The Bison Microventure (Bµv) is a multi-disciplinary, multi-level, multi-year learning experience. It is a part of the large Bison Ventures Network. The Bµv is offered as a one-credit elective course every semester and is open to qualified students from engineering disciplines, basic and applied physical and life sciences, and business. The course is open to sophomores through graduate students and may be repeated for credit. The learning objectives are that students will acquire …

[1] skills and competencies for translating laboratory research into commercial products and processes;

[2] skills and competencies for creating and maintaining intellectual property;

[3] deep understanding of the micro-technologies applied in medical and dental implants and surgical tools.

Students achieve these objectives through a collaborative team project. The current project is the development of a hydrophilic ceramic dental implant. Through the first four semesters of its existence, the Bµv has served 18 students from 9 different majors, from 6 to 11 per semester. When some students graduate, others are recruited. The veterans mentor the newcomers. During Spring 2009, there are nine students registered -- two sophomores, four juniors, two seniors and one MS student. Six of the students are majoring in engineering and three in various bio-sciences.

Students earn credit and grades through …

… undertaking portions of the research and development necessary to make progress in the team project;

… active contribution to weekly team meetings;

… participation in field trips and guest lectures;

… documentation of their research through semester-end and special reports and maintenance of an intellectual property journal.

Field trips include visits to the Medical Device Manufacturing Exhibition in Minneapolis in October and to companies and research laboratories engaged with leading edge medical and dental products. Biomedical sites visited include … Boston Scientific, Enpath, ev3, Medtronic, University of Minnesota School of dentistry. Guest speaker topics have included … manufacture of dental prostheses, orthopedic surgical techniques, intellectual property and the patenting process, case histories of the founding of small businesses, angel and venture financing, and similar technological and entrepreneurial subjects.

The Bµv meets formally once per week for two hours; during these meetings, students share and discuss their work of the preceding week and determine the taskings for the coming week. Between formal meetings, students will work on their own or with the course mentors on their particular tasks. Student work is heavily oriented to the experimental, although study of open literature is a continuing important component.

The Bµv is mentored by a cross-disciplinary team. The lead mentor is Dr. David Wells (Professor, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering), partnered with Dr. John Bagu (Director, Organic Spectroscopy Laboratory, Chemistry and Molecular Biology), Mr. Armon Myrick (Research Specialist, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering) and Mr. Lewis Dailey (Research Technician, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering). In addition, other faculty are providing mentoring and support for the Bµv team -- Dr. Jodie Haring (Director, Core Biology Facility, Center for Protease Research), Dr. Thomas Gustad (Senior Lecturer, Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences) and Dr. Jane Schuh (Assistant Professor, Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences).

For further information, contact Dr. David L. Wells (7801-231-7283 or david.l.wells@ndsu.edu).