Agri-Sciences Commercialization Fellowship
UPDATE: The Agri-Sciences Commercialization Fellowship has now been renamed the Technology Commercialization Fellowship. The fellowship is now open to ALL ISU Colleges and Departments. For more info visit:
The Agri-Sciences Commercialization Fellowship is an in-depth, fast-paced yearlong program to expand participants’ knowledge base in business and technology transfer within the university setting, was launched during the fall semester of 2006. This diverse program includes formal training, research, direct interaction with entrepreneurial firms and self-study, which will equip participants with the entrepreneurial tools needed to commercialize new technology.
Upon completing the fellowship participants will have the key elements of their business in place. These elements include: securing additional capital [through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, angel investors, bank financing or others sources], the completion of a business feasibility study; establishing a network of contacts with accounting, legal, marketing and financial professionals; identifying potential entrepreneurial partners; and gaining hands-on experience by working in two to three technology-based start-up companies.
2007 Fellows
Melissa Madsen, Ph.D., Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Madsen started her education career at the University of Illinois where she earned a bachelor’s of science degree in animal science and then continued her education at Iowa State where she received her doctorate degree in molecular, cellular and developmental biology. Through her experience in industry and as an assistant scientist with the College of Veterinary Medicine, developed a desire to challenge herself by creating a business concept. Throughout the fellowship she will work to develop a fully automated genetic testing laboratory in Iowa.
Colin Shepherd, Ph.D., Genetics
Shepherd received his undergraduate schooling in agricultural biotechnology from the University of Kentucky and eventually moved to Iowa State where he completed his doctorate degree in genetics, specializing in the regulation of gene expression in cereal seed tissues. Through his Ph.D. research interests and desire to pursue an entrepreneurial business, Shepherd joined the Agri-Sciences Commercialization Fellowship to further develop his potential business concept. AimsBio, a bioscience company focusing on developing next-generation high-throughput analytics to aid the plant breeding, seed production, ethanol production and food production markets was founded by Shepherd. The company offers mycotoxin analysis and nutritional analysis that measures the bio-available amino acid and phytic acid content in wheat, corn and distiller’s dried grains.