Many breakthroughs in medicine begin as new discoveries in university laboratories. The Bioengineering Institute (BEI) seeks to identify emerging technologies and nurture them to the point where commercialization can commence. By securing funding, fostering collaborations, and creating space for multi-disciplinary teams to coalesce, BEI helps move programs from the spark of an idea, through the rigors of applied research and development, to commercialization.
Since in launched in 2002, BEI has invested more than $100 million in new research laboratories, core facilities, business incubation space, and the recruitment of new faculty investigators and graduate students. BEI-affiliated ventures include the following:
- VitaThreads, a company developing a novel biomedical (fibrin microthreads) for delivery of cell therapy
- Active Surface Technologies Inc., a company that uses its proprietary surface modification techniques to fabricate medical sensors and prevent infections caused by surgically implanted devices
- ImagiSonix Inc., a company dedicated to furthering the portability and accessibility of diagnostic ultrasound imaging
- Advanced Body Sensing, LLC, a company developing a wireless mobile platform to monitor of vital sign and facilitate remote triage of wounded soldiers and first responders
A Long and Winding Road
When you set out to take a life-saving discovery from benchmark to marketplace, you’d better be prepared for some detours. See how two WPI researchers are navigating the unexpected twists and turns on the road to commercialization of a product to deliver stem cells to damaged hearts.