A team of two members from the Department of Molecular Biology was the grand prize winner in the University of Wyoming College of Business John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition, which was held virtually April 23-24.

LifeGlass was awarded $22,500. Team members are Ryan Bettcher, a molecular biology graduate student, from Brighton, Colo., and Thomas Boothby, assistant professor of molecular biology. LifeGlass uses the survival mechanisms of desiccation-tolerant organisms to stabilize inherently unstable pharmaceuticals in a thermotolerant, glass-like state.

Six finalists will share a total of $77,000 in prize money.

Nine teams initially were eligible to win funds from the endowed $50,000 prize, the Top Submission awards (four categories), the People’s Choice Awards and the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program Award. This year, members of the John P. Ellbogen Foundation attended the event and decided to make a special commitment directly to one of the teams.

More details are at http://bit.ly/ellbogen50k.