Kraken Regen announces its first involvement in the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) conference series, participating in both TERMIS Asia-Pacific and TERMIS Americas 2026 as a sponsor and scientific contributor. Kraken Regen will be joining the conversation on biomaterials, immunological risk and clinical translation.

The dual conference involvement marks an important milestone for Kraken Regen as it expands its presence within the international regenerative medicine community following the launch of Kraken Collagen Hydrogel in May 2026.

Kraken Regen Customer Solutions Manager Lisa Blackett will present research across both conferences exploring a critical consideration in the translation of animal-derived biomaterials: the α-Gal epitope and its implications for immunological risk, biomaterial processing and clinical translation.

The presentations will follow the journey from source tissue to translational biomaterial, examining how the biological characteristics of animal-derived tissues can influence residual immunological risk and how these risks can be addressed through biomaterial processing and characterisation.

Kraken Regen’s sponsorship and scientific participation in both TERMIS-AP and TERMIS-AM represents its growing engagement with regenerative medicine researchers globally.

TERMIS Asia-Pacific: Understanding α-Gal from the Source

At TERMIS Asia-Pacific 2026, held in Christchurch, New Zealand from October 27 – 30, Blackett’s presentation will explore the biochemistry and immunological relevance of α-Gal in decellularised biomaterials. The presentation will examine how original tissue source determines baseline α-Gal epitope levels and how different decellularisation approaches influence their removal. Together, these factors contribute to the residual immunological risk profile of a decellularised biomaterial.

“Biological source materials are not interchangeable,” said Blackett. “Understanding baseline α-Gal and demonstrating how effectively it is removed gives us a clearer picture of residual immunological risk and the translational potential of the material.”

TERMIS Americas: From Immunological Risk to Translational Bioink

At TERMIS Americas 2026, held in New Orleans from November 15 – 18, Blackett will present the characterisation and performance of a novel atelocollagen bioink derived from bovine pericardium, which is designed specifically for bioprinting and how α-Gal elimination can be considered alongside the biochemical, structural and functional characteristics required of a high-performance collagen bioink.

“Collagen bioinks have enormous potential because they provide cells with a biologically familiar extracellular matrix environment,” Blackett said. “But biological performance is only part of the equation. We also need to understand their source, composition, variability and residual immunological risk.”

From Source to Translation

Kraken Regen’s participation in the TERMIS conferences reflects its broader focus on understanding collagen from source through processing, characterisation and final biomaterial performance.

“Regenerative medicine is asking increasingly sophisticated questions of biomaterials,” said Vanessa Worsfold, Chief Commercialisation Officer. “It’s no longer enough to ask whether a material supports cells or can be printed. We need to understand where it came from, what remains after processing, how reproducibly it performs and what those characteristics could mean as technologies progress toward translation.”

This approach underpins the development of Kraken Collagen Hydrogel, a high-purity, fibril-forming Type I atelocollagen hydrogel derived from bovine pericardium and developed for advanced 3D biosystems including extrusion-based bioprinting, advanced cell culture and tissue engineering research.

About Kraken Regen

Kraken Regen is an incubated venture of Maverick Bio whose mission is to supply breakthrough technologies that support Regenerative Medicine research applications. Founded on a commitment to advancing scientific discoveries, Kraken Regen leverages decades of technical expertise and collaborations with academic partners to deliver solutions that improve efficiency, accuracy, and reproducibility in research workflows. Learn more at krakenregen.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Important Notice

Kraken Collagen Hydrogel is intended for research use only and is not for clinical, diagnostic or therapeutic applications.

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