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With the help of mentors from UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute and Jacobs School of Engineering, postdoctoral fellow Ivonne Gonzalez-Gamboa of the university’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center has won the national Nanotechnology Entrepreneurship Challenge (NTEC), making this the second consecutive year that a UC San Diego entry secured first place.
The NTEC competition invites participants from 16 sites around the U.S. to propose a product with societal impact and to map out the process of building a start-up. Inspired by her work in the lab of Professor Nicole Steinmetz of Jacobs School’s Department of NanoEngineering, Gonzalez-Gamboa proposed arming plant viruses with pesticides for a more efficient and less wasteful pesticide delivery system.
In addition to winning first place in the competition overall, Gonzalez-Gamboa was named the recipient of the 2023 NTEC Diversity Award, which funds future ventures into entrepreneurship. She was mentored by the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute’s (QI) Program Manager for Education and Outreach, Yves Theriault, and Steinmetz.
“We need more entrepreneurs,” said Theriault. “The U.S. economy is highly dependent on innovation. The mission of NTEC is to bring that [value] to light.”
Turning Viruses into Trojan Horses
When Gonzalez-Gamboa learned about NTEC, she’d just met with several friends specializing in agricultural consulting to discuss the problem of pests.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, pests destroy 20-40% of the world’s crops annually. Pesticides are costly, however, and many fail to penetrate beyond the soil’s top layers to reach the roots, where microscopic worms called nematodes cause damage and deform or kill plants.
Gonzalez-Gamboa thought the Steinmetz lab’s approach of “repurposing” viruses by rendering them inert and reloading their empty shells with other substances might prove helpful. Already, previous studies had shown that the particular vector the lab used, a mild plant virus approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, slipped easily through soil.
When Theriault suggested she join NTEC, it gave Gonzalez-Gamboa the opportunity to develop this seed of an idea into a business proposal.
“We’re trying to change viruses’ image from ‘foe’ to ‘friend’ by using them to our advantage,” said Gonzalez-Gamboa.
Gonzalez-Gamboa’s friends became her formal advisors, connecting her with potential consumers to identify needs and sharing insight into the regulations behind the nanotechnology industry. Steinmetz, who runs her own startup, helped Gonzalez-Gamboa narrow down potential pests and a landscape to target.
This content was originally published here.
