{"667623":{"#nid":"667623","#data":{"type":"news","title":"After a Semester of Tinkering, Students Present Their Prototypes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECrowds of people zigzagged up and down rows of booths set up in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building atrium to see what teams had to offer at last month\u2019s Idea-to-Prototype (I2P) event. It was the culmination of the semester-long I2P course, which enables students to turn invention ideas into working products.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cI\u2019m so excited,\u201d said Mya Griesbaum, a first-year materials science and engineering student.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis was the second time Griesbaum had taken the I2P course and presented at the showcase. Griesbaum came back to see how other students had developed their projects, but also for I2P resources to develop her own, like research education, class credit, a $500 reimbursement for physical expenses, and faculty mentorship. The access to labs and mentors was particularly helpful, she said.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOn her table, she had a spread of materials, including a halter top. Griesbaum created a fungi-derived alternative to leather, called Mycorrhiza, in collaboration with Pratyusha Akavaram, Irene Dumitriu, Ben Collins, and Aryaman Jha. Griesbaum worked two semesters on perfecting the leather, going through several lab mishaps and iterative research. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cProgress can be really slow, and patience is key,\u201d she said. \u201cI remember going in and really wanting to make a scalable product in a single semester and that definitely was not the case.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHowever, Griesbaum encouraged other students to not be deterred. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cYou don\u0027t have to know as much as you think you do. You do not have to be an expert in a field whatsoever. There are so many people who can help you out and who want to help you out and share the knowledge,\u201d she said. \u201cJust go for it.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWho Wants a Cricket Brownie? \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAt another booth, an attendee with over a decade of experience in marketing alternative flowers and sustainable products offered support to Lauren Duderstadt, a fifth-year student and double major in mechanical engineering and industrial design, and Rohan Banerjee, another fifth-year student and mechanical engineer major, for their cricket powder-based snack, Crikey. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe pair had brought brownie samples made from pulverized crickets that boasted \u003Cspan\u003E20 grams of protein per serving. \u003C\/span\u003EThe samples had a chocolate taste but also a pillowy texture, something the team worked hard to achieve. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAt first, the texture had been sandy. Trying to get the texture and taste right propelled them to continue, Banerjee said. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOn a granular, day-to-day level, when we\u2019re working on a prototype, tasting it and seeing what we think, it\u2019s that curiosity of \u2018What if we tweak this? What if we can make it a little better?\u2019\u201d Banerjee said. \u201cAnd over months of doing that, you end up with something dramatically better than where you started.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDuring that iteration process, Banerjee appreciated the faculty resources most. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cEven though we picked something that\u2019s seemingly niche, our mentor was someone we found to have significant experience in marketing and product development in similar spaces. He was able to give us a lot of really good feedback,\u201d Banerjee said. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECraig Forest, associate director for CREATE-X\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\u0022\u003EMAKE program\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E,\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E said many students gain applicable skills and confidence working with CREATE-X mentors.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cSince 2015, more than 1,500 students have been able to pursue their invention ideas because of the generous time from mentors across campus and the resources of CREATE-X,\u201d Forest said. \u201cI2P gives students the resources, incentives, and structure to move their idea from their head to a real, working prototype on the table.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhy Not Be the Change?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAt another booth, a uterus model sat prominently on display. Sarah Deiters, a fourth-year biomedical engineering major, and Ayusha Prasad, a second-year biomedical engineering major, had created a product called Cervilove, designed to make IUD insertion less painful.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThere are many women who suffer with IUD insertion, and a lot of women who don\u0027t even attempt to use it because of the pain,\u201d Deiters said. \u201cSo, attacking that idea has been awesome.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESome attendees stopped by to hear about the product. The students explained that the current process for insertion uses a tenaculum, which pierces cervical tissue and was developed from forceps used in the 19th century for bullet extraction. Impressed attendees gave the team contacts for investors and additional support.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cIUD insertion hasn\u2019t really changed since IUDs became popular nearly 75 years ago,\u201d Deiters said. \u201cI was just thinking, \u2018Why can\u2019t we do something about it? What\u2019s keeping us from changing the culture and the whole insertion process for IUDs?\u2019\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPrasad said the entire experience of I2P boosted their confidence. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cKnowing that somehow and some way we can potentially make a better healthcare environment for women is something that drives us forward,\u201d Prasad said. \u201cI think if you\u2019re passionate about something, then this is definitely the place for it to take off.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESpring 2023 I2P Showcase Winners\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1st place: \u003C\/strong\u003EMycorrhiza \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E(Mya Griesbaum (lead), and collaborators, Pratyusha Akavaram, Irene Dumitriu, Ben Collins, and Aryaman Jha)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2nd place:\u003C\/strong\u003E Crikey (Lauren Duderstadt and Rohan Banerjee)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3rd place: \u003C\/strong\u003ECervilove (Sarah Deiters and Ayusha Prasad)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMycorrhiza gained access to the CREATE-X summer startup accelerator, Georgia Tech Startup Launch, giving the startup $5,000 in optional seed funding, coaching, and free incorporation services. Mycorrhiza will also gain access to investors and industry partners at Demo Day, which attracts more than 1,3000 attendees, and more. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EI2P applications for the summer and fall are open. Students must apply for the program to register for the course. The last deadline for the summer session is May 15. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\/idea-to-prototype\u0022\u003ERead more about the course on the CREATE-X website\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFungi fashion, cricket-based snacks, and an improved for IUD insertion. These were the winning products of the Spring 2023 I2P Showcase, which had over 30 on display. Each team came with their own missions, apprehensions, and lessons learned before reaching their triumphs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Fungi fashion, cricket-based snacks, and an improved for IUD insertion. These were the winning products of the Spring 2023 I2P Showcase, which had over 30 on display. Each team came with their own missions, apprehensions, and lessons learned before reachi"}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2023-05-03 16:51:07","changed_gmt":"2023-05-10 16:09:50","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-05-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-05-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670735":{"id":"670735","type":"image","title":"Spring2023I2PWinners2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMycorrhiza (Mya Griesbaum, Pratyusha Akavaram, and Irene Dumitriu);\u0026nbsp;Crikey (Lauren Duderstadt and Roahn Banerjee);\u0026nbsp;Cervilove (Sarah Deiters and Ayusha Prasad)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1683132725","gmt_created":"2023-05-03 16:52:05","changed":"1683132725","gmt_changed":"2023-05-03 16:52:05","alt":"Mycorrhiza (Mya Griesbaum, Pratyusha Akavaram, and Irene Dumitriu); Crikey (Lauren Duderstadt and Roahn Banerjee); Cervilove (Sarah Deiters and Ayusha Prasad)","file":{"fid":"253654","name":"Spring2023I2PWinners2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/03\/Spring2023I2PWinners2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/03\/Spring2023I2PWinners2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":382147,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/03\/Spring2023I2PWinners2_0.jpg?itok=07JJdRGx"}}},"media_ids":["670735"],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"}],"categories":[{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECREATE-X Marketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}