Mary Stephanie Carranza

Mary Stephanie Carranza is a biomaterials researcher and emerging biotech innovator with more than seven years of experience across biofabrication, natural products research, and 3D culture model development. She has contributed to a highly productive research portfolio and has driven outputs across multiple disciplines, including antiviral research, tissue engineering, and advanced proteomics. Her tenure as Laboratory Manager at the Philippine Genome Center, where she helped secure USD 1.5 million in research grants, strengthened her expertise in scientific leadership, facility management, and innovation delivery. These combined experiences position her uniquely to design accessible, scalable biofabrication technologies tailored for developing research ecosystems.

Her innovation introduces affordable, locally manufactured bioprinters and bioinks designed to address the Philippines’ longstanding dependence on expensive imported systems that are challenging to maintain and slow to procure. By incorporating locally available polymers, including a pilot-scale seaweed-derived biomaterial, the platform strengthens national supply chains while dramatically reducing cost barriers. Unlike existing alternatives, BIOMATS offers rapid local support, context-specific customisation, and consumables engineered for tropical research settings. This innovation enhances national research capacity, enabling institutions to conduct advanced studies in biomaterials and tissue engineering, while paving the way for a more self-reliant and globally competitive Philippine biotechnology sector.