Researchers have identified molecular genetic techniques to identify cryptic lineages of invasive aquatic plants - lineages that cannot be easily distinguished using traditional visual identification. These lineages frequently differ in traits that are relevant to their management, such as how they respond to herbicides. In particular, some lineages are herbicide resistant, which is an important emerging issue in aquatic ecosystem management.
A major challenge for the successful and economically efficient management of invasive aquatic plant species is the ability to accurately determine which lineage(s) are present in a lake or pond before prescribing a specific management activity. For example, it is critical to distinguish invasive lineages from native species because native species are not typically permitted for management activities. Similarly, it is desirable to predict response to herbicides before they are applied, as herbicide failures have adverse economic and environmental effects. Thus, there is immediate need to translate basic research into commercial risk assessment tools that will provide knowledge-based management strategies for individual lakes.
Prior NSF-funded research awarded to the PI identified cryptic lineages of invasive aquatic plants – lineages that cannot be easily distinguished using traditional visual identification. Studies demonstrated that these lineages frequently differ in traits that are relevant to their management, such as how aggressively they grow and how they respond to herbicides. A major challenge for the successful and economically efficient management of invasive aquatic plant species is the ability to accurately determine which lineage(s) are present in a lake or pond before prescribing a specific management activity. For example, it is critical to distinguish invasive lineages from native species because native species are not typically permitted for management activities. Similarly, it is desirable to predict response to herbicides before they are applied, as herbicide failures have adverse economic and environmental effects. Thus, there is immediate need to translate basic research into commercial risk assessment tools that will provide knowledge-based management strategies for individual lakes. This Innovation Corps (I-Corps) project supported the exploration of developing a commercial genetic testing service to accurately identify invasive aquatic plant species, and relevant biotypes, for stakeholders in aquatic plant management. The project participants conducted extensive customer discovery interviews with stakeholders to develop, test, and validate hypotheses regarding the value of such a testing service, and to develop a minimum viable service to be offered to ‘earlyvangelist’ customers interested in trying the service. After I-Corps, the participants decided to further pursue the development of a commercial testing service, which is currently supported by additional external funding. Broader Impacts – This project supported one graduate student, Ms. Syndell Parks, as the Entrepreneurial Lead. The project provided: experience in translating basic science into terms that can be understood by stakeholders in an applied context (in this case, aquatic plant management) exposure to the basic features of the technology commercialization process exposure to customer discovery and business modeling methodologies opportunity to develop a "minimum viable" genetic testing service that is currently in beta-testing with several environmental consultants and state natural resource agencies. If the value propositions identified during the I-Corps project are validated in current development stages such that the testing service is adopted at a viable commercial scale, the testing service will fundamentally change the way aquatic plant management operates in the United States. More broadly, I-Corps provided a critical opportunity to gain experience with, and develop processes and procedures for customer discovery as a component of technology transfer decision-making at Grand Valley State University (GVSU).
