Forging Paths between the Academic Realm and Public Marketplace

Abstract

I have been an active ASM member since I started grad school about a decade ago, and I continue to appreciate the enriching experiences that membership brings. I am writing to address the future role of ASM in blazing the path from innovative academic lab discoveries to commercial applications of these findings. As federal research support and academic jobs dwindle, while technology and data multiply exponentially, the entrepreneurial among us will be vital in keeping the life science industry strong. Looking ahead to the 2016 ASM Microbe meeting in Boston, I see several workshops and sessions on careers in industry and startup culture, and I would love to see more opportunities for strategic partnerships through ASM. In my home state of Connecticut, many universities are holding “startup weekend” competitions, and international contests such as iGEM and Biomimicry design challenge are paving the way as well. I would love to see more initiatives from our vibrant society, from training programs and institutes, startup contests or seed grants, partnerships with business/legal/marketing coaches, and other initiatives to help small teams develop a discovery or idea into a commercial product or service. I hope that ASM can be a leader in forging paths between the academic realm and public marketplace, as our collection of expertise converges perfectly with the cultural rise of the microbiome, genomics, synthetic biology, and environmental sustainability. The time is ripe for a microbial resurgence in the private sector. I invite ASM members with more experience in business and applied microbiology to weigh in, and I encourage students, postdocs, faculty, and other researchers to look closely and hard at your findings to distill the ones that might be the most useful and marketable. Let's keep this culture alive!