About

Traditionally, mammalian cells are grown in a 2-dimensional environment, such as petri dishes, but this is not without its setbacks, namely the forced polarity that cells undergo due to the nature of the culture environment.

Cells grown 3-dimensionally exhibit more physiologically relevant characteristics.

Copner Biotech's state of the art design and manufacturing process enables 3D cell culture scaffolds to be produced based on concentric shape constructs, such as circles, providing a consistent variability of pore size (heterogenous pore size and distribution) emanating from the centre to the periphery of scaffold.

The effect is to provide clear regions of the scaffold where cells will have more favourable nutrient and oxygen exchange (periphery)and areas not so (centre). Such constructs better represents physiological conditions in the body providing tangible experimental advantages for research in fields studying cell microenvironments.

We are currently investigating the efficacy of an original scaffold design with Swansea University and have ongoing interest from a well known life sciences vendor.

Bioprinting is the 3D printing of biological materials, which may or may not be laden with mammalian cells. The predominant use of bioprinting is the production of tissue like structures for drug testing, with more and more large companies looking towards this technology as an alternative to animal testing.

In the long term, Copner Biotech will ultimately aim to establish a foothold in the bioprinting market. We will do this via innovative, industrial collaborations with like-minded companies already in this space, utilising our novel technology. We continue to work upon and develop our existing technologies, in the software and 3D printing hardware space, to create competitive products.

News

3D Bio Scaffold Modelling Software

In the fall of 2020 Copner Biotech initiated a program to develop bespoke software facilitating the design of 3D Bio Scaffolds capable of simulating physiologically accurate cell microenvironments

Bio Scaffold Patent Application

March 14th 2021 Jordan and Alan Copner files UK Intellectual Property Office application GB2103516.7, to patent the design and manufacturing workflow for the production of 3D Bio Scaffolds.

Bio Scaffold Efficacy

March 24th 2021 Copner Biotech begin an academic collaboration with Accelerate Healthcare Technology Centre led by Swansea University to investigate the efficacy of our Bio Scaffold designs. Project part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Negative Space 3D Inkjet Printer Patent Application

June 6th 2021 Jordan and Alan Copner files UK Intellectual Property Office application GB2108078.3, to patent the design and manufacturing workflow for the production of Negative Space 3D Inkjet Printer.

GHP International Award for 3D Cell Culture Technology

July 14th 2021 Copner Biotech wins GHP International Life Sciences Award for Innovation in 3D Cell Culture Technology.

Research and Development Facility

August 23rd 2021 The Innovation Centre Ebbw Vale, Copner Biotech Establishes its Biotechnology Research and Development Facility.

Bio Scaffold Grown Cell Cultures

August 25th 2021 Scientists at Swansea University Healthcare Technology Centre release initial SEM images of cell cultures grown on Copner Biotech Bio Scaffolds.

Bio Scaffold Cell Adhesion Technology Patent Application

October 1st 2021 Jordan and Alan Copner files UK Intellectual Property Office application GB2114084.3, to patent the design and manufacturing workflow for the production of 3D Bio Scaffolds with ground breaking cell adhesion to scaffold technology.

Next Generation 3D Bio Printer Development

October 5th 2021 Copner Biotech announces collaboration with Jellagen part funded by a SMART Cymru Innovation Award of £123,724.
Jellagen world leaders in Marine Biotechnologies developing an innovative BioINK based on Jellyfish Collagen Type 0 to be printed with the Next Generation 3D Bio Printer developed by Copner Biotech.`

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Our Products

Design and manufacture of cell culture scaffolds based on concentric shape constructs, such as circles, providing a consistent variability of pore size (heterogenous pore size and distribution) emanating from the centre to the periphery of said scaffold. The effect is to provide clear regions of the scaffold where cells will have more favourable nutrient and oxygen exchange (periphery) and areas not so (centre). Such a construct better represents physiological conditions in the body providing tangible experimental advantages for research in fields studying cell microenvironments.

The total surface area and pore sizes exhibited by the scaffolds depend on the overall structure of the scaffold. This includes the number and size of the supports/struts within the support layers, the pattern in which the supports/struts are placed,the geometry of the concentric shapes layers, and the order and combinations of layers employed.

Shape constructs within concentric shape layers can be spaced apart in a controlled fashion, as selected by the designer, in order to define the open channel dimensions between shape constructs.

The space/gap between concentric shape layers as realised by the support layers can range from small (50-100 microns) to large (100-400 microns) or a mixture of the two.

The pore sizes within the complete scaffold vary, ranging anywhere from 10 to 1000 microns. The pores of the scaffold are all interconnected, promising an internal space for cells to infiltrate and adhere, either to one another, or the internal/external surface of the scaffold.

Using our bespoke Bio Scaffold modelling software our designers can produce scaffolds to your required specification.

Alternatively our library Bio Scaffolds having consistent structure, with heterogenous porosity are available to purchase.