Kepley Biosystems Incorporated awarded NSF SBIR Phase 1B for ocean-restoring technology

Online PR News – 16-June-2015 – June 16, 2015 Greensboro, N.C. – Greensboro, N.C., June 16, 2015 – Kepley Biosystems Incorporated (KBI) announced today that it has been awarded a SBIR Phase IB supplemental from the National Science Foundation for testing Organobait™, a synthetic bait that will benefit crustacean fishers and help restore oceanic health. Dr. Anthony Dellinger, President for the Company and Principal Investigator for the project said of the award: “The oceans and fish are in desperate need of new technologies and approaches that will help restore once healthy ecosystems.” One potential solution is a product KBI is developing called Organobait™ (pictured below). With research and development funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), we are able to validate this alternative bait for catching crustaceans without the need of forage fish for crustacean trap baiting. Forage fish are vital to oceanic health, yet are globally overfished due to runaway industrial applications and plunder.

This NSF Phase 1B award is subsequent to a kickoff grant from the North Carolina’s Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation’s One N.C. Small Business Program and our NSF Phase I award. KBI was an academically inspired company coming from the laboratories of Professor Christopher Kepley, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanotechonogy (University of N.C. at Greensboro & N.C. Agriculture & Technology).

Dr. Dellinger added, “Our early data has shown that Organobait™ can attract crustaceans to traps and likewise mitigate the excessive removal of forage fish from the ocean. We are fortunate to work with noteworthy crustacean fishers throughout the U.S., which have provided us with valuable infield scientific data and fishing feedback.

Contact person
Anthony Dellinger, Ph.D.
President of Kepley Biosystems Incorporated
adellinger@kepleybiosystems.com
– See more at: Online PR News