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UWRF Receives Funding for Joint Project with UW-Stout

Sept. 24, 2010--Funding from the University of Wisconsin System’s new Wisconsin Small Company Advancement Program (WiSCAP) has been approved for a collaborative project between UW-River Falls, UW-Stout, and Mensa Systems, LLC, of Menomonie.

The project has been devised to take part in three phases. The initial goal for the project is to install implantable biosensors in dairy cattle and a computer network. The devices and network will continuously monitor the health status of cattle to reduce animal loss due to heat stress.

“We are grateful for the support from the UW System through WiSCAP, and look forward to a fruitful collaboration,“ says UWRF Chancellor Dean Van Galen.

The first phase will take place at UW-Stout. During this phase, “a prototype will be developed and tested under laboratory conditions,” notes Maliyakal John, managing director of the project.

The second phase will be under the supervision of Larry Baumann, UWRF professor of animal and food science. The second phase will be performed “to implant the device in the cows and to test its feasibility,” says John.

The final phase will be tested using a larger scale and will be performed in partnership with a dairy farm.

Part of the funding for the project will be used to create two jobs, and hire up to two student interns.

The objective of WiSCAP is to fulfill the unmet research and development needs of small companies by connecting them to the underutilized technical expertise of comprehensive campus faculty and students. The program is expected to lead to the development of joint intellectual property, marketable products, new job creation and long-term revenue for the campuses. State funding of $2 million was given to seed fund the program in 2010.

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