Advancing Innovation in Manitoba: 2024 Innovation Proof-of-Concept Grant Recipients
Research Manitoba announced the recipients of the 2024 Innovation Proof-of-Concept Grant (September Intake).
These grants are designed to support a wide range of industries in the province by bridging the gap between the initial concept of a research project and its eventual production. By funding essential activities related to process validation and proof-of-concept research, the grants help pave the way for innovation to reach commercialization.
To better understand the impact of this grant, we asked our award recipients: “How will this funding impact your project and help it move towards commercialization?“
Below, you’ll find their responses:
Professor Bryan Cassone
Brandon University
“Soybean is one of the most economically important crops grown in Manitoba, with 1.3 million acres seeded in 2024. Like all crops, soybean is host to disease-causing microorganisms that detrimentally impact harvesting yields and seed quality. However, current disease detection methods are prone to misdiagnosis and/or not suitable for large scale application. The funding from Research Manitoba (Proof-of-Concept Grant) will enable our research team to commercially ready an innovative molecular-based diagnostic tool for rapid, economical, and accurate detection of the most important soybean root and stem diseases in the province. This technology will assist in disease surveillance programs and allow producers to make informed management decisions on a yearly basis.”
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Professor Francis Lin University of Manitoba “This innovation fund from Research Manitoba will critically support our collaborative team’s work to advance the technology readiness of our point-of-care Alzheimer’s disease diagnostic device prototype thus prepare it for the next commercialization steps.” |
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Professor Frederick A. Zeiler University of Manitoba “Funding from the RM IPOC grant competition will facilitate the ongoing technological development of our novel personalized sedation depth targeting methods, focused on true neuroprotection, for the benefit of those under sedation in the intensive care unit (ICU) or operating theater. Such funding will create nationally and internationally leading training opportunities within Manitoba for skills in novel personalized biotechnology development, across the spectrum of undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels over the course of this project. Furthermore, this funding support will enable a comprehensive market assessment for our intellectual property (IP; provisional patent 63/659, 989), enhancing our ongoing dialogue with potential industry partners for future integration into existing and next-generation medical devices, for the benefit of both Manitobans, and patients across the globe. Such funding from the RM IPOC opportunity will truly enable a bench-to-bedside translation of our technologies.”
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Professor Ramanathan Sri Ranjan University of Manitoba “This funding will allow me to further develop and field test the plant-controlled atmometer before launching into commercial production. The plant-controlled atmometer will notify farmers how much water they should be applying in the next irrigation thereby helping conserve both water and energy for pumping.”
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Professor Scott Kroeker University of Manitoba “This funding will advance the development of Geoglass for the safe long-term disposal of radioactive waste. It will facilitate the implementation of this technology at nuclear power sites as part of an integrated and environmentally responsible nuclear fuel cycle, attracting investment in new reactor installations in Manitoba.”
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Professor Shyamala Dakshinamurti University of Manitoba “This funding comes at the perfect time for our team; it will help facilitate invention protection of our product, and also to optimize our product in the lab for greater preclinical success, so it could be translated into a life-saving therapeutic. To move from exploratory research to entrepreneurship is quite a difficult mental transition, and Research Manitoba’s Innovation Proof of Concept program provides us with much needed support and structure.”
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Professor Wen Zhong University of Manitoba “This funding will play a crucial role in advancing our project by accelerating research and development efforts, refining the prototype glucose sensors based on egg white hydrogels, and scaling up production to align with industry standards. It will also facilitate collaborations with our industry partner to streamline the commercialization process. Ultimately, this support will bridge the gap between lab-scale innovation and real-world application, bringing us closer to launching a sustainable and high-performance product in the market.”
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Professor Krista Hardy University of Manitoba “This funding will support collaborative innovation with biomedical engineering to develop a novel, high-quality model of laparoscopic hand sewn bowel anastomosis. The model will be of commercial interest to training programs nationally and internationally as laparoscopic bowel anastomosis is considered a technically challenging procedure that requires deliberate practice. “ |