A UC San Diego postdoctoral candidate has invented and patented microbeads-HypoxiaCaps (0.1mm in diameter) that locally remove oxygen from a liquid which is potentially beneficial for:

1. University researchers to use in laboratory models of human tissue.
2. For oxygen deprivation therapy as a cancer therapeutic. Beads would be injected into tumor sites to locally remove oxygen, killing the cancer.
3. Chemists to use to remove excess oxygen in water after water splitting for energy generation 

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Application

Applications as a Team with members from multiple disciplines is favored. However, solo applicants are also very welcome – if you are accepted, you’ll be assigned to a Team. Teams with a Rady graduate student are strongly preferred. Students may apply for more than one Venture Fellows Project but assigned to only one.

Academic and CCR Credit

Credit: Rady second-year graduate students may pursue this project as a 2 Unit Independent Study—MGT 499. Team members in Schools outside of Rady may appeal to their respective departments for Independent Study credit per their department policies.

Non-Credit: Any participant may pursue this project without academic credit.

 Students will be able to include their participation as Co-Curricular Credit and on their resumes. They will receive a letter of completion from the Center, pending a final review by the Founder, Mentor, and the Center’s Executive Director.

Approximate Scope and Timeline

WKS: 2-4: MARKET: Provide a quantitative market analysis on the initially identified application areas of a tool to generate hypoxia for cell biology research, as a cancer treatment for oxygen deprivation therapy, and time allowing) for energy generation. Include details on the potential submarkets in each of these areas. Provide market sizing analysis for each segment and submarket. Provide a market sizing analysis for the combined market (TAM, SAM, SOM).

WKS 5-6: COMPETITION: Identify companies and technologies that are/could be potential competitors in the space and articulate why. Articulate the advantages/differentiators and the weaknesses relative to the competition/competing technologies. Provide a comparison of the technology’s benefits against potential competition.

WKS 7-8: STRATEGIC PARTNERS: Identify potential strategic partners that may advance commercialization opportunities. For instance, a company that creates oxygen sensors. Provide an analysis of the benefits/detraction for each partner.

WK 9: BUSINESS MODEL: (potential; TBD) Propose a basic business model for one or all three markets and/or a pitch deck.

Deliverables

The Venture Fellow Team will provide a 4-6-page report and a 5-7 slide PowerPoint presentation including its findings, sources, recommendations, and other elements outlined under Scope. The report will also include a discussion of challenges the team faced in securing its results, reflections on the Venture Fellow experience, and any recommendations the team may have regarding the Venture Fellows process.

Time Frame

The project will begin in mid-late January, 2024. It requires approximately 5-6 hours per week for 7-8 weeks, including a weekly zoom meeting with the Founders and Project Mentor. In-person meetings may also be required. The project may continue into the first and second week of Spring quarter.

Expectations

The Fellows will work diligently and professionally with the Institute’s Executive Director, the Science Lead, and Mentor. The Fellow(s) will meet for ~90 minutes for a kick-off meeting with the leadership team and others relevant to the project. 

The Team is expected to work independently and meet with the Founders and Mentor for approximately 60-75 minutes once a week for the project duration to report on progress and discuss any questions or issues. The Team may also be required to meet and report to the Center’s Executive Director or others on a more regular basis.

The Fellows must be comfortable with self-learning and exploring areas with which you may not be familiar. Fellows are responsible for learning what is necessary to provide the deliverables.

The Fellows should be comfortable working as a Team with people you don’t know. The Team is expected to communicate effectively, to develop a work plan, to agree on the distribution of tasks, etc. Fellows are expected to work in a highly respectful and collaborative manner.

The Fellows must be comfortable with being accountable for your deliverables with high quality and with discussing any challenges you may have in accomplishing your tasks.

The Fellows should be comfortable with course corrections. It is highly likely that adjustments will be made in the scope and the direction of particular tasks.

Toward the project's conclusion, the Venture Fellow(s) will meet with the Founders, the Mentor, and the Center’s Executive Director for a 90-minute discussion of the team’s findings. The entire team, including the Founder and Mentor, will be available for a photo.

APPLY BY: Wednesday, January 10 at 5:00 p.m. Early applications are encouraged.