Smart Reactors, a Galway-led consortium has won a total of 3 million in European funding through the EIC Pathfinder program to develop the worlds first use of nanocellulose material in artificial lung devices, as a bridge to lung transplantation.Currently there are hundreds of thousands of patients currently on waiting lists with little to no access to suitable donors.Smart Reactors was co-founded by Brian Haddigan (CEO) and Mark Brassil (CTO) in 2019, both of whom have many years experience in medtech. The companys vision is to promote leading-edge biomaterials technological advancements, which includes biocompatible coating technology to support the long-term performance of blood contacting devices for applications such as cardiopulmonary bypass, ECMO, dialysis, cardiovascular, neurovascular, and peripheral vascular.Blood contacting medical devices use a range of plastics, metals, and alloys. These materials have excellent mechanical and physical properties; however, they have variable hemocompatibility and when in contact with blood can lead to a pathophysiological reaction similar to traumatic shock. Therefore, minimisation of the activation mechanisms induced by the foreign surfaces used in blood contacting medical devices is of top priority.This latest funding from EIC Pathfinder is a huge success story for Smart Reactors and will take the innovation in the company to the next level. At Smart Reactors, we have built-up long-term relationships with key existing artificial lung manufacturers who are eagerly waiting for the development to evolve with huge interest.Dr Manus Biggs, lead engineer at the Centre for Research in Medical Devices (Curam) at the University of Galway, added: Nanocellulose is a really interesting material from a bioengineering standpoint.