Wednesday, May 13, 2015
A startup based on research by researchers at the University of Minnesota's BioTechnology Institute, a Consortium member center, has landed its first research and development contract from a multibillion-dollar global company headquartered in Europe. Scientific discoveries by researchers Alptekin Aksan, PhD and Larry Wackett, PhD led to the development of a process that uses small, sponge-like silica beads to purify water contaminated by chemicals from industrial processes and agricultural runoff, naturally breaking these compounds down into environmentally harmless byproducts. The R&D funds will allow the company, Minnepura, to develop and launch its first product based on the U of M-patented silica bead technology.