MTI awards grants to 7 companies in Bangor area

GARDINER – Seven Bangor-area companies were recently awarded seed grants from the Maine Technology Institute, according to MTI Director Dr. Janet Yancey-Wrona.

“These seed grants, which can be up to $10,000, are for small research and development projects or for technical or business planning consulting,” Yancey-Wrona said. “We approved a total of 25 grants out of 62 applications that were reviewed.”

It was the largest number of seed grants ever awarded in any of the seven rounds of funding so far, she said, and 62 was the largest number of applications received at any one time by MTI.

Bangor area companies receiving grants were:

. Aquaculture and Marine Technology: Peter Cowin of Seabait Ltd. of Franklin, to complete proof of concept work for the development of seaworm aquaculture; and Dr. Brian F. Beal of the Downeast Institute for Applied Marine Research and Education of Machias, to culture and maintain juvenile lobsters in field-based nurseries;

. Biotechnology: Robert Peacock of Peacock Canning Co. of Lubec, to conduct research on freezing fertilized sea urchin eggs cryogenically; Laurent J. Beauregard, PhD, of Eastern Maine Medical Center of Bangor, to complete research on blueberry dietary supplements and human cognition; and Dr. Nancy G. Kravit of Tethys Research LLC of Bangor, to complete proof-of-concept work for modifications of a drug-like molecule;

. Precision Manufacturing Technology: Harley Sproul, Sr., of Sprouls of Maine in Lincoln, to refine product design, conduct market research, file for patent protection and conduct manufacturing research on a reflector oven; and Dean Smith of Sensor Research and Development Corp. of Orono, to conduct market analysis for an in-line humidity sensor.

MTI seed grants of up to $10,000 per project are offered on a competitive basis to support early activities for product development, commercialization or business planning and development. Each grant requires a one-to-one match consisting of actual cash, salaries, staff time or equipment directly attributable to the proposed project. Seed grants are awarded four times each year. The application deadline for the next round of grants is May 16, 2002, and grants will be announced on June 7, 2002.

More information about seed grants is available at http://www.mainetechnology.org.