Agile Science

Our last stop on the trip was back on Centennial Campus at Agile Science headquarters. We thought we had the wrong location originally, because we opened the office door and it was a lab room with beakers brewing, computers buzzing, and hazardous material sign warnings. Shortly after the entering the lab we were greeted by Eva Garland, the company's Vice President of Research & Development. Eva led us into a back office conference room and began providing a little background on the business. Agile Sciences is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company was founded in 2007 by Professors Christian Melander and John Cavanagh of North Carolina State University (NCSU) to provide commercial solutions to those industries plagued by the effects of biofilms. The co-founders of Agile Sciences have developed compounds that can disperse colonies of bacteria called biofilms. These compounds have applications in the areas of medicine, agriculture, and industry. This was my first experience learning about an science oriented entrepreneurial venture, yet the struggles their business had experience were very similar to any other start up. Eva explained that her main role was to be in attendance at the lab but she is also an avid grant writer. Grant writing is a popular form of funding in an industry like science, it has helped provided a significant amount of funding for their business, especially during the recession. Eva also spoke about the importance of the patent process to Agile's business and discussed the patent plaques that were located on the conference room wall. After a brief discussion the crew was separated into two groups, one stayed to chat with Eva and the other was led on a tour of the lab. The conversation in the small group was a chance for us to express concerns or questions about our specific entrepreneurial dreams. Eva was an active listener and provided great advice for those of us who spoke up.The tour group was led back into the lab by the director of its construction. The lab is the essential piece to the Agile business structure and the scientists take great pride in the planning and funding that went into its development. The crew may have not been familiar with type of research being conducted in the lab, but we were all able to identify with the pride and importance of productive surroundings that we observed. Thank you to both Eva and our lab guide for hosting us at the end of our trip!