Dr. Michelle M. Martínez-Montemayor (Dynamiko Pharmaceutics) and Dr. Annelyn Torres-Reverón (Sur180 Therapeutics), together with Dr. Surya Raghu (Advanced Fluidics), have published “Entrepreneurship beyond the lab: commercializing your creative outputs” in BMC Proceedings, an open-access article that guides researchers and scientists through the process of turning their discoveries into products with real-world impact.

 

What makes this resource special is where it comes from: not from a theoretical manual, but from people who lived it. Both researchers are a testament to what happens when Puerto Rican science receives the right support to grow beyond the laboratory.

 

The article outlines this journey in concrete stages. Here are some that resonate most closely with the work we do through our TTO program:

 

It all starts with an honest question: does my discovery address a concrete need? The authors emphasize that an idea must have the potential to become a viable product before any commercialization process begins. At the TTO, we support researchers in that critical first assessment.

 

Once proof of concept has been demonstrated, the next step is to disclose the discovery to the Technology Transfer Office through an invention disclosure form. The TTO evaluates patentability and defines the right protection strategy — before any public presentations or publications that could compromise those rights.

 

The article calls this the “customer discovery phase.” Identifying who needs the technology and has the capacity to acquire it is just as important as the technology itself. At this stage, the TTO provides market analysis support and connections within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

 

Commercializing a university invention requires licensing the intellectual property. The authors also highlight the value of non-dilutive funding , such as SBIR/STTR programs , which allow startups to grow without giving up equity. The TTO guides researchers through both processes.

 

Investors invest in teams, not just ideas. The article emphasizes building a diverse team with complementary skills in science, business, and finance and understanding university conflict-of-interest policies before taking on any formal business role.

 

At the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, we celebrate this achievement and share it for what it is: a generous contribution from two scientists who chose to turn their experience into an open door for others.

 

 

If you are a researcher in Puerto Rico with an idea that has the potential to make an impact, our Technology Transfer Office is here to support you every step of the way. This article is an excellent starting point and we are the next one.

 

🔗 Read the full article here

 

 

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