AxNano, the technology development group of Triad Growth Partners, has added Colm Humphreys, its second scientist from Duke University’s Superfund Research Center, to support its expanding commercialization pipeline of novel solutions for sustainable environmental remediation.
A native of central New Jersey, Colm received his BS in Environmental Science with a focus in Ecotoxicology from Duke University where he researched the bioenergetics effects of selenium exposure in zebrafish under the guidance of Professor Rich Di Giulio, Director of the Duke Superfund Research Center. Bioenergetics provides important information about energy transformations and exchanges within and between living things and their environments. “With Global industrial waste at 11 billion tons annually and increasing exponentially, especially in developing regions, the world needs novel and sustainable waste management solutions,” notes AxNano CEO Charles Gause. “By recovering habitats and remediating land and water safely and quickly, regions gain land for agriculture, population and development reuse.” In the last half of 2016, AxNano has been awarded three grants totaling more than $500,000 from the NSF, NIST and the NIEHS Superfund Research Program. “We’re working with universities, federal laboratories and commercial partners to advance multiple novel discoveries through our RemRx solutions platform. These products will provide less costly, safe and sustainable solutions for the far-reaching human health and environmental effects of groundwater pollution,” notes Gause. “Colm is essential to Triad Growth Partners’ efforts to develop and commercialize sustainable solutions for environmental applications. His Ecotoxicology background is important and he’s a quick and determined problem solver in the lab” according to Triad Growth Partners Principal Investigator, Dr. Alexis Carpenter, who was a postdoctoral Superfund Trainee at the Duke Superfund Research Center working with Dr. Mark Wiesner prior to joining Triad Growth Partners in January 2015. For Humphreys, his position at Triad Growth Partners is allowing him to work on a variety of remediation projects and to understand the process of technology development and commercialization. “I've loved my experience at Triad Growth Partners so far! I am learning more and more about what makes remediation technologies tick, and daily problem-solving in the lab.” says Humphreys. “Working here has better equipped me to move forward by giving me real exposure to the technology development process and more clarity about what I want to pursue in graduate school and beyond.” About Triad Growth Partners: Triad Growth Partners is a technology accelerator that advances discoveries that solve important problems for large global markets through its unique commercialization process, network of experts, and strategic relationships with academic research centers, federal research laboratories, commercial companies and funding sources. In 2013 Triad Growth Partners acquired AxNano as its Technology Development Group and is located in the Gateway University Research Park in Greensboro, North Carolina, adjacent to the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering and in Danville, Virginia. Author: Monica Doss By Monica Doss
AxNano was among 30 teams showcasing their cutting-edge technology at the Sensor and Technologies Fair, at EHS FEST, the 4-day 50th anniversary National Institute for environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) celebration that took place in Durham from Dec. 5th - 8th. More than 1200 researchers, trainees, young investigators, community partners, stakeholders and NIEHS leaders came together from across the US to talk about the future of environmental health science. The NIEHS is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC. Axnano, Triad Growth Partners technology development group, is currently working with the NIEHS’s Superfund Research Program (SRP) to develop, commercialize and scale-up its patented RemRx-CRP technology which was invented at NC A&T State University. Using a versatile, controlled release biodegradable polymer structure (CRPS) technology, RemRx-CRP is a breakthrough in sustainable water remediation because it is safer, easier and less costly to deploy to treat contaminated groundwater. When we think about hazardous waste, the EPA is usually the first agency that comes to mind, but the NIEHS and its Superfund Research Program are part of the National Institutes of Health. Superfund Research Program provides practical, scientific solutions to protect health, the environment, and communities. It funds grants on basic biological, environmental, and engineering processes, to find real solutions to hazardous waste problems. For a very readable overview of the NIEHS Superfund Research Program, you can download this fact sheet. About Triad Growth Partners: Triad Growth Partners is a technology accelerator that advances discoveries that solve important problems for large global markets through its unique commercialization process, network of experts, and strategic relationships with academic research centers, federal research laboratories, commercial companies and funding sources. In 2013 Triad Growth Partners acquired AxNano as its Technology Development Group and is located in the Gateway University Research Park in Greensboro, North Carolina, adjacent to the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering and in Danville, Virginia. Triad Growth Partners Technology Development Group, AxNano, Awarded $598,879 in Grants in 201611/30/2016 By Monica Doss In the last half of 2016, AxNano, Triad Growth Partners technology development group, has been awarded four grants totaling $598,879 from the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program. and the NC One Phase I Matching Funds Program. “The US Environmental Protection Agency reports that one of every four Americans live within three miles of a hazardous waste site. These grants fund three collaborative projects to develop and commercialize a platform of novel products that will provide low cost, safe and sustainable solutions for the far-reaching human health and environmental effects of groundwater pollution,” says Charles Gause, Co-Founder/CEO of AxNano. AxNano was awarded the following grants in the second half of 2016 (read more at www.triadgrowthpartners.com): NSF Phase I STTR: $224,934 grant to develop a safe, less costly and adaptable technology that uses a controlled release biodegradable polymer technology to reduce groundwater pollution. The technology was invented at North Carolina A& T University by Dr. Stephanie Luster-Teasley, Chair of the Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering (CAEE) Department and at North Carolina A&T State University. This project was also awarded a $50,000 NC One Phase I Matching Funds Grant NIST Phase I SBIR: $99,275 grant to work in collaboration with the University of Arkansas to develop a sustainable, low-cost zero-valent iron based remediation technology to safely address a broad range of toxic groundwater contaminants. The technology was invented at NIST by Dr. Lauren Greenlee who now holds the Louis Owen Professorship in Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas. NIEHS Superfund Research STTR Phase I: $224,670 grant to evaluate effectiveness of its patented biodegradable controlled release remediation technology for two classes of Superfund-relevant contaminants, and to design a plan for scale-up manufacturing and pilot field testing. More details on this program can be found here: AxNano and NCAT with National Insitute of Environmental Health Sciences  On November 30, 2016, Collaborators AxNano and NC A&T hosted a Kickoff Meeting with NIEHS discussing the scope of their work and commercialization efforts for their innovative remediation technology. SRP Health Scientist Administrator Heather Henry, Ph.D., joined the team at the Triad Growth Partners offices at the Gateway University Research Park and Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. Pictured left to right: Stephanie Luster-Teasley, Alexis Carpenter, Nafisa Sirelkhatim, Heather Henry, Colm Humphreys, and Charlie Gause. “Global sustainability and food security depend on recovering depleted water and land sources,” says Gause. “Triad Growth Partners is committed to collaborations with universities, federal laboratories and commercial companies to develop safe, sustainable and less costly solutions for the $60 billion remediation market.”
About Triad Growth Partners: Triad Growth Partners is a technology accelerator that advances discoveries that solve important problems for large global markets through its unique commercialization process, network of experts, and strategic relationships with academic research centers, federal research laboratories, commercial companies and funding sources. Triad Growth Partners is located in the Gateway University Research Park in Greensboro, North Carolina, adjacent to the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering and in Danville, Virginia. In 2013 Triad Growth Partners acquired AxNano as its Technology Development Group By Taylor Pipes When it comes to industrial waste, rarely do we think how it impacts our food supply. As global industrial waste continues to rise to staggering levels, especially in emerging economies, there remains a striking disconnect in understanding its direct relationship to food production, transportation, and ultimately what we eat. Sustainable solutions for food, health, and prosperity will be the topic du jour at the fifth annual Global Action Summit, November 14-15, 2016 in Nashville. Charles Gause, President and co-founder of Triad Growth Partners will be a panelist at the convention, featuring more than 400 leaders representing a broad swath of international delegations, corporations, governments, foundations, NGOs, and universities. Together, they seek to discuss innovations and solutions relating to food, health, and prosperity. Gause will be participating in the panel, “Food Security: No More Food to Waste.” “Global industrial waste is at 11 billion tons annually and increasing exponentially, especially in developing regions,” Gause explains. “We need novel and sustainable waste management solutions that can recover habitats faster and remediate land and water for agriculture, population and development reuse.” Gause will share examples of work Triad Growth Partners (TGP) is doing in collaboration with multiple universities, federal laboratories, and corporations to develop and commercialize innovative waste remediation solutions. These solutions aim to decrease cost and increase efficacy, restoring waste sites to usable conditions in a sustainable manner. In addition, TPG’s solutions support global sustainability, including food security, by replenishing our depleting water and land sources. TGP's new RemRx treatment technologies provide a low-cost, safe to handle / transport, slow-release biodegradable solutions that remediate contaminated soil and water. Advanced technologies and the use of biodegradable agents bring together a proprietary innovation to address the needs of global development leaders looking for sustainable solutions. Triad Growth Partners is a technology accelerator that advances discoveries to solve important problems for large global markets through its unique commercialization process, network of experts, and its relationships with academic research centers, federal research laboratories, commercial companies and funding sources. Triad Growth Partners is located adjacent to the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering in the Gateway University Research Park in Greensboro, North Carolina and in Danville, Virginia. The Global Action Summit is an annual forum held in Nashville, Tennessee, that fosters cross-sector perspectives on food, health, and prosperity. The aim of the Summit is to create, guide and facilitate leadership initiatives. Summit participants include senior-level business leaders, research scientists, global agencies and NGO directors. The proceedings of the annual Global Action Summit are published and distributed by the Global Action Platform and include summaries of major ideas, recommendations for action, long range vision frameworks, and exemplary stories and analysis relevant to creating abundance through innovation in food, health, and prosperity. Select articles are republished annually in the materials of the G7, G20, and APEC summits. To learn more, visit the Global Action Report.  Triad Growth Partners President Charlie Gause participating in the panel, “Food Security: No More Food to Waste.”
By Monica Doss
AxNano LLC, the technology acceleration arm of Triad Growth Partners, has received a $224,934.00 Phase I STTR Grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a slow release technology for remediation of contaminated waters that is safer and allows for sustained treatment over extended periods with fewer applications than conventional methods. AxNano has partnered on the STTR with co-Principal investigator Stephanie Luster-Teasley, Ph.D., North Carolina A&T University, inventor and Chair of the Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering (CAEE) Department. Charles Gause, CEO of AxNano and President of Triad Growth Partners is the Principal Investigator for the project. Also involved is Alexis Carpenter, PhD, Principal Investigator for Triad Growth Partners and AxNano. AxNano’s proprietary platform technology is a versatile new controlled release polymer structure (CRPS) being developed for In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO), an advanced remediation technology that has proven efficacy in reducing groundwater pollution. “There are over 1300 sites on the EPA’s National Priorities list where hazardous contaminants have been or are expected to be released into the environment One out of every four Americans lives within three miles of a hazardous waste site. With aging infrastructure that compromises water sources compounded by growing water scarcity, CRPS can transform the $60 billion global remediation industry as a lower-cost, safer and more flexible remediation material” notes Charles Gause, CEO of AxNano. Current ISCO remediation methods are expensive, time-consuming and disruptive, depending on strong liquid oxidizers that create serious worker safety hazards and are not effective in all environments. Some ISCO compounds disrupt the aquifer through reactions that cause unwanted effects on microbial life and may generate unwanted or toxic oxidation products. AxNano’s CRPS technology can be delivered as an easy to handle solid designed to treat specific contaminated zones over the course of months or years under natural conditions. The objectives of the Phase I project are to optimize the formulation, evaluate the performance in realistic environments and determine scale up design, manufacturing cost and deployment strategies in order to transition the technology to a commercial project. Author: Monica Doss Notes from the Triad Growth Partners 2016 Unconference
By Dennis Stearns Disruption was a key theme at the Triad Growth Partner’s 2016 Unconference in late September, the invitation-only gathering of over 50 entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists, angel investors and venture capitalists (in sum, generally interesting people doing interesting things). Several researchers profiled their work to commercialize environmental remediation technology that would help change the pace and effectiveness of water clean-up, an important theme in an age when clean water is becoming an increasingly important topic in the U.S. and around the world. Dr. James Canton, a former Apple executive who worked with Steve Jobs, successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur, researcher and global futurist, presented his 5 game changing technologies that are still in their early innings, and will change our world (for better or worse) forever. They are:
Top Ten forecasts for 2030
McKinsey & Co. says we are living in a time of change that is 10 times faster and 300 times more powerful than the first industrial revolution. Exciting times, but how do we navigate through this period of unprecedented change that lies ahead? The next 2 installments of the Disruptors will tackle:
Dennis Stearns is a partner in Triad Growth Partners, a technology business accelerator that grew out of the enhanced commercialization focus of the Gateway University Research Park and the Joint School of Nano-Science and Nano-Engineering (JSNN). He is also President of Stearns Financial Group, a fee-only, award winning wealth management firm with offices in Chapel Hill and Greensboro, NC. Dennis regularly uses his firm’s study of colliding “Super Trends” (technology accelerators, globalization, the global age wave and urbanization), to help clients navigate threats and opportunities in their personal and business financial planning and investment strategies. He has been called “one of the leading scenario experts and futurists” by the Financial Planning Association. Recent awards have included being named one of the Triad’s “Most Admired CEOs” and “Most Influential People” by the Triad Business Journal. |