GELITA, a German manufacturer of collagen proteins and gelatin used in food, pharmaceutical, and biomedical applications, has signed a research and development agreement withBlack Drop, a biotechnology company advancing 3D bioprinting technologies for biomedical research and pharmaceutical applications. The collaboration will focus on developing bioinks for biomedical uses, including three-dimensional tissue models and implants. Work combines the material science expertise of the collagen protein producer with Black Drop’s experience in customized 3D bioprinting systems.
Research under the agreement will explore opportunities for novel methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) formulation on the company’sMEDELLAPROUltra Low Endotoxin Gelatin. Both organizations plan to conduct practical application studies as part of this effort. According to the partners, improving 3D bioprinting processes and cell functionality requires examining material formulation together with processing parameters and process control, factors that influence the properties of bioprinted tissue.
Jannik Stadler, Head of Bioprinting Consumables and Services at the Darmstadt-based biotechnology firm, described clinically usable bioinks as a necessary step for broader adoption of the technology. “We see high-performance, clinically usable bioinks as the next crucial step in transferring 3D bioprinting to clinically relevant and industrially scalable applications. It is therefore all the more gratifying that established partners such as GELITA are actively addressing this challenge and working with us to further develop their innovative materials in practical application studies.”
Martin Junginger, Global Category Manager Pharma & Bioscience at the collagen specialist, said the collaboration will support validation of recently introduced biomaterials under application conditions. “We have recently launched our MEDELLAPRO Ultra Low Endotoxin Gelatin with endotoxin levels below 10 EU/g, which is highly suitable for biomedical applications in which gelling properties and purity are key. This partnership will give us the ability to speed up validation of our ingredient solutions in a real-world scenario in order to match the evolving needs of leading researchers in the field of 3D bioprinting solutions.”
These gelatin products are used as biomaterial platforms for 3D bioprinting and cell culture in human tissue engineering. In bioprinting applications, the materials help mimic characteristics of native tissue and support cellular processes, including adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. When used as substrates for cell culture, the gelatins facilitate cell attachment to surfaces and support consistent cell growth, providing a basis for reproducible workflows in biomedical and pharmaceutical research.
Black Drop develops precision 3D bioprinting hardware, software, and bioinks used by research institutions and industry partners. Its modular systems support fabrication of living tissue analogues, animal-free drug screening, and biologization of medical implants. Through investigation of new GelMA variants, the collaboration aims to combine biomaterial development with practical application studies relevant to 3D bioprinting research and biomedical experimentation.
Bioprinting research highlights material and process constraints
Efforts to fabricate functional human tissueswith 3D bioprinting are expanding, but technical barriers remain. A recent $28.5 million program funded by theAdvanced Research Projects Agency for Health(ARPA-H) aims to produce a 3D bioprinted liver capable of temporarily supporting patients with acute liver failure. Led byCarnegie Mellon University, the LIVE project brings together researchers from the University of Washington, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Mayo Clinic, Iowa State University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Using Carnegie Mellon’sFRESH 3D bioprinting platform, the team plans to build organs entirely from human cells and structural proteins such as collagen. The printed liver is designed to function for two to four weeks, allowing a patient’s own liver to regenerate while potentially reducing demand for full organ transplants.
Material behavior during printingremains a separate constraint in biofabrication workflows. Researchers at theMassachusetts Institute of Technologyrecently introducedMagMix, a magnetic mixing system designed to prevent cell settling in bioinks during 3D bioprinting. Bioinks—mixtures of living cells and hydrogel materials—can suffer from sedimentation, which leads to uneven cell distribution, clogging, and inconsistent tissue structure during printing. The system places a small magnetic propeller inside a standard printer syringe while an external rotating magnet drives continuous mixing. Tests showed the device maintained uniform cell distribution for more than 45 minutes of continuous printing across multiple bioink types while preserving cell viability. While the system improves cell homogeneity during printing, researchers note that it does not address later challenges such as tissue maturation, vascularization, or integration into living organisms.
3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing cancomplete the call for speakers form here.
Source: 3D Printing Industry
