PreScouter

The following is a case study report of the work that was carried out by PreScouter for a client  in the infection control technology sector. About the client: The Client was working within the technology sector of infection control and wanted to develop a new product within two to three years. Unlike some larger clients, the Client was a medium-sized company that had to maintain a strong competitive advantage over similar product lines within their space. Inquiry: The Client approached PreScouter to understand the technology landscape of next generation infection control techniques. Tight constraints were placed in the statement of work, which required late-stage technologies that the Client could develop internally. PreScouter determined that the ideal solution would be technology that could be captured by intellectual property. Methodology: PreScouter segmented the workflow to identify two specific technology reports. The fi...

In addition to the traditional pillars of cancer treatment—surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy—a new approach has emerged. This approach is called immunotherapy. One type of immunotherapy that has recently garnered much attention following successful FDA approval is chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy , the first gene therapy in the United States. What is immunotherapy? Immunotherapy is a treatment for cancer that uses an individual’s own immune system to fight cancer. It is a type of biological therapy that uses substances from living organisms to treat cancer. Different kinds of immunotherapy include the use of monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, treatment vaccines, as well as adoptive cell transfer. This final category of cell-based immunotherapies , which includes CAR-T therapy, is emerging as a promising new treatment for cancers.  How does it work? CAR-T therapy uses apheresis, a method of removing whole blood from a patient. The collected blood is cent...

The cellulose polymer is a naturally occurring linear polymer made of repeating units of glucose. The single polymers are stacked together forming fibrils, with these fibrils stacking together again to form the cellulose fiber structure that is present in nature.  This makes for a very interesting supramolecular structure that consists of both crystalline and amorphous regions.  Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is obtained through a fibrillation process of the cellulose fibers. Using mechanical shearing, the cellulose fibers are separated into a three dimensional network of microfibrils with a large surface area. The obtained fibrils are much smaller in diameter compared to the original fibers, and can form a network or a web-like structure as seen in the image below. Scanning Electrone Microscope image of WEIDMANN microfibrillated cellulose WMFC Q_standard. Image courtesy of  WEIDMANN Fiber Technology How is this material different ...

PreScouter was founded in 2010 in Evanston, IL by four Northwestern University graduate students (two MBAs and two PhDs). The idea for the company was sparked by a seemingly avoidable tragedy in China and the struggles of a Northwestern alumnus – an R&D Director at a medical device company – in accessing university research. Initially, the concept was to connect corporate R&D labs to research coming from academia. However, after completing pilot projects with Kraft Foods, UOP (Honeywell) and DSM, the founders realized that corporate leaders were more interested in a broader scope of services, one that included technology landscapes and in-depth investigations of relevant areas of interest, including innovative startups and emerging technologies. Most importantly though, clients were interested in the fresh perspective and unbiased, critical analysis provided by PreScouter’s talented scholars. By leveraging the relationships of its two PhD founders, PreScouter se...

Introduction: Landfills emit by-products like methane, dioxins and leachate (a toxic liquid that is formed when waste breaks down in the landfill and filters through waste), which, when left untreated, can leach into the soil, contaminating water sources, plants and even food. Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies that process non-renewable waste can reduce environmental and health damages, all the while generating sustainable energy. Types of waste: At present, waste is classified as the one of the following: Municipal solid waste (MSW) Process waste Medical waste Agricultural Waste Figure 1: Utility scale plants with different feeds The World Energy Council (2016) reports that according to the current rate of waste generation, global waste is estimated to reach 6 million tonnes/day by 2025. So, increasing utility scale WtE plants using MSW or agricultural waste would be a constructive way to deal with waste, as evident from figu...