From the lab to the marketplace: Black Hills inventors chart path to global sales

Mines team receives $50,000 and completes national entrepreneurship training for NanoGuard technology

A research team from South Dakota Mines is advancing to the next phase of commercialization of its NanoGuard product, an invisible, nanometer-thin shield that protects devices from biological buildup and corrosion, after recently completing the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) National Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. (Submitted photo)

South Dakota Mines researchers are taking a step toward bringing a new protective coating to market after completing a prestigious National Science Foundation entrepreneurship program.

The Rapid City-based team recently finished the NSF National Innovation Corps, or I-Corps, program, a seven-week training initiative designed to help scientists and engineers move research from the laboratory into commercial use.

The team’s product, called NanoGuard, is a nearly invisible coating designed to protect equipment from corrosion and the buildup of biological material that can damage sensitive devices.