The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded six jurisdictions $20 million each through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, a program that aims to build and bolster infrastructure to advance scientific progress. Iowa’s project, titled “Building Capacity Across Iowa to Meet Human Needs From Things That Grow,” aims for…
Mazen Animal Health, an animal health company developing maize-based vaccines, announced it has been issued a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its technology to produce orally delivered animal vaccines. The patent covers foundational technology for the company’s first vaccine product for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, according to a…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday three grants, including one to Ames-based Soylei Innovations, totaling $9.5 million to support the scale-up of sustainable bioproduct manufacturing in the U.S. The funds are made available through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Bioproduct Pilot Program, which is authorized and funded by…
TEConomy Partners, a global research firm focusing on analysis and strategy for innovation-driven economic development, and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization have released the 10th biennial report on the economic footprint of the U.S. bioscience industry. The report breaks down the latest trends and information for the nation, states and metropolitan areas. According…
Ames-based Genvax Technologies, a startup bringing advances in self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) for animal vaccines, will move toward getting regulatory approval of its vaccines with $6.5 million in new series seed funding. According to a press release, the company is seeking U.S. Department of Agriculture and international approval “in anticipation of any foreign…
Jessica Hyland, executive director of the Iowa Biotechnology Association, or IowaBio, recently sat down with me to share about the association’s priorities and its new STEM committee and future leaders fund and what’s new in the biotech industry. Below, she answers our innovationIOWA Leader Q&A. What does innovation mean to you?I…
Bioconnect Iowa is debuting a new brand two years after shifting its mission toward the state’s biosciences, the organization formerly known as the Iowa Innovation Corp. announced this year. The change in name is just the start: Bioconnect Iowa partnered this year with Iowa State University’s Startup Factory and VentureNET…
EngeniousAg LLC, a participant in Iowa State University’s Startup Factory, has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for $100,000 to develop low-cost, high-specificity nitrate sensors. The NIFA-funded project will allow EngeniousAg to improve the…
The threat of a deadly hog disease is prompting state officials to tighten security at swine events during the Iowa State Fair, reports Iowa Public Radio. For nearly a year, U.S. pork producers have watched African swine fever decimate China’s pig herd and they fear it could arrive here. So…
Iowa State University researchers overcame the quirks of the soybean cyst nematode’s DNA to sequence its genome, paving the way for better management practices to combat the no. 1 pest that threatens Iowa soybeans, ISU announced on Friday. The research was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Genomics.