Scientists and Investors converge at LANL tech-transfer event

Cutting-edge tech-transfer technologies — including petrochemical-free fertilizers, better vaccines and safer detection of nuclear materials — were among five presentations made by Los Alamos scientists as part of the recent 2024 DisrupTECH event.

The 2024 DisrupTECH was attended by over 100 entrepreneurs, investors, industry partners, community members and Laboratory and regional leaders.

Meet our DisrupTECH winners

The 2024 DisrupTECH award for Most Fundable Technology went to Sangeeta Negi for her innovation, BioBoost: Empowering Regenerative, Climate-Intelligent Agriculture. BioBoost leverages endophytes, naturally occurring substances in plants that promote their growth, which is unlike most conventional fertilizers that rely on potentially soil-polluting petrochemicals.

“Participating in DisrupTECH was an incredibly rewarding experience,” Sangeeta said. “Collaborating with the Feynman Center team and mentors, I gained valuable insights and enjoyed every moment of working together. The event not only provided a unique platform to present cutting-edge innovations, but it also fostered meaningful connections with industry leaders. I'm particularly excited about the future of BioBoost, our breakthrough biological product with potential to transform the agriculture sector." 

The 2024 DisrupTECH award for Best Pitch went to Olivia Pimentel for Making a Macro Problem Nano: Bacterial Lipid Nanodiscs. This new method for crafting vaccines would make longer-lasting vaccines that remain effective despite the mutation of the disease-causing pathogen.

Other 2024 DisrupTECH presenters were:

• Daniel McNeel, Non-destructive Alpha Spectroscopy — point-and-shoot detection of nuclear material with no need to remove a sample for evaluation
• Brenden Wiggins, ICONS: Integrated Composite Optical Neutron Sensors
• Bill Kubic, Bio-Based Process for Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), a process to procure DCPD from corn bran instead of petrochemicals