Corryn Bioechnologies based themselves at Swansea University from August 2023. 

The company is developing a novel approach to the dressing of chronic and complex wounds using a proprietary Advanced Tissue Repair (ATR) materials platform. The team – established by Swansea University alumnus Dr Luke Burke and experienced product developer, Dr Fabio Zomer Volpato – has developed a handheld applicator that can both fabricate and deposit nano- and micro-fibrous wound dressings in a single step directly onto patients. Developed with innovative technology, the applicator can deliver a variety of dressing materials for different wound situations. 

This variety of advanced dressing materials constitute Corryn’s ATR platform, which consists of carrier polymers with tailored resorption times between 14 days to 12 months, as well as instant-resorption. Each platform material has also been successfully combined with beneficial additives such as antimicrobial proteins, wound closure promoting collagens, and infection-indicating compounds. 

The groundbreaking technology removes the need for any technical expertise when fabricating and depositing the materials. Using a trigger mechanism held close to the surface, the dressing is transferred to the wound – hence the company name, Corryn (Welsh for spider) – and takes less than ten minutes to apply. 

Currently, with funding support from equity investment and Innovate UK, Corryn is developing the applicator device, currently at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, along with the ATR platform. It has expanded its research and development team, hoping to reach a First-in-Human Safety and Usability clinical trial to trial the wound dressing platform in a clinical setting. 

With the growing team and rapid development of the business, Corryn established an office in Swansea University’s ILS building, bringing staff closer to the University’s academics and researchers,  

“We were looking for office and lab space quickly to support our growing team. Having worked with Swansea University previously through EPSRC grant funding and the CALIN project, it seemed an ideal space for us. The process was easy, straightforward and cost effective, and we moved in within a month of our first conversation. Being based on the campus gives us quick and easy access to lab space and specialist knowledge, and the proximity to Singleton Hospital provides the optimal environment for a medical device development organisation like Corryn.” – Luke D. Burke, Co-Founder & Director, Corryn Biotechnologies Ltd