The CDTI Innovation seeks a Spanish company to develop an R&D project with South Korea related to advanced materials for the diagnosis of infectious diseases

The Korean company MycoDx Co., Ltd., specialized in integrated diagnostics for the detection, cultivation and analysis of infectious diseases, is looking for a Spanish company to collaborate in an R&D project in the field of advanced materials.

The conventional preparation of clinical samples, especially highly viscous specimens such as sputum used in the diagnosis of tuberculosis and other serious respiratory infections, depends on processes such as high-speed centrifugation, chemical decontamination and manual handling. These techniques have limitations related to the complexity of the processing and the associated biological risks.

The project aims to address these challenges by developing advanced functional materials that can be integrated into an automated fluidic platform without centrifugation, with the aim of improving the preparation of clinical samples. The collaboration will focus on three lines of work:

• Intelligent porous polymeric membranes with antifouling properties, designed to facilitate the filtration of viscous samples and the removal of cellular debris and amplification inhibitors that may interfere with analyses.
• Magnetic nanocomposites of core-shell type with functionalized surface, which allow to recognize, capture and concentrate pathogens by means of low intensity magnetic fluidic systems, without the need for centrifugation.
• Optimization of the interaction between the materials and the fluidic platform, as well as the development of scalable manufacturing processes that allow progress towards its industrial application through continuous membrane modification techniques and reproducible nanocomposite synthesis methods. These processes will be developed taking into account European regulations (CE-IVDR) and Asian regulations. The developed technologies will be validated on MycoDx’s centrifugless cartridge platform.

The Spanish company will participate in the definition and development of materials, in the manufacture and modification of polymeric membranes and in the synthesis and scaling of magnetic nanocomposites. To do this, you must have experience in filtration membranes, porous materials, specialized chemicals or raw materials for the diagnostic and pharmaceutical sectors or be a technological SME specialized in functional nanoparticles, colloidal synthesis, surface functionalization or bioconjugation chemistry. The participation of a Spanish research center specializing in nanotechnology or materials science is also contemplated.

The proposal aims to be submitted to the call for proposals 2026-2027 of the Korea-Spain Strategic Programme (KSSP), open until 28 January 2027.

Contact

For additional information on the technical scope of the proposal and the role of the Spanish company, interested entities can contact Dr. Sungweon Ryoo directly, through the email viweon@gmail.com.

CDTI Innovation

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth.

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