Aequor Tapped to Represent U.S. at Global Entrepreneurship Summit
Aequor has been selected to represent the United States at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 3–5. The organizers of the event vetted over 5,500 nominees to select the most promising companies across the fields of Agriculture/Food, Connectivity, Energy, Health, Water, and other enabling technologies. A diverse set of independent judges then selected the most promising, including Aequor, to attend the summit.
Aequor receives this honor on the recommendation of NASA. We have been in pilot testing with the U.S. Space Agency to develop a solution for microbial and biofilm contamination in the water recycling/reuse system used on board the International Space Station (ISS). After three years of pilot testing, Aequor’s small molecules proved to be the only non-toxic remedy for the problem.
Previously Aequor won NASA’s iTech Award in the Life Support category, calling biofilm “the number-one impediment to long-duration manned space travel.” Biofilm is a glue-like substance that most bacteria and fungi form to protect themselves from antimicrobials and disinfectants, like those found in water treatments. Since biofilm forms thicker and faster in the harsh Space environment, it causes serious problems for astronaut health and spacecraft operations.
Aequor’s molecules represent a key contribution to the future success of manned spaceflight. The water systems that serve the ISS are the same as those that will be used in manned spacecraft traveling to the Moon and Mars.
Chief Scientific Officer with Dennis Andrucyk, NASA’s chief technologist
This accolade from NASA is a tremendous honor and validation for team Aequor’s dedication over the past several years. And the problem of biofilm extends beyond Space — it is a pressing issue on Earth as well. Biofilm spreads bacteria and fungi in air and water. The highest priority pathogens are the “Superbugs” — antimicrobial-resistant strains — that threaten to upend our antibiotic-dependent world.
Aequor’s library of “green,” non-toxic, molecules work alone and in combinations to remove biofilm in minutes, prevent its formation for days, and kill the pathogens. Our team has achieved significant success in developing molecules that have the potential to address contamination, infection and disease and quickly destroy biofilm associated with them — something current solutions are mostly unable to do.
The Aequor team is honored to have been selected to attend the Summit and we look forward to representing U.S. entrepreneurship in The Hague. We are committed to creating solutions that can effectively fight the pressing — and too-little-known — problem of biofilm-forming pathogens.
We will post another update at the conclusion of the event. Stay tuned to this page for further updates.
