Two research teams from the University of Florida’s J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering (UF BME) have been selected as recipients of the 2025 UF Innovate Innovation Fund. Each team will receive $50,000 to advance technologies with strong potential for commercialization and clinical impact. The UF BME projects represent two of the three awards granted this year.

Dr. Christine Schmidt was recognized for her work on a human peripheral nerve-based injectable hydrogel for spinal cord regeneration. Her team has developed a novel hydrogel derived from acellular peripheral nerve tissue that promotes axonal regeneration and improves functional recovery in preclinical models of spinal cord injury. The hydrogel also serves as a delivery platform for therapeutic agents such as cells, drugs, and enzymes. The funding will support additional testing to help move the technology toward clinical translation.

Drs. Greg Hudalla and Marcio Resende were awarded for their project exploring phytoglycogen as a stabilizer for biopharmaceuticals. Derived from sweet corn, phytoglycogen is a hyperbranched glucose polymer that may offer a safer, more consistent alternative to traditional chemical stabilizers used during freezing, drying, and storage. Current stabilizers often require case-by-case optimization and can cause adverse reactions in patients. The award will support safety and toxicity studies critical to future clinical application.

The UF Innovate Innovation Fund supports early-stage research projects with significant potential for societal benefit and market viability.