Seed Translational Research Projects (STRPs) Recipients

Innovative Cleaning and Sanitizing for Low-Moisture Food Processing Environments

Low-moisture food processing facilities, such as those handling peanut butter and chocolate, frequently encounter difficulties in effectively sanitizing their processing equipment and environments. Traditional water-based cleaning and sanitizing methods cannot be used in these settings, leading to potential outbreaks and costly recalls. To address this issue, Dry Solutions has developed a pioneering technology that utilizes formulated oils with antimicrobial properties to achieve high-level microbial destruction, eliminating the need for wet cleaning or equipment disassembly. This innovative approach offers a practical and cost-effective solution for the food processing industry. The proposed commercial product, "OleAcis," in the form of an acidified water-in-oil emulsion concentrate, demonstrates significant market potential by providing a scalable and efficient method for sanitation in low-moisture food processing facilities.

Specific objectives of the NSF-ART STRP project are:

1. Utilize campus resources to develop a realistic and practical start-up development plan and pursue external funding;
2. Partner with the food industry to scale up and evaluate cleaning and sanitation at a pilot plant level;
3. Identify specific industrial processing conditions or practices and evaluate them at the bench-top level;
4. Utilize a co-packer to manufacture water-in-oil concentrate and characterize its efficacy and shelf life.

Detecting Bacteria on Surfaces Using a Smartphone Microscope

Hertz Innovative Tech is developing a kit for detecting bacterial cells from surfaces using a smartphone microscope. The evaluation of surface bacteria is critical in various settings such as healthcare facilities, food processing plants, and pharmaceutical factories. Currently, ATP-based swab assays occupy this market with a global market revenue size approximately $0.3 billion in 2023 and expecting to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.8% through 2028. However, ATP assays have limitations in terms of reliability (can’t differentiate between bacteria ATP and extracellular ATP), difficult to standardize and validate, and lack of cost-effectiveness. Our goal is to address this unmet need using our method which is based on a chemical coating technology to capture and detect bacteria cells under a low magnification microscope. Our method has shown superior performance as compared to the ATP assays in lab settings.

Specific objectives of the NSF-ART STRP project are:

1. Conduct internal validation of the testing kit in non-laboratory settings using trained student users;
2. Perform external verification of the testing kit with untrained students and staff to assess usability and reliability;
3. Engage early adopters for real-world validation and initiate start-up formation.

Developing a Scalable, Biofilm-Based System for Phosphorus Removal and Recovery in Freshwater Bodies

Phos-For-Us is an innovative, biofilm-based water treatment system developed by a UMass team led by Dr. Caitlyn Butler, with postdoctoral researcher Dr. Ahmed Abouhend and PhD candidate Lucca Mancilio. The system targets phosphorus pollution in ponds and lakes, offering a cost-effective, chemical-free, and non-invasive alternative to traditional methods like dredging and chemical precipitation. Phos-For-Us treats water externally, returning clean water to the environment and recovering phosphorus for reuse as fertilizer—supporting both environmental sustainability and circular economy goals. 

With support from this Award, the team is building a mobile pilot unit for testing at the UMass Water and Energy Technology (WET) Center and UMass Campus Pond.

Specific objectives of the NSF-ART STRP project are

1. Validate the scalability, treatment efficacy, and reliability of Phos-For-Us in real-world conditions;
2. Conduct market research and customer discovery to refine product–market fit;
3. Establish industrial partnerships and explore licensing opportunities;
4. Secure additional funding to support full-scale testing and commercialization;
5. Protect intellectual property through patent filings and confidentiality strategies.

Developing a Safe Therapeutic to Dampen Pathological Inflammation in Graft Versus Host Disease

HasenTech Inc is an early-stage biotech start-up focused on exploiting the anti-inflammatory properties of a novel exopolysaccharide, EPS, produced by a harmless soil bacterium, Bacillus subtilis. In several published studies, EPS, was shown to dampen inflammation in several mouse models of inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, and graft versus host disease (GvHD). HasenTech will develop EPS as a therapeutic to treat GvHD. Hasentech’s clinical expert, Dr. Patrick Stiff, chairman of the Leukemia Research Foundation's Medical Advisory Board and co-director of Loyola Medical Center's Oncology Research Institute, has played a key role in designing clinical trials, and is developing first in human (FIH) studies of EPS – together with regulatory consultants. The team is working with an experienced CRO/CMO to produce GMP-quality EPS for therapeutic efficacy and safety trials.

Specific objectives of the NSF-ART STRP project are

1. Develop standardized measure of EPS specific activity assay using in vitro inhibition of T cell activation;
2. Establish a suspension culture EPS scale-up/manufacturing protocol to be transferred to the CRO/CMO for GMP manufacturing;
3. Design an optimized purification protocol to establish the reproducible GMP manufacturing of EPS ahead of FIH studies; and
4. Finalize a FIH study protocol and set up pre-IND meetings with the FDA.

Developing a Proprietary Antibody Nanogel Conjugate (ANC) Platform for the Treatment of Cancer

Nalam Therapeutics is developing its a platform for universal inclusion of chemotherapeutic drugs in ADC-like formats, overcoming current limitations of drug-to-antibody ratios and linker restrictions. The platform aims to disruptively impact the $9.7B ADC market. Nalam’s goal is to enhance safety and efficacy profiles of these drugs, improving patient outcomes. 

Specific objectives of the NSF-ART STRP project are

1. Developing a clinical candidate ANC;
2. Demonstrating appropriate efficacy and safety profiles; and
3. Establishing an IND package for pre-IND discussions.

Creating a Global Water Sustainability Tool using Deep Learning Applied to Existing Geophysical Data

Tova Earth is an early-stage climate-tech start-up focused on the use of Deep Learning (DL) to translate geophysical data science leading to the creation of a novel and scalable software solution that improves water sustainability and water security regionally and globally. The Start-Up has conducted extensive customer discovery and identified multiple unmet needs in the Geosciences associated with business risk of climate change and water scarcity. Groundwater depletion has been identified as an immediate and chronic concern by multiple corporate risk managers, especially in the beverage, computing and finance industries. In addition, estimation of climate risk to surface water supplies is impaired by lack of information on groundwater in the overall water budget. Further, business risk managers express dissatisfaction with existing climate risk forecasts based solely on Global Climate Model projections, which are not predictive on their decision-making time scales (next decade).

Specific objectives of the NSF-ART STRP project are

1. Collect data and conduct training and validation of the groundwater model to produce verification that the solution fulfills unmet customer needs;
2. Develop a use-inspired prototype water risk estimation tool with groundwater capability based on our advances in hydrology via Deep Learning and remote sensing; and
3. Pilot prototype groundwater application in collaboration with a multinational beverage company with the goal of establishing a minimum viable product for first paying customers.