Objective
Drug development remains slow, risky, and inefficient: it takes 10–15 years, costs €1–2B per approved drug, and over 90% of candidates fail, largely due to inadequate preclinical models. As innovation slows and costs rise, regulators in the EU and US increasingly mandate human-relevant, non-animal methods. Organ-on-Chip (OoC) systems offer physiological relevance, yet their adoption is restricted by one critical bottleneck: the membrane. Current membranes absorb drugs, lack physiological elasticity, require unstable animal-derived coatings, and degrade under flow, limiting OoC performance.
PrintyMed addresses this limitation with a proprietary biomimetic spider silk. Engineered to replicate natural spinning, we combine recombinant mini-spidroins optimized for microbial expression with controlled molecular self-assembly and a patented PEG-based tuning step for precise control of mechanics and surface chemistry.
In this project, we will complete the engineering optimisation and validation of our ultrathin, elastic, permeable, optically clear, biocompatible spider-silk membrane and establish a reproducible, scalable, water-based manufacturing process. We will benchmark mechanical, chemical, and biological performance, and integrate the membrane into a state-of-the-art Gut-on-Chip to reach TRL 6. We will validate intrinsic cell adhesion, growth, TEER stability, and barrier function without animal-derived coatings, confirming the membrane as ready for OoC deployment. We will prepare a draft patent application and outline the regulatory and industrial scale-up roadmap. Newly generated IP on OoC-specific membrane architectures and surface chemistries will position PrintyMed as the first specialised supplier of medical-grade, tunable, biomimetic membranes in the rapidly growing market. By unlocking the missing materials layer for next-generation OoC systems, PrintyMed enables more predictive drug testing, fewer clinical failures, and faster therapeutic development.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug discovery
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering manufacturing engineering
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology
- engineering and technology materials engineering coating and films
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies microtechnology organ on a chip
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.4.1 - Widening participation and spreading excellence
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-02
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
LV-3018 JELGAVAS NOVADS
Latvia
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.