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Emergent, NSF-funded biotech at 2016 BIO Innovation Zone

June 2nd, 2016
Emergent, NSF-funded biotech at 2016 BIO Innovation Zone
The 2016 BIO Innovation Zone is dedicated to early stage companies with frontier biotech. Credit: Kevin Hagedorn, CEO, Life Magnetics, Inc.

The U.S. health care system has a tremendous need for novel high- (and low-) tech solutions to increase its quality, agility and affordability.

To meet this need, the National Science Foundation (NSF) supports research and early-stage development of novel biomedical products, processes and services.

Fifty NSF-funded startups and small businesses with innovative biotech, based on fundamental research, will be on display in San Francisco June 6-9 at the 2016 BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry.

Companies will be part of BIO Innovation Zone, an exhibit space dedicated to early-stage companies with frontier biomedical technologies.

Small business innovation

The exhibitors are companies supported through the NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program, a $188 million activity that catalyzes commercialization of high-risk technological innovations via research and development grants to small businesses and startups.

"The biotechnology industry is a fast-paced, high-stakes environment because of its critical, far-reaching human health and economic impacts," said Jesus Soriano, NSF program director. "Federally supported, fundamental scientific and engineering research plays a pivotal role in this arena, due to the government's ability to invest in high-risk projects with long-term, big-payoff potential. Companies funded by NSF SBIR/STTR have the benefit and added credibility of having undergone NSF rigorous merit review."

Emergent, NSF-funded biotech at 2016 BIO Innovation Zone
Thanks to an NSF SBIR award, small business PharmaSeq is developing a microchip with a sensor that can be injected into live cells to transmit information without a physical connection. (Image above shows relative chip size in comparison to ants.) Credit: PharmaSeq

NSF seed funding provides the critical first step to biotech startups, while the Innovation Zone gathers potential investors, industry partners, service providers and mentors to make connections for commercialization.

The zone will also include companies supported by the National Institutes of Health SBIR/STTR program, meaning more than 100 companies in all will showcase emerging biotech at the convention.

Legacy of support

The Innovation Zone was first launched at the 2014 BIO Convention with 35 companies. Since then, it has more than tripled in size due to growing interest from the public in early-stage, federally funded projects.

Emergent, NSF-funded biotech at 2016 BIO Innovation Zone
LambdaVision is developing a protein-based retinal implant to restore vision to people with age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. The implant will act as an artificial photoreceptor cell layer and replace function of damaged rods and cones. Credit: Angelica Messana, University of Connecticut Jordan Greco, University of Connecticut

NSF's role in the Innovation Zone is a continuation of a three-decade legacy of support for innovation and the high-tech small business community. In particular, large-scale trade shows provide startups and small business exhibitors with opportunities to connect with a multitude of like-minded partners and investors.

"The Innovation Zone is a prime example of effective public-private partnership established between the Federal government and the private sector for the benefit of small businesses and patients alike," Soriano said.

Provided by National Science Foundation

Citation: Emergent, NSF-funded biotech at 2016 BIO Innovation Zone (2016, June 2) retrieved 1 October 2025 from https://sciencex.com/wire-news/226325337/emergent-nsf-funded-biotech-at-2016-bio-innovation-zone.html
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