From a bandage to treat chronic wounds to a device that saves the lives of piglets, the innovations of young inventors were honored Nov. 3 at the 2017 Collegiate Inventors Competition, an annual competition for college and university students and their faculty advisors.

“For students interested in STEM disciplines, innovation and entrepreneurship, a strong understanding of the intellectual property system is critical for success,” said Joseph Matal, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. “We are proud to host this competition, where the research and innovations of our greatest collegiate inventors are presented to the world.”

The awards ceremony, held in the USPTO’s Madison Building, featured six undergraduate and six graduate finalist teams consisting of 29 students from 12 colleges and universities across the United States. The teams presented their inventions to a panel of judges composed of National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees and USPTO experts.

Gold Medal winners of the competition were: Undergraduate - SwineTech, The University of Iowa. Team members Matthew Rooda and Abraham Espinoza were awarded $10,000 for their invention SmartGuard, which prevents piglet crushing deaths by their mothers by monitoring the pitch, loudness and duration of squeals. Graduate - Engineered Probiotics, Boston University. Team member Ning Mao was awarded $10,000 for her invention Engineered Probiotics — an engineered safe bacterium that has the benefit of inhibiting the progression of a cholera infection.

Silver Medal winners were: Undergraduate - AssistENT, Johns Hopkins University; Graduate -- dAST, California Institute of Technology.

Bronze Medals winners were: Undergraduate - InMEDBio, University of Virginia; Graduate - NextGen Structural Rehab System, West Virginia University.

“I am very honored to receive this award,” said Ning Mao. “I hope to bring technology across the borders to countries where technology is needed the most.”

Complete results and information on the competition can be found at www.invent.org/challenge.