PROVEN, the world’s first microbial biofertilizer for cereal crops, has been named one of the 100 Best Inventions of 2020 by Time Magazine. Developed by PivotBio, a BioE spinout company founded by Karsten Temme, PhD 2010, the product replaces synthetic solutions with nitrogen-fixing microbes, which capture nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form that plants can use.
startup
FDA authorizes first rapid at-home covid-19 test, made by Lucira
On Tuesday the first rapid, at-home COVID-19 test was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. The test, made by BioE-founded company Lucira, uses their loop mediated amplification reaction process, a molecular nucleic acid amplification technology, in a battery-powered standalone unit. Rather than detecting antibodies, their test is designed to detect whether an individual is shedding the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The company was developing this technology for an at-home influenza test before rapidly pivoting to address COVID-19. Lucira is led by Debkishore Mitra (PhD 2013), who founded the company with John Waldeisen (PhD 2012).
Eko wins Best Hospital Diagnostics at UCSF Digital Health Awards
BioE spinout company Eko won the Best Hospital Diagnostics category at the 2020 UCSF Digital Health Awards digital stethoscope and ECG.
Gauss-Cellex rapid at-home Covid-19 antigen test
Gauss Surgical – a company launched by MTM alumnus Siddarth Satish – has partnered with Cellex to develop the first-ever rapid, at-home COVID-19 antigen test and mobile app.
When Fashion is Fungal
BioE company Bolt Threads and alumnus David Breslauer are in the news again, featured in the Washington Post for their sustainably-grown mycelium-based leather materials.
7 Questions for Correlia Biosystems Co-Founder Akwasi Apori
Learn about the startup journey from BioE PhD alum Akwasi Apori!
Kate Rosenbluth featured in “Women Who Lead in Life Sciences”
BioE PhD alumna Kate Hammond Rosenbluth is featured in the San Francisco Business Times series, “Women Who Lead in Life Sciences”. “Cala Health aims to restore functionality to essential tremor patients with wearables” explains her company’s successful launch of a revolutionary therapeutic device.
Herr leads the way in Light the Way campaign
Professor Amy Herr, Faculty Director of the new Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, played a major role in the launch of UC Berkeley’s Light the Way fundraising campaign at the kickoff event on February 29. Herr previewed the new campus hub building and showcased an amazing group bioengineering startup entrepreneurs, including: alum Kelly Gardner and Josh Molho of ProteinSimple, Prof John Dueber and alum Tammy Hsu of Tinctorium, Prof Niren Murthy and postdoc alum Naresh Sunkara of BioAmp Diagnostics, and Prof Steve Conolly and alum Patrick Goodwill of Magnetic Insight.
BioE startup Correlia Biosystems wins SLAS Ignite Award
Correlia Biosystems was named the 2020 SLAS Ignite Award winner from the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening, an award that recognizes the best exhibiting start-up or emerging company at the conference Innovation AveNEW. Correlia was founded by BioE PhDs Akwasi Apori and Samuel Tia, and former postdoc Kursad Araz, all from Professor Herr’s lab.