2019-2020
Identifying the best initial markets for a new thermal energy
Inventors: Dr. Sohini Kar-Narayan, Materials Science & Metallurgy The inventor has been working on novel materials which can capture heat and convert it to electricity, with the aim of enabling small devices (such as Internet of Things devices or sensors) to remove the need for batteries and instead be “powered on the go”. Traditional thermoelectric…
Finding the best market for a new method to photoreform
Inventors: Taylor Uekert & Dr Christian Pichler, Chemistry Mentor: Dr. Mark Priest The Reisner lab in Chemistry works on a range of patented photoreforming processes, which use photocatalysts and sunlight to simultaneously break down plastic waste or biomatter and generate hydrogen. In this project, a non-toxic, carbon-based and easily-available photocatalyst is used to break down…
Investigating the best applications for an accurate fitness tracker face
Inventors: Dr. Tanya Hutter (formerly at Chemistry), Daniel Morales Valdivia, Unlimitech Accurate personal performance information allows sportspeople to effectively optimize their training and improve performance. The most reliable sources of this information come from metrics such as oxygen consumption (VO2), average power (AP) and resting metabolic rate (RMR). Many highly-active sportspeople, including non-professionals who frequently…
Investigating the benefits of monitoring the moisture profile of agricultural
Inventors: Ben Woodington, Elena Schaefer, Katie Gibson & Douglas van Niekerk, CDT in Sensor Technologies & SoliCamb Global efforts in soil health management are increasing but remain a major challenge. Limitations of existing tests and the need for laboratory equipment hinders the ability to instill management practices to improve soil health rapidly and effectively. In…
Diagnosing urinary tract infections with a low-cost microscope
Inventor: Alex Patto, WaterScope Mentor: Dr. Bill Matthews Almost all patients with a suspected urinary tract infection will receive broad-spectrum antibiotics after testing with a dipstick in care homes or doctor surgeries. Current methods to test for antibiotic susceptibility rely on colony culture and are usually conducted in centralised diagnostic laboratories taking 2-5 days. With…
Investigating the global pathways for plastic recycling to understand where
Inventors: Taylor Uekert & Dr Christian Pichler, Chemistry The Reisner lab in Chemistry works on a range of patented photoreforming processes, which use photocatalysts and sunlight to simultaneously break down plastic waste or biomatter and generate hydrogen. In this project, a non-toxic, carbon-based and easily-available photocatalyst is used to break down plastics into a mixture…
Finding the best market for tissue-engineered collagen tubes to replace
Inventors: Dr. Alex Justin & Dr. Athina Markaki, Engineering Mentor: Dr. Karin Schmitt The research team in Engineering has built up a wide range of expertise in producing collagen tubes de novo in the lab. Once seeded with cells, such tubes can serve as a three-dimensional cell culture platform for disease modelling, drug testing, and…
Investigating the best market entry strategy for reagents and techniques
Inventors: Dr. Jessica Iegre, Josephine Gaynord, Dr. Hannah Sore & Professor David Spring, Chemistry & Pep2Smart Peptides are a growing class of drugs, with properties in between small molecules (eg paracetamol) and biologics (eg antibodies). Insulin is a widely-used example of an establised peptide-based treatment. Advantages of peptides include their ability to interact with a…
Developing a go-to-market strategy for a new product to reduce
Inventor: Nawar al-Zebari, Chemical Engineering & Urologic Urinary catheters are the most widely-used long-term medical device. 26% of all hospitalised patients will be given a urinary catheter and 40% of those patients will acquire a urinary tract infection (UTI). Many (but not all) of these patients will be elderly or disabled, or unable to move…