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Kemp Proteins Selected by Avivo Biomedical to Support Process Optimization for Universal Blood Technology Program
28 May, 2026 – Frederick, Maryland & Vancouver, British Columbia
What if blood type compatibility was no longer a limiting factor in emergency medicine, trauma response, or organ transplantation?
That is the future Avivo Biomedical Inc. is working toward through its pioneering universal blood technology platform, and Kemp Proteins has been selected to help accelerate that vision into scalable reality.
Kemp Proteins will support upstream and downstream process optimization and manufacturing efforts for Avivo’s proprietary enzyme platform, which is designed to convert type A, B, and AB blood into universal donor type O blood.
Using proprietary enzymes that safely cleave the terminal sugars responsible for blood group antigens, Avivo’s technology creates Enzyme-Converted type O (ECO) blood and organs. By removing traditional blood type barriers, the platform has the potential to dramatically expand access to compatible blood and organs for patients worldwide; particularly in emergency medicine, military settings, disaster response, and other high-demand healthcare environments.
As part of the collaboration, Kemp Proteins will focus on optimizing critical upstream process (USP) and downstream process (DSP) workflows to help improve scalability, manufacturability, and development timelines for Avivo’s enzyme technologies. The company will contribute expertise in recombinant protein expression, purification strategy, process development, and scalable bioprocessing.
“Kemp Proteins’ expertise in scalable bioprocessing is exactly what we need to accelerate our timeline for bringing universal blood technology to critical care settings,” said John Coleman of Avivo Biomedical. “We are excited to partner with their team as we progress through the DIANA program.”
This work is being supported through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) 2026 program. Avivo Biomedical was selected as part of the DIANA Innovators Cohort, which recognizes companies developing transformative technologies that address critical defense and security challenges.
The recognition underscores the growing strategic importance of next-generation transfusion technologies with applications extending beyond healthcare into military readiness, humanitarian response, and global emergency preparedness.
“Kemp Proteins is proud and honored to be part of these efforts,” said Mike Keefe, CEO of Kemp Proteins. “We congratulate the Avivo team on this exciting recognition and milestone and look forward to supporting the next phase of development.”
Additional information regarding Avivo Biomedical’s selection into the NATO DIANA 2026 program can be found through Channel Life’s coverage of NATO backing Avivo’s universal blood technology.
About Kemp Proteins
Kemp Proteins is a biomanufacturing company specializing in recombinant protein production, protein engineering, cell line development, and accelerated gene-to-protein workflows. Through advanced expression systems, machine learning-driven optimization, and scalable bioprocess development, Kemp Proteins supports innovators across therapeutics, diagnostics, and next-generation biologics. The company is based in Frederick, MD and operates under an ISO9001- and ISO13485-certified Quality Management System.
About Avivo Biomedical Inc.
Avivo is on a mission to save lives by increasing the number of organ transplants and expanding the available blood supply. Our enzymes eliminate the blood type barrier in blood transfusion and organ transplantation by converting all blood types to Type O, the universal donor type. As a dual-use technology, Avivo sits at the intersection of military trauma and donor organ utilization. In a world first, the company has completed its proof-of-concept study by implanting an Enzyme Converted Type O (ECO) organ into a blood type mismatched human decedent kidney transplant model and is advancing its programs toward first in human clinical trials.
