In this episode of NGBiLab, Jim Wilson speaks with co-founder and CTO Kris Rupay about a company that began in a garage during the pandemic and was originally founded to help restore confidence in air travel. What started as a UV disinfection robot for airplane aisles evolved into a potentially life-saving technology now being deployed in hospitals across North America.

The team at HygenX.AI have developed an autonomous AI-driven robotic UV disinfection technology that is designed to make healthcare spaces safer, faster, and cleaner. Their robot, RAY, can disinfect a patient room in minutes rather than hours, while generating a real-time digital map of exactly what has been treated.

Kris also talks about the challenges of pivoting from aviation to healthcare, the steep learning curve of building a medtech company without having a background in healthcare, and why he believes hospital-acquired infections are one of the most underreported public health crises in the world.

In the next episode of NGBideas Jim Wilson sits down with Gerald Prince who is Senior Director of GMP Manufacturing Gerald Prince at Bluerock Therapeutics. Gerald's professional journey has wound through some of North America's largest food, consumer goods, and pharmaceutical companies and ultimately landed him at MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. Gerald's story began in Stockton, California where his childhood home was unfortunately touched by gun violence but teachers and coaches believed in him before he believed in himself and their encouragement helped set Gerald on a career path defined by leadership, ambition and perseverence. His journey eventually brought him to Canada and the forefront of cell and gene therapy where he and his team are helping change the future of medicine. It is an inspiring story and we know you will enjoy learning about it.

Targa Biomedical is developing pharmacological solutions designed to improve the quality of cells, tissues, and organs for transplantation and regenerative medicine. Based in Montreal, Quebec, their technology has the potential to rescue damaged donor organs that would otherwise be discarded, making more transplants possible for patients in need.

In this episode, host Jim Wilson speaks with co-founder and CEO Shant Der Sarkissian about how a chance observation in the lab, combined with a conversation with a cardiac surgeon next door, became the foundation for a company seven years in the making. Shant walks through the science behind conditioning damaged organs outside the body and why Targa believes it is first to market with this specific approach.

Shant also reflects on the unique challenges of being an academic entrepreneur, and why he believes the confusion of having too many career options is actually a blessing in disguise.