Testing contaminated water to determine its level of toxicity has long been a challenge. Traditional methods of testing water to determine its environmental impact involve placing juvenile fish or small invertebrates, such as shrimp, into the water to measure their survival. This is not unlike the archaic use of a canary in a coal mine - cumbersome and time consuming, not to mention resource intensive.
A novel and much more efficient method of testing water toxicity was developed by Dr. David Lapota of
the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego (SSC San Diego). The Center develops
technologies that allow the Navy and the joint services, to
carry out their operational missions and protect their forces.
Lapota started out researching the relationship between bioluminescent dinoflagellates, a naturally occurring plankton species, and the blue-green glow the plankton produces when agitated. While working on a device that could accurately measure bioluminescence, Dr. Lapota discovered a significant relationship between contaminants and the plankton's luminescence. He observed that exposure to almost any type of contaminant creates an inversely proportional relationship to the plankton's luminescence - the higher concentration of contaminants or toxins, the less glow emitted from the plankton.
In 1991, Dr. Lapota developed a methodology (which he called QwikLite) that was able to correlate the reduction of bioluminescence to the amount of contaminants in a controlled environment. QwikLite offered several advantages over the traditional methods of environmental toxicity measurements (called bioassays) including the fact that plankton make their own food and can be easily packaged and shipped. More importantly, QwikLite's test results were highly accurate and available within 24 hours, rather than five to seven days.
Since SCC San Diego had no way of determining the marketability of the product, Dr. Lapota approached the Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT) program office located in San Diego. In early 2004, he requested support for a market study and business development activities.
The CCAT board and industry experts were impressed by the QwikLite technology and offered commercialization support by funding a market study and marketing plan. One of the industry experts reviewing the technology was Bryan Bjorndal, a successful local entrepreneur and former marine biologist. Bjorndal was asked by CCAT to conduct a business development study to determine if QwikLite could be a viable product in the commercial market. The results of these studies determined that the technology could be successfully used in both government and commercial marketplaces. Bjorndal realized the potential of the QwikLite product and, with ongoing support from the CCAT “spin out” committee, began the process of creating a business around the product.
Before Bjorndal moved forward with a full-scale product launch, he initiated modifications to the original
equipment design. He concluded that QwikLite would be more valuable as a portable device that could
be taken on site instead of a large, dedicated lab instrument. Using several contract engineers to rework
the product, the new QwikLite model included a complete overhaul
of the optics, electronics, packaging and the operating system,
making a more user-friendly, portable unit that is about the size of
a laptop computer carrying case.
In January 2005, Bjorndal formed Assure Bioassay Controls located in Carlsbad, California, and presented the QwikLite technology to CCAT for a Product Development award. This time QwikLite came with a business and marketing plan, a product line plan, an established company and a market study in hand. That same, CCAT responded by awarding Assure Bioassay Controls $75,000 to cover further product development costs.
Concurrently, SSC San Diego's Technology Transfer office worked with Bjorndal on getting the licensing details worked out to clear the way for the technology to be commercialized. In March 2005, an exclusive license agreement was finalized between the Navy and Assure Bioassay Controls giving the government royalty payments in exchange for use of the government patented technology.
Additionally, SSC San Diego drew up a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) allowing the technology's developer, Dr. Lapota, to assist in the technology transfer and to continue working as a technical consultant. While the licensing agreement transfers the marketing rights, the CRADA clears the way for the government scientist to assist the licensing company with the technology.
Now that the technology and the licensing are firmly in place, Assure Bioassay Controls is taking steps to get into the marketplace. Due to recent natural disasters, Bjorndal realizes that there is not only a need for QwikLite's user-friendly technology, but he now has even more confidence in his new company's potential.
For more information, please contact:
Tom Sheffer, CCAT Program Director
SDSU Research Foundation
E-mail: tsheffer@foundation.sdsu.edu
Phone: (619) 594-4135 / Fax: (619) 594-5774