ERC Proof of concept for our co-founder João Mano

Our co-founder, professor João F. Mano, has been awarded a Proof of Concept (PoC) grant from the European Research Council (ERC). This is a very prestigious grant that provides financial support for ideas in early development stages. The objective of the project, entitled “HumanINK – Human based bioinks to engineer physiologically relevant tissues”, is the validation and commercialization of a new family of bioinks based on human-derived proteins obtained from blood fractions or placental tissues.

In bioprinting, a bioink is a solution with cells and biomaterials that mimic the extracellular matrix environment. Due to their nature and adjustable mechanical properties, hydrogels are excellent biomaterials for 3D bioprinting and bioinks. As such, Metatissue will be a privileged partner in this project, boosting its technology using our highly versatile, human-derived hydrogels. In the future, these bioinks will be added to Metatissue portfolio to prepare it for a successful market entry.