Agriculture & Environment

Displaying 1 - 6 of 6


New Insect Repellants Disrupt Olfactory Cues: A Strategy for Pest Protection

A multinational research team, led by Dr. L. J. Zwiebel of Vanderbilt University, has identified new compounds with potential as insect repellents. These compounds work by capitalizing on knowledge of how insect odorant receptors detect and respond to scents. Medicinal chemistry efforts have yielded a number of novel compounds that could short-circuit the insect olfactory system, essentially by over-stimulation, to effectively mask attractive odors. These compounds could be used to repel nuisance and disease-carrying insects away from humans and animals, as well as repel agricultural pests from crops or food storage facilities. Vanderbilt University is seeking commercial partners to develop the technology for agricultural uses.


Licensing Contact

Chris Harris

615.343.4433

Agriculture: Control of Insect Populations via Wolbachia or Bacteriophage Tools

The insect microbiome is a rich resource that can explored to control insect reproduction and insect populations at large. Vanderbilt University has a collection of technologies available for such purposes, including bacteriophage therapies, Wolbachia genomic editing techniques and tools, and transgenic insect approaches.


Licensing Contact

Cameron Sargent

615.343.2430

Animal Health: Control of Insect Populations via Wolbachia or Bacteriophage Tools

The insect microbiome is a rich resource that can explored to control insect reproduction and insect populations at large. Vanderbilt University has a collection of technologies available for such purposes, including bacteriophage therapies, Wolbachia genomic editing techniques and tools, and transgenic insect approaches.


Licensing Contact

Cameron Sargent

615.343.2430

Nanoporous Atomically Thin Graphene Membranes for Desalination & Nanofiltration

Vanderbilt researchers have developed an atomically thin membrane with extremely high selectivity and permeability for use in desalination and nanofiltration applications.


Licensing Contact

Philip Swaney

615.322.1067

Nanoporous Atomically Thin Breathable Personal Protective Membranes

Vanderbilt researchers have developed an atomically thin membrane with extremely high selectivity and permeability for use in personal protective equipment.


Licensing Contact

Philip Swaney

615.322.1067

Surface Active Ionic Liquid with Activity in Aqueous and Non-aqueous Media

Surface active ionic liquids (SAILs) exhibit extraordinary properties both as solvents and superior surfactants. However, existing SAILs have limitations that prevent their full potential from being realized. To address this, researchers at Vanderbilt have synthesized a promising chiral SAIL that can be used as a detergent or stabilizing agent at all kinds of interfaces and is made from an inexpensive and biodegradable starting material.


Licensing Contact

Masood Machingal

615.343.3548