UVic Student Recognized For Vaccine Technology

University of Victoria spin-off company DuVax–whose patented technology will be used to create bacterial vaccines–is the winner of the 2010 BCIC Emerging Technology Award. Such vaccines will reduce the need for antibiotics and diminish the risk of bacterial infection.

“We were very honored and appreciative to receive this award,” says UVic PhD student microbiologist Barry Duplantis, who founded Duvax earlier this year with his father, engineer Neil Duplantis. “Hopefully, it will allow us to further the commercialization potential of our technology and give us an upper hand in competing in the global business environment. This award and the continued support of UVic have been, and will be, very important in my ability to take a concept and build a viable business around it. At the moment the company is just past the conceptual stage but with this award we will be in a stronger position to approach industry.”

The $25,000 Emerging Technology Award recognizes a new venture at the pre-investment stage that has developed an innovative technology in BC. The technology must demonstrate proof of concept and have strong potential for global commercialization.

“I’d like to commend DuVax for the incredible work it is doing in the area of health research and biotechnology,” says Dean Rockwell, CEO of BCIC. “BCIC is pleased to support the advancement ofthe technology in our province through this award granted to DuVax.”

This is not the first time DuVax’s work has been acknowledged. Its technology has been produced through grants provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which have amounted to more than $100,000 USD.

In 2009, the BCIC recognized UVic engineering professor Dr. Brad Buckham as an Entrepreneurship Fellow. For more information visit www.bcic.ca

Media contacts:

Barry Duplantis (DuVax) at 250-858-2115 or dupi@uvic.ca

Maria Lironi (UVic Communications) at 250-721-6139 or lironim@uvic.ca