The Center is now accepting applications for the fifth annual BioChallenge, a startup competition in which Louisiana bioscience startups compete for over $50,000 in prizes. This type of competition offers entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their ideas for a shot at feedback and critical capital to fund growth and hiring. Startups are eligible if they are developing a solution in healthcare, biotechnology, environmental science, or other life sciences industries. Companies must have received no more than $1 million in investments and must have significant operations in the state, as one of the competition’s objectives is to foster emerging businesses that will generate jobs and economic growth here in Louisiana.

Each applicant should submit an executive summary by September 15 describing their company and the problem they are solving. Instructions are available at www.neworleansbio.com/biochallenge/.

Nerve-on-a-chip startup AxoSim has recently been awarded two grants from the National Science Foundation and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to accelerate their efforts. The first from NSF is a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for $225,000 to conduct research and development work to improve the development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The second grant from CASIS will provide $230,000 to ready the technology for experiments on the International Space Station, for testing the effects of microgravity on the human nervous system.

August 11, 2016 — Read more at The New Orleans Advocate