LuminOva

Harvard University

LuminOva is developing a diagnostic to substantially improve the success rate of in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Infertility affects 15% of couples, yet IVF remains miserable and expensive. LuminOva has developed a diagnostic to reduce one of the biggest bottlenecks in IVF today - failure at transfer - by non-invasively and quantitatively measuring mitochondrial NADH and FAD levels to determine candidate embryo health pre-IVF.

Fatal Attraction

Harvard University

Prof. Bob Datta and his team at Harvard Medical School have discovered a new class of odorant receptors - MS4As - that is structurally distinct from previously known receptors. In fact, data suggests that stimulating MS4A-bearing cells can significantly increase food intake in mice by hijacking innate preference mechanisms. The screening platform developed by Bob Datta has the potential to unlock numerous naturally-occurring ligands to create unique additives for food and/or fragrances. The science of the MS4As represents the first truly new opportunity to develop a new class of compounds with the potential to influence human and animal olfactory perception. Sandeep Robert (Bob) Datta is an Associate Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard and he is an entrepreneurial faculty member who is currently working on a number of start-ups.

qPathology

Harvard University

Lung cancer is common and often deadly. Accurate diagnosis is key to forming an optimal treatment plan, but pathologists often disagree on diagnosis after visual inspection of patient pathology images. Dr Yu and colleagues have developed a machine-learning technique that processes lung images and makes an accurate and automatic diagnosis.

Surgical ai

Harvard University

Operating rooms are often not efficient and are costly to hospitals. Solutions to increasing efficiency neglect to monitor errors in real time which can be stopped and improve efficiency from the time of the incident. This technology pairs artificial intelligence with real time monitoring of operating room procedures to increase efficiency of hospital operating rooms.

Singularity

Harvard University

In the future, the power grid will be a large-scale network of distributed energy resources (DERs), each introducing random and rapid fluctuations in power supply, demand, voltage and frequency. These DERs provide tremendous opportunity for sustainability, efficiency, and power reliability. However, a major issue is how intelligent devices and independent producers can achieve maximum and reliable efficiency for the power network. Singularity's hardware-agnostic algorithmic platform can provide the intelligent control for the smart grid of the future.

PionEar Technologies

Harvard University

Ear infections are the number on cause of doctors visits worldwide, affecting 700 million people each year. Chronic ear infections are often treated with the insertion of a tympanostomy tube into the ear drum. While these help to drain fluid, they often come with complications which can result in follow up surgeries and hearing loss. The PionEar tympanostomy tube technology addresses the most common complications by changing the geometry and materials of the tube to enhance fluid transport and reduce the chances of biofilm formation.

Armored Probiotics

Harvard University

Antibiotic suppression of beneficial microbes in the gut, skin, and mucous membranes leads to numerous undesirable side effects, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). Although concurrent probiotic use has shown benefit in preventing infection recurrence and reducing side effects, results are unpredictable, in part because the probiotics are also susceptible to the antibiotic. Armored Probiotics is an inexpensive & temporary coating that helps patients maintain a healthy microbiome during antibiotic treatment. This technology opens up a new market segment for people receiving antibiotic treatment.

LiMAX Biosciences

Harvard University

Wounds outside and inside the body are common and can be devastating. Wound adhesives have not been able to compete with suturing due to lack of strength and flexibility. LiMAX has developed a gel adhesive using biomimicry which is able to outperform existing medical adhesives in strength and flexibility. LiMAX is focusing on the application to skin first, but the applications of the technology span many tissues.