Home to several fast-growing biomaterials research lines, IMDEA Materials is also playing a role in resolving key issues relating to the standardisation and regulation of 3D bioprinting.

Prof. Andrés Díaz Lantada, Principal Investigator of the institute’s Bioinspired, Smart and Living Materials research group and Full Professor at the Technical University of Madrid, recently took part in the European workshop Putting Science into Standards: 3D Bioprinting towards Standards in Biomedicine.

The event aimed to define a roadmap for the standardisation of 3D bioprinting methods to enhance their quality, reproducibility and impact in biomedical applications. It was jointly organised by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and CEN-CENELEC.

“Standardisation is essential if we want bioprinting to progress from a promising research tool to a reliable and scalable technology capable of transforming healthcare,” explained Prof. Díaz Lantada.

“By establishing common methods and terminology, we can ensure that scientific advances are comparable, reproducible, and transferable to clinical and industrial environments.”

The workshop brought together researchers, clinicians, technology developers and regulatory experts to address major challenges in the field, such as the processing of living cells, bioink quality, reproducibility of printed constructs, and real-time cell monitoring.

During the event, Prof. Díaz Lantada acted as one of the moderators of the Standardisation in Life Sciences session, highlighting the importance of non-destructive evaluation methods for living materials, such as magnetic resonance microscopy.

The session also touched on the need for a specific nomenclature for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products to enable clearer communication across the sector.

Following the workshop, IMDEA Materials will participate in working groups contributing to the alignment of international standardisation efforts among organisations such as ISO, ASTM, and CEN-CENELEC.

“Participating in these European initiatives allows IMDEA Materials Institute to play a role in creating a common framework that will accelerate the development of biohybrid materials and medical technologies,” said Prof. Díaz Lantada.

This participation reinforces IMDEA Materials’ commitment to advancing the standardisation and commercialisation of biohybrid materials, including tissue engineering scaffolds and organ-on-chip systems.