Researchers & UT Community
PROOF OF CONCEPT AWARDS
Technology Development
The Texas Proof of Concept Awards provide competitive funding for faculty membersor permanent researchers with principal investigator (PI) status to demonstrate the feasibility of their innovations to accelerate the process towards commercialization. We invite you to learn more about the past awardees and consider applying.
Award recipients
Sanchita Bhadra
PFAS detection using agnostic biosignatures
Synopsis:
The Environmental Protection Agency has recently proposed new regulations for levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which is a large class of thousands of different harmful hard to degrade 'forever' chemicals. The maximum levels of PFAS are currently significantly lower than the detection limit of currently available assays. The Ellington lab is adapting a DNA fingerprint technology they invented for NASA to allow for throughput detection and quantification of PFAS chemicals aided by machine learning algorithms.
UT Austin Startup:
Details
Website
Daniel Stromberg
Endotracheal Tube Securement/Adjustment Device
Synopsis:
Pediatric intensive care patients require ventilation via endotracheal tubes that are secured to the baby’s face with tape, making adjustment difficult, risky, and often ineffective. UT physicians and scientists are developing a novel device for endotracheal tube securement and precise adjustment, resulting in better tube positioning and more effective treatment.
UT Austin Startup:
Tube Tech Medical
Details
Website
Zoya Heidari
Accelerated Fluid Flow Characterization in Organic Shales
Synopsis:
Large volumes of water are produced from organic shales during oil production, leading to high costs for disposal. Among other limitations, current conventional methods for predicting fluid production take a long time, are expensive, and don’t work with irregular shaped samples. UT petroleum engineers are developing a faster and cheaper fluid flow characterization for organic shales that overcomes nearly all limitations of current methods.
UT Austin Startup:
Details
Website
Emily Porter
Infection Detective
Synopsis:
Surgical site infections are far too common, with 60% of infections being identified after the patient leaves the hospital. A multidisciplinary team from UT Austin and MD Anderson are developing a remote wound monitoring system that can detect infections early and automatically relay data to the patient's physician. Earlier identification can allow for proactive and inexpensive treatment, as opposed to potential rehospitalization and corrective surgeries.
UT Austin Startup:
Longhorn Life Sciences
Details
Website
Tanya Hutter
Technology for At-Home Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Synopsis:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the 3rd leading cause of death globally, but there are currently no options for accessible, affordable, interactive, and at-home pulmonary rehabilitation. A team led by Dr. Tanya Hutter is developing a wearable device that can provide remote breath training exercises and extensive monitoring capabilities to help patients rehabilitate at home.
UT Austin Startup:
RespiraMetrics
Details
Website
