Category

UF Startup

Orange County Hands Out Thousands of Free Mosquito Traps

Last month, Orange County Mosquito Control identified approximately 93,000 acres that are seeing more mosquitoes. Because of that influx, the county and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are handing out free mosquito traps. The traps were invented in a UF lab. And the company that now sells them, Inzecto Mosquito Trap, donated 100,000 traps to hard-hit communities impacted by hurricane Ian. 9,000 of those traps went to Orange County.

UF Start-Up Helps Fight Mosquitoes in Areas Hit Hardest by Hurricane Ian

A product developed in a University of Florida lab designed to protect American soldiers from insect-borne diseases is helping wage war against the surge of mosquitoes in areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ian. The Inzecto Mosquito Trap, co-created by Phil Koehler, a UF distinguished professor in the department of entomology and nematology, is an easy-to-use, environmentally friendly, and effective mosquito-killing device. The Gainesville-based company donated 100,000 traps this week to communities struggling with large populations of mosquitoes due to the floodwaters left behind by the hurricane’s rain and storm surges.

Dr. Barry Byrne Named Innovator of the Year 

The annual event honored Dr. Barry Byrne as Innovator of the Year for his contributions to gene therapy and highlighted six teams of inventors for their Inventions of the Year. 

Cade Prize Announces Fibonacci Finalists

Judges for 2022’s Cade Prize for Innovation named this year’s 21 Fibonacci Finalists. The finalists, from Florida, Georgia and Alabama, will compete for $64,000 of prize money. Winners will be announced September 29, 2022.

Why Aren’t Digital Pills Taking Off?

In 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) broke ground by approving the first drug with an embedded biosensor to track its use. The enthusiasm for digital approaches involving sensors, apps, and wearables that could transmit information across systems, commonly grouped under the term Internet of Things, also spread. Yet, despite the landmark FDA approval, digital pills have not exploded in pharma. Privacy and logistical concerns, especially while studying such applications for vulnerable populations, have lingered.

Using AI, UF Startup Companies Boost Ailing Citrus Industry

As news broke that Florida’s citrus industry ended this year’s growing season with its lowest production in eight decades, an unlikely union has formed between two University of Florida startup companies to help reverse the trend.

Exactech Announces Successful First Surgeries With Latest Instrumentation for Its Newton™ Balanced Knee Technology

UF startup Exactech, a developer and producer of innovative implants, instrumentation, and smart technologies for joint replacement surgery, announced today first surgeries leveraging the power of the Newton™ Knee, featuring new, user-friendly instrumentation and a modernized graphical user interface. With a rich array of pre-clinical data, the Newton Knee is at the forefront of Exactech’s focus to improve clinical outcomes by utilizing soft tissue balancing technology in total knee replacement patients