BioFlorida Honors Two UF Startups for Their Role in Fighting COVID-19
Molekule receives COVID-19 Innovation Award; Ology Bioservices receives David J. Gury Company of the Year Award
COVID-19 Innovation Award
The COVID-19 Innovation Award recognizes a Florida company that has made significant advances in the fight against COVID-19.
The 2020 COVID-19 Innovation Award was presented to Dr. Yogi Goswami, the world-renowned Director of the Clean Energy Research Center at the University of South Florida, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, who has published twenty-two books and over 400 peer-reviewed scientific and technical papers on topics including indoor air quality.
Dr. Goswami is also a Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Molekule, an air purification company that is on a mission to provide clean indoor air to everyone, everywhere. He developed the technology while he was a researcher at the University of Florida and licensed the technology that is Molekule.
Based on more than 25 years of research and development, Dr. Goswami helped develop Molekule’s patented photo electrochemical oxidation (PECO) technology that destroys the widest range of pollutants when compared to traditional air filters. This includes the destruction of microscopic pollutants including bacteria, mold, chemicals, viruses, and more, all of which have been verified by independent, third party labs and can be viewed on their website here. This includes testing on RNA virus MS2 Bacteriophage, a proxy virus to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Molekule manufactures a range of consumer and commercial-grade air purifiers, including a medical grade air purifier with FDA 510(k) class II medical device clearance for the destruction of viruses and bacteria in healthcare settings.
David J. Gury Company of the Year Award
The Company of the Year is designated for a company or organization that has had significant achievements leading to the advancement of the life sciences in Florida.
The 2020 David J. Gury Company of the Year Award was presented to Peter H. Khoury, Ph.D., President & CEO of Ology Bioservices, a biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) serving both government and commercial clients, specializing in biologic drug substance manufacturing from early stage through commercial product. Ology Bioservices is a UF startup and a graduate of UF Innovate | Sid Martin Biotech.
Based in Alachua, Ology Bioservices has 183,000 square feet of manufacturing, process development and QA/QC space in its state-of-the-art Advanced Development and Manufacturing Facility. The company’s infrastructure provides unique services, including full regulatory support from preclinical through licensure, clinical trial operational support and bioanalytical testing, as well as CGMP manufacturing up to Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3). Ology Bioservices has more than 20 years’ experience developing and manufacturing drugs and biologics for the U.S. government, with over $1.8 billion in government contracts awarded. So far in 2020, the company has been awarded more than $300 million in contracts, including multiple projects to aid in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and Operation Warp Speed.
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