ray computed microtomography (micro-CT). After the comparison of multiple contrast agents, a 3% aqueous phosphotungstic acid solution in distilled water was identified as the most effective amongst the media, requiring 24 h of incubation. The differences in intensity values between collagen fibers, pores, and masses of cells allow for the accurate segmentation needed for further analysis. Moreover, the presented protocol allows visualization of porous collagen scaffolds under aqueous conditions, which is crucial for the multimodal study of the native structure of samples.

Despite the recent advances in minimally invasive surgery, kidney stones still pose a significant clinical challenge due to their high recurrence rate of 50% in 5–10 years after the first stone episode. Using the methods of geosciences and biology, the GeoBioMed approach treats kidney stones as biogenic minerals, offering a novel perspective on their formation and dissolution processes. In this review, we discuss kidney stones’ structural and mechanical properties as emerging biomarkers of urolithiasis, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive stone analysis in developing personalized treatment strategies. By focusing on unexplored properties like crystalline architecture, porosity, permeability, cleavage, and fracture, alongside the conventionally used composition and morphology, we show how these stone characteristics influence the treatment efficacy and the disease recurrence. This review also highlights the potential of advanced imaging techniques to uncover novel biomarkers, contributing to a deeper understanding of stone pathogenesis. We discuss how the interdisciplinary collaboration within the GeoBioMed approach aims to enhance the diagnostic accuracy, improve the treatment outcomes, and reduce the recurrence of urolithiasis.

Despite advances in minimally invasive surgery, urolithiasis still recurs within the first five years after the first episode in more than 50% of patients. Researchers continue to search for new crystallisation inhibitors, metaphylaxis strategies and laser sources for stone destruction. Therefore, to achieve these goals, it is necessary to study kidney stones not only as the result of an isolated process of pathological biomineralisation in the human body, but also as a biogenic mineral or rock that obeys universal patterns and has certain properties. Consequently, kidney stones need to be studied using methods that are widely used in the geological sciences for the study of minerals, such as computed microtomography and petrological analysis. In this review, the properties of kidney stones studied using various research methods used in geosciences are discussed. These properties are also considered as new biomarkers of urolithiasis. This review discusses how new data from multimodal stone analysis can be used to develop personalised metaphylaxis and treatment strategies for all types of urolithiasis, including the most common idiopathic calcium-oxalate urolithiasis.