Bioscience Initiative Speeds New Technologies to Consumers

An artificial salivary gland and a light imaging system that detects ovarian cancer faster are two UConn-faculty designed projects that will receive funding from a $1 million Connecticut Innovations program designed to encourage the creation of biomedical devices from Connecticut universities and colleges.
 
The BioScience Pipeline Program is a joint venture between Connecticut Innovations, UConn, Yale and Quinnipiac University. The deadline for the next two rounds of applications are April 22 and October 7. Other higher education institutions are encouraged to apply, and collaborations between multiple universities and colleges are encouraged.
 
“This program has two benefits- creating new health technologies that benefit consumers, and creating innovative start-up companies that benefit the economy of Connecticut,” said Hadi Bozorgmanesh, co-executive director of the UConn School of Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consortium.
 
The Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consortium fosters business ventures created by UConn faculty and students.
 
At UConn Mei Wei, associate dean for research in the school of engineering, is creating a bone scaffold system that could replace some bone grafts and cause injuries to heal faster; Quing Zhu of the biomedical engineering department is developing a miniaturized light imaging system for rapid detection of ovarian cancer; Robert Kelly in reconstructive sciences is creating an artificial salivary gland to alleviate dry mouth; and Guoan Zheng and Kazunori Hoshino are making a new, cost-effective whole slide imaging kit that allows medical professionals to view a digital image of the entire section of stained tissues, which will streamline the workflow of cancer diagnosis.
 
Connecticut Innovations is the leading source of financing and ongoing support for the state’s innovative, growing companies.