Professor Venture Fair

Brought to you by the UM Office of Technology Commercialization.

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom Lounge (tentative time)

Professors and inventors will pitch their inventions to local Venture Capitalists who will then name the "Best Inventor Pitch for Bioscience Day 2009."

In 2008, the "Professor Venture Fair" gave faculty and inventors the opportunity to pitch their new technologies to a team of five venture capitalists and entrepreneurs from the region. Presenters were judged based upon clarity of pitch and commercial viability.

Fischell Department of Bioengineering doctoral student Matthew Dowling and chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Srinivasa Raghavan won for “nano-velcro,” a new, patent-pending bio-material they're developing into two products: a sponge that is applied directly to a wound to stop hemorrhaging, and a spray that halts blood loss and seals tissue in a variety of situations, from minor surgical bleeding to life-threatening arterial punctures. Both products can be gently removed after wounds heal. Read the press release: Bio-bandage that Stops Bleeding Wins Professor Venture Fair

Two College of Chemical and Life Sciences faculty pitched their innovations. Lian-Yong Gao, assistant professor, Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics described a new tuberculosis vaccine that will not effect immune-compromised individuals, costs less, is quicker to produce, and is easier to manufacture than traditional vaccines. Philip DeShong, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry  described a  nanoparticle delivery system he has been developing in collaboration with Michael Zachariah, Professor of Bioengineering and Peter DeMuth, Chemistry/Biochemistry alumnus that can be used to deliver drugs precisely to diseased cells, including cancerous cells.