Biology Professor and Chemistry Lecturer Win Inaugural IU Idea to Startup Pitch Competition

(L) Julia Van Kessel, (R) Laura Brown

The Innovation and Commercialization Office(link) announced that Biology Associate Professor Dr. Julia van Kessel and Chemistry Senior Lecturer Dr. Laura Brown won first prize (and $15,000 of funding) in the inaugural IU Idea to Startup Pitch Competition.  Their startup, Quoronix, seeks to prevent Vibrio bacterial infections using quorum sensing inhibitors the developed in collaboration.  Some of the compound screening work was done by undergraduate students in Laura Brown’s C344 and ASURE (X150/X325) classes during one of their ASURE experiments.  Dr. Brown was recently recognized by the College of Arts and Sciences for her innovative ASURE modules.