12 collaborative grants funded in 2017
The Delaware Bioscience Center for Advanced Technology (Bioscience CAT) awarded twelve Applied Research Collaborations or Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept grants in 2017
Bioscience CAT is funded by the state of Delaware and is administered by the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI). DBI promotes partnerships across Delaware’s academic research organizations, including the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Christiana Care Health System, Nemours/AI DuPont Hospital for Children, Wesley College, and Delaware Technical and Community College.
The Bioscience CAT grants synergize efforts between the academic and industrial bioscience research communities to address the technology innovation gap and promote economic development in Delaware. Projects involve partnerships among principal investigators at Delaware’s academic or research institutions and scientists from companies in the state.
Following are the latest funded projects and partners:
• Erin Bernberg, UD associate scientist, will collaborate with Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB) to develop and test plant-made Avian Influenza vaccine for chickens.
• Wei-Jun Cai, UD professor of marine science and policy, will work with Apollo SciTech, LLC to improve the precision, cost, and analysis time of Apollo’s newly developed analytical instrument used by marine researchers around the world and agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• Joseph Fox, UD professor of chemistry and biochemistry, will work with Affinity Research Chemicals and LiteCure LLC to develop medicine which can help repair joints in the body.
• Nancy Getchell, UD professor of kinesiology and applied physiology, will collaborate with mTrigger, LLC to measure the effectiveness of a biofeedback device used to help rehabilitate stroke patients.
• Bertrand Hankoua, professor of human ecology at Delaware State University, will work with William Chain, UD associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Fraunhofer USA CMB to produce a low cost and accessible plant-based treatment for Malaria.
• Xinqiao Jia, UD associate professor of materials science and engineering, will collaborate with Prelude Therapeutics Incorporated to engineer 3D prostate cancer models to reliably test new anticancer medicines.
• Megan Killian, UD assistant professor of biomedical engineering, will work with LiteCure LLC to research effects of laser therapy on young athletes recovering from tendon injuries.
• Babatunde Ogunnaike, who previously announced he will leave as dean of UD’s College of Engineering and return to the faculty as a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, will work with Air Liquide to develop a systems-engineering model to test diagnosis and treatments of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
• John Slater, UD assistant professor of biomedical engineering, is planning to develop a new therapeutic approach to stopping cancer metastasis.
• Eric Kmiec, director of the Gene Editing Institute at Christiana Care Health Services, will work with Analytical Biological Services, Inc. to create genetically-engineered cells lines to develop new pharmaceuticals.
• Yuriy Markushin, assistant professor of physics and engineering at Delaware State University, is planning to develop a low-cost and technically simple test to diagnose diseases in dogs.
• Dennis McIntosh, professor of agriculture and natural resources and extension specialist aquaculture at Delaware State University, will work with Sea Watch International, Ltd. to research if byproducts from food processing plants can be used in commercial aquafeed diets.
“Support from Gov. John Carney and the Delaware General Assembly has enabled the Delaware Bioscience CAT grants to expand and build a strong pipeline for innovative, collaborative and entrepreneurial projects in the state of Delaware,” said John Koh, interim director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. “These projects foster a bidirectional exchange of ideas between business and academic researchers that together synthesize products or innovations that result in job creation and economic growth for our state.”
In 2018, the Delaware Biotechnology Institute is launching another round of Bioscience CAT grants and proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 2. Visit www.cat.dbi.udel.edu for more details and to apply for the grant.
Principal investigators from any academic research institution in Delaware are eligible to apply, including UD, Christiana Care Health System, Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, and Wesley College.
About the Delaware Biotechnology Institute
The Delaware Biotechnology Institute is a partnership between government, academia, and industry to help establish the First State as a center of excellence in biotechnology and the life sciences.
DBI promotes research, education and technology transfer for biotechnology applications to the benefit of the environment, agriculture and human health. For more information visit www.dbi.udel.edu.
About Delaware Bioscience CAT
The Delaware Bioscience CAT’s mission is to support and grow Delaware’s economy and bioscience community by fostering innovative applied research collaborations between Delaware businesses and academic institutions. For more information, www.cat.dbi.udel.edu.