Discovery on Parade, a unique showcase of innovations in art, education, science, research, and technology took place Dec. 1 at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) teamed up with Florida State University (FSU) and Tallahassee Community College (TCC) in the collaborative effort that brought out more than 85 exhibitors.
FAMU Vice President for Research Timothy E. Moore, Ph.D., spoke about FAMU’s commitment to being a world-renowned, best-in-class, land-grant doctoral research university.
“Florida A&M University is excited to bring young minds to the forefront to change lives for the better,” Moore said. “Research leads to innovation and it is how our University will make an impact on the planet.”
FAMU boasted exhibits in every category from art to manufacturing, education to biomedical sciences.
Ketan Patel, Ph.D., who is completing post-doctoral research, is helping develop cutting-edge technology to modify nano delivery systems and methods for enhanced cancer imaging.
“The product is critical to the medical industry because it is tumor targeted,” Patel said. “Instead of taking images throughout the entire body, our use of fluorescent and bioluminescent light at specific tumor sites will save lives.”
FAMU professor Mehboob Sheikh, Ph.D., is also working on improving lives through the consumption of muscadine grapes grown on FAMU soil. According to Sheikh, muscadine grapes, native to the southeastern and south-central U.S., have properties that can cure breast and lung cancer.
FAMU researchers at the Center of Viticulture and Small Fruit Research (CVSFR) have done extensive research on muscadine grapes, and Sheikh is currently working to identify an industry sponsor or investor who can produce his products on a larger scale.
“Grape products are being developed using cutting-edge technologies not only to meet human nutritional needs but also to serve as food supplements with therapeutic value for preventing obesity, hypertension, and cancer, which will have global impact and immense health benefits.”
Reis Alsberry, FAMU’s director of Technology Transfer, praised the collaboration and spoke of the long-term benefits of pooling talent from FAMU, FSU, TCC, and around the community.
“Last year, FAMU hosted its own innovation showcase, but the opportunity to collaborate with FSU and TCC allowed us all to work together to be a force multiplier – to foster more technology and innovative entrepreneurship in Tallahassee. Creating new businesses this way can jump-start the economy locally, nationally, and eventually globally,” Alsberry said.
