I had the privilege of representing the PD[N]ano Lab and the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health at the 29th Annual TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo, held March 10–12, 2026 at the Raleigh Convention Center and the Raleigh Marriott City Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was a packed three days — between chairing sessions, presenting our team’s work, and pitching one of our translational technologies, this was easily one of the most engagement-heavy conferences on my calendar this year.
A quick recap of everything our lab contributed to the program:
Sessions Chaired
I was honored to be invited to chair two technical sessions spanning the full conference:
- Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing — Tuesday, March 10, 10:30 AM (Marriott University C)
- Precision Health and Diagnostics — Thursday, March 12, 9:00 AM
Both sessions drew strong lineups, and it was a real pleasure to facilitate the discussions and Q&A. Chairing these sessions also gave me a chance to see a diverse cross-section of where the field is heading — from upstream bioprocessing innovations to next-generation diagnostic platforms.
Oral Presentations from the Lab
Our team had two oral presentations accepted into the technical program, both from our antimicrobial nanoparticle program developed in collaboration with the W.M. Keck Center for Transgene Research (Castellino, Ploplis, and Donahue):
- “Phage-Architecture Antibacterial Nanoparticles Wound Dressings Clear ESKAPEE Infections” — Tuesday, March 10, 13:30 (Marriott State F). Authors: J. Hopf, C. Kudary, S. Lee, D. Donahue, V. Ploplis, F.J. Castellino.
- “Phage-Architecture Antibacterial Nanoparticles Coatings Create Bactericidal Anti-Biofilm Surfaces” — Wednesday, March 11. Authors: J. Hopf, C. Kudary, S. Lee, D. Donahue, V. Ploplis, F.J. Castellino, P. Nallathamby.
Both talks highlighted the versatility of our phage-architecture-inspired nanoparticle platform — the same chemistry deployed first as a wound-dressing therapeutic for ESKAPEE-class pathogens, and second as a durable antibiofilm surface coating. Seeing the platform showcased back-to-back at a major commercialization-focused venue was a nice validation of the breadth of applications we have been pursuing.
Critical Technology Spotlight: Pitching BactiBlank
The highlight of the trip was being selected as a finalist in the TechConnect World Critical Technology Spotlights, where I delivered a 5-minute pitch (plus 2 minutes of panel Q&A) for our BactiBlank technology — submission 2207 TCW under the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health.
For those unfamiliar, BactiBlank is an anti-adhesive, antibiotic-free antibiofilm coating designed for implant-grade materials. Rather than releasing antibiotics — an approach that contributes to the antimicrobial resistance crisis — BactiBlank works by tuning surface charge and hydrophilicity using biomimicking nanoparticles paired with biocompatible polycationic polymers, creating a charged hydration barrier that stops bacterial attachment before mature biofilms can form.
A few of the headline results we shared on the pitch stage:
- 0.0% live bacterial area in vitro against MRSA, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli, with 99.99% bacteria-debris-free surface area
- Cytocompatible and hemocompatible in our assays
- Seamless tissue integration demonstrated in an in vivo rodent model
- Contact angle measurements confirming a shift into the hydrophilic regime, consistent with the proposed antibiofilm mechanism
- Related platform IP under University of Notre Dame ownership (US 12,161,725 B2 / WO2020097288A1)
The application space is large — over 2.4 million hip and knee replacements were performed in the U.S. in 2021 alone, with implant-associated infection rates reported between 2% and 30% depending on the procedure. Beyond orthopedics, BactiBlank is well-suited to dental, trauma, and cardiovascular metal implants, as well as wound packing.
What We’re Looking For
The pitch closed, as these things do, with an ask. We are actively seeking:
- Implant OEM, licensing, or joint-development partners for device-specific metal surfaces
- Translational funding to support in vivo infection models, long-term stability, sterilization validation, and GLP biocompatibility testing
- Access to surface characterization, wear/corrosion testing, and multispecies biofilm expertise
The goal is to move BactiBlank from in vitro validation to device-specific preclinical proof and commercialization readiness. If anything described above resonates with your organization’s interests, I would love to continue the conversation. The licensing contact at the Notre Dame IDEA Center is Tim Joyce (tjoyce2@nd.edu), and I am always reachable at pnallath@nd.edu.
Closing Thanks
Sincere thanks to Sarah Wenning and Emma Mooney at the TechConnect Division of Advanced Technology International for the well-run program, and to my collaborators and students whose work powered everything I had to share on stage. Conferences like this one are where bench science meets the people who can help carry it into the world — and Raleigh delivered.
#TechConnect2026 #BactiBlank #Antibiofilm #Antimicrobial #PhageArchitecture #NotreDame #Berthiaume #Nanomedicine #Translation
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