UGA is ranked No. 1 among U.S. universities for number of commercial products to market based on its research, according to an annual survey conducted by AUTM. The university has seen over 1,200 products make it to market.

“Congratulations to CytoNest on launching their first product and adding to UGA’s legacy of translating research discoveries into products,” said Derek Eberhart, UGA’s associate vice president for research and executive director of Innovation Gateway, UGA’s technology transfer organization. “For the past eight years, UGA has ranked either first or second among U.S. universities for new products brought to the market by companies like CytoNest.”

Nataraja Yadavalli and Sergiy Minko, CEO and CSO of CytoNest, respectively, are the minds behind the new product, an edible fiber-based scaffold safe for living tissues that provides a point of contact for cells to adhere to and grow three-dimensionally in high densities. This provides a scaleable solution to those working on cultivated meat and seafood.

After nearly a decade of research, publications and patenting, Minko and Yadavalli optimized the technology and built a working prototype in 2019. This is thanks to grants from the Georgia Research Alliance, the Good Food Institute and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, CytoNest has been able to acquire the necessary tools, lab space, equipment and services needed to make these advancements and release their first product to the marketplace.

“It is impossible to underestimate the help and support of UGA, NSF I-Corp, Innovation Gateway and the Georgia Research Alliance, which were critical to establishing and shaping the startup company,” Minko said.