Innovations Development Facility (IDF)
Current companies in the IDF:
Advanced Genome Technologies, LLC, is a new biotechnology company utilizing proprietary genome modification technologies to develop methods and products for commercial license and sale. Their interests are primarily in the modification of plant and fungal genomes.
BioCrystals, LLC, a new start-up company based on research performed at ISU, is developing novel methods for the crystallization of various proteins. The first application will be a high-throughput protein crystallization procedure and a stand-alone bench top prototype.
Catilin, Inc., is a company that invented and subsequently created a series of highly effective solid catalysts for biodiesel production. Catilin is now scaling that research in a biodiesel pilot-plant. The catalysts are environmentally friendly, recyclable, faster, less costly and work with various feedstocks, such as vegetable oils, animal fats, restaurant oils and other waste oils.
Starch Design, LLC, is a new biotechnology company with the mission of developing and commercializing novel starches from corn. These include slow energy release starches that are designed to bring health benefits to food products, and rapidly digestible starches that are targeted to industrial usage.
Companies that have been in the IDF in the past:
Mobiliscript was created to commercialize the discoveries related to flowering and potato tuber production made by Dr. David Hannapel, an associate professor in horticulture at ISU. Mobiliscript is positioned as a company that will focus on the discovery and mechanisms that regulate plant physiology.
Phytodyne, Inc. was co-founded by Dr. Dan Voytas, a professor in genetics, development and cell biology at ISU. Phytodyne's proprietary genome modification technologies will simplify and shorten the production of new transgenic plants and offer new methods for altering plant genes to foster the production of valuable, proprietary plants.
EnzEye, Inc. is an outside company (not an ISU faculty start-up) that is working in the research area of developing novel methods to identify genetically-modified organisms (GMO) grains and other GMO plant products. EnzEye's technology enables high-throughput, non-destructive monitoring and sorting, thus allowing the user to separate GMOs from non-GMOs.
Molecular Express, Inc. is a biotech company founded by Dr. Marit Nilsen-Hamilton, a professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology at ISU. MEI develops aptamer-based (small RNA) reagents that are used to detect changes in gene expression in human, animal and plant tissues.
MTEC BioAnalytics, Inc. is a company involved in the rapid, reliable, and cost-effective compositional analysis of single seeds that allows plant breeders to screen seeds individually and to more efficiently develop new varieties of specialty grains.
Metered Semiochemical Timed Release Systems (MSTRS) Technologies, Inc. is developing novel sex pheromone-based strategies to control soybean aphids. MSTRS Technologies received Phase I and II SBIR grants from NSF to identify soybean aphid sex pheromone chemical structures and their prototype products for monitoring and reducing the population of the soybean aphid pest. www.mstrs.com
Nectar-Expression of Recombinant Proteins (NERP) Technologies, Inc. is a start-up company that has the goal of expressing recombinant proteins in the nectar of plants. While still in the early stages of this technology, the long term goal is to express high value medicinal proteins and antigens for human or veterinary consumption.
For more information about the IDF or any of the companies in the IDF, please contact Stephen Howell, Director, Plant Sciences Institute, phone: 515-294-5252,
