Abstract

A common thread in much of my professional career has been the design and application of nano- and microparticles with novel compositions that give rise to distinctive, information-rich optical signatures.  These signatures can be exploited for generation of encoded particles for highly-multiplexed assays, for creation of exceptionally-robust, quantitative detection labels, and for novel pigments for anti-counterfeiting applications.  In some cases, the enabling discoveries were made in my academic lab at Penn State, and later moved into start-up companies (Nanoplex Technologies, Oxonica Materials- along with me- for commercialization; in others, the technology was conceived and completely developed within industry (Diametryx).

While in all cases, the particles were well-suited to address the problems for which they were created, one set of materials has been quite successful, another was a complete failure, and for the third, the jury is still out.  Why?  This presentation will review the development of the various technologies, and the attendant commercial landscapes:  an understanding of both is essential to differentiate “elegant technologies” from “commercially-viable products”.

Bio:

Michael J. Natan, PhD. has over 30 years of entrepreneurial activity in the fields of nanotechnology, materials science, and bioanalytical chemistry.  He has a degree in Chemistry with Honors from Yale University (1981), a Ph.D. in Chemistry from MIT (1986), and carried out postdoctoral research at Northwestern University (1987-1991).   He was an Assistant, Associate and Full Professor of Chemistry at Penn State from 1991 – 1999.  Since then, he has served in leadership roles at SurroMed (CTO), Nanoplex Technologies (co-founder/CEO), Oxonica Materials (co-founder/CEO), Ultivue (CEO), Cabot Corporation (Director, New Business Development), Harvard (entrepreneur-in-residence), Cavisense (CEO), and Spear Bio (co-founder/CEO).  Michael is currently a co-founder and President of Diametryx Inc., a Boston-based start-up focused on novel color-changing micro/nano materials.

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