Team:UNebraska-Lincoln/Entrepreneurship
Industry / Entrepreneurship
Our project was to construct a genetically engineered machine to effectively reduce the excess nitrate in waterways. The scope of the project is highly practical. Applications derived from this project can have positive impacts on both the environment and the society. Keeping these in mind, we have always sought opportunities to discuss and brainstorm future commercialization feasibility of our ideas throughout our wet-lab studies. We consulted experts in local biotech companies on issues such as how to protect intellectual property and raise money for future commercial operation.
We met with a technology manager, Dr. Arpi Siyahian, of NUTech Ventures, which is a university-sponsored organization that focuses on fostering innovation and business ventures for university-based research. As a result, we have started the process of filing a provisional patent for reductase-based denitrification process. NUTech is in the process of reviewing our information. If they deem our technology novel, valuable and profitable, they will provide funds for the patent. This has been a rewarding experience for our whole team and we feel more well equipped for similar situations in the future.
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