{"id":5122,"date":"2024-10-28T22:15:55","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T22:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inventiontoinnovation.ca\/?p=5122"},"modified":"2024-10-28T22:15:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T22:15:55","slug":"innovative-use-for-ancient-plant-takes-top-prize-in-pitch-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inventiontoinnovation.ca\/fr\/innovative-use-for-ancient-plant-takes-top-prize-in-pitch-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative use for ancient plant takes top prize in pitch competition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Link to Article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 28, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liz Mahon and BryoSphere Biotechnologies won first place and $5,000 at this year\u2019s Invention to Innovation (i2I) Pitch Competition for their work turning moss into sustainable biofactories to make bioactive ingredients for skincare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The annual event at SFU\u2019s Beedie School of Business celebrates entrepreneurial scientists who have completed the Invention to Innovation<\/a> (i2I) Graduate Certificate in Science and Technology Commercialization program. Five finalists are selected from the graduating cohort to pitch their science innovation to a panel of expert judges, competing for financial awards and invaluable mentorship opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe i2I program has had a tremendous impact on our journey,\u201d says Mahon. \u201cIt helped us to refine our core technology and sharpen our focus on the market needs. i2I has pushed us to think bigger about how we can realign our research to meet the real-world demands of the skincare industry. It has also been instrumental in preparing us to engage with public funders and global investors. i2I has been a key part of BryoSphere\u2019s journey and I am excited for what\u2019s coming next.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anh TranLy, co-founder of CO2L Tech (pronounced \/kool tek\/), was awarded second place and $2,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2024 Finalists<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Elizabeth (Liz) Mahon<\/strong><\/a>
Co-Founder, BryoSphere<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liz Mahon holds both an MSc and PhD in plant biochemistry and molecular biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her work has focused on using biotechnology tools to address climate change issues. She is passionate about using her training to find sustainable solutions to real world problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BryoSphere Biotechnologies is turning moss into sustainable biofactories to make bioactive ingredients for skincare.
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Anh TranLy<\/strong><\/a>
Co-Founder, CO2L Tech<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anh TranLy received her PhD degree in materials science from ETH Zurich in Switzerland before beginning a postdoctoral fellowship at Queen\u2019s University. Recently honoured with the 2024 ACS\u2019s Excellence Award in Green Chemistry and Sustainability, she is dedicated to translating laboratory innovations into market solutions and positive societal impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CO2L Tech has developed an ECR system that effectively transforms impure CO2 emissions directly from industrial sources into valuable chemicals and products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Robyn Binsfeld<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong>
PhD Candidate (Queen\u2019s University); Co-Founder, Gencorrex<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robyn Binsfeld is pursuing a PhD in neuroscience researching and developing gene therapy drugs to treat genetic neurological disorders. She specializes in pre-clinical development and testing of these therapeutics with the purpose of translating them to clinical use and commercial development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gencorrex is transforming rare disease by treating the cause with a novel gene therapy platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Omar Chang<\/strong><\/a>
Founder and CEO, XRGeo Technology Inc.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Omar Chang completed an MSc at SFU investigating the applications of mixed and virtual reality in the mining industry. As an independent contractor, he has continuously developed solutions for geological and engineering challenges with institutions including University of British Columbia, SFU, and University of Urbino in Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

XRGeo Technology Inc. is a B2B hardware and software company that accurately captures 3D renders of core samples to optimize mine planning and core analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yang S. Liu<\/strong><\/a>
Chief Scientist, Become Health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yang S. Liu holds a PhD in psychology and serves as a research scientist at the University of Alberta. He specializes in precision psychiatry, behavioral psychology, machine learning, and computational modeling. Liu developed the initial prototype of EarlyDetect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Become Health\u2019s EarlyDetect, is a cross-platform, scientifically validated, AI-enabled, patient-driven mental health screening tool that empowers clinicians to make accurate diagnoses early and improve clinical efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finalists pitched their ideas to leaders in Canada\u2019s science innovation ecosystems. This year\u2019s panel of judges included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n