Entrepreneurship

Company Overview. . MicroMurals is leveraging the rising bioart movement, and using science as a medium to create art. Through this novel application of synthetic biology, we hope to make our art-based approach to science available to users worldwide and inspire people to pursue interdisciplinary research in STEM and the arts! Through our proprietary technology, we have created numerous avenues for artists to showcase their talent, while also making it accessible for students and people around the world interested in understanding innovative ways in which art can interact with science. The Problem. . In response to the technological boom of the past few decades, educational trends are shifting to prioritize STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) education. Yet, this evidence-based, scientific-inquiry-driven education model often does not afford students the freedom to explore certain fundamental skills offered by the arts. By emphasizing a focus on exploring art, students are able to explore their own avenues of creative thinking and expression often not seen in following the rigor of following meticulous proofs and theorems. We hope to shift the paradigm from STEM to STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) By presenting synthetic biology in the form of an artistic medium, MicroMurals is a tool to introduce audiences of all ages and backgrounds to the intersection of science, technology, art, and expression that can be explored in synthetic biology. MicroMurals uses genetically engineered bacteria to produce hydrogel fibers that are fused to chromoproteins, and these colorful hydrogels are then 3D printed via our custom built bioprinter. By developing a practical application of synthetic biology for consumers with MicroMurals, we hope to encourage users to harness the many forms of synthetic biology for powerful applications. MicroMurals’ unique design allows it to not just provide the hydrogel creations with incredible structural stability but with the additional ability to uptake CO2. Rising levels of carbon dioxide represent a significant hazard to the health of the public and our environment. Our vision is for every print from MicroMurals to help in clearing up the air we breathe and helping the environment! MicroMurals itself is a microcosm of the multipurpose ability and limitless potential of synthetic biology, and we hope to soon launch MicroMurals across the world! Products and Services. . MicroMurals consists of numerous hardware and software technology components: MicroMurals tackles the creation of colorful bacteria-based hydrogels by engineering E. coli to produce biofilm-forming proteins linked to chromoproteins.These hydrogels can be further functionalized for environmental applications (e.g. CO2, VOC uptake), which is a future research avenue of our product. . Our uniquely modified continuous flow bioreactor senses and controls the temperature, oxygen levels and pH of the bacteria, allowing them to thrive and produce the hydrogels that are our “microbial paints.” . We have repurposed a traditional 3D bioprinter with a biocompatible pumping system to extrude the inks and create the bioart. As an alternative to the commercial 3D printer, we also decided to create a 3D handheld bioprinter to provide a mobile and user-friendly device for artists.This device will allow for easy access to bioprinting in the art industry and will act as a new tool that will hopefully become as common as paint brushes and colored pencils. . Finally, MicroMurals also has an integrated app where users/artists can upload designs, watch the art creation process through personalized livestreams, and engage with the community through a social media feed of other user submitted designs. Business Model. . Our primary model is a direct-to-consumer tool with in-house production and distribution. Users will be able to submit designs and request a print using our MicroMurals app, which will then be conveyed to our in-house production center. The production team will then begin the process of converting the submitted images into a 3D printer compatible matrix, following which our biocompatible 3D printer produces the final printed art piece. The piece will then be stored, packaged, and shipped directly to the user. The next revenue stream involves partnerships with art galleries, universities, and schools. We hope to license our 3D-bioprinting technology to these larger organizations in order to allow them to produce their own forms of bio-art. Through this partnership, we will be shipping the 3D printer and all the complementary technology in order to allow these organizations to print art in-house. Once we successfully incorporate the CO2 uptake into the hydrogels, we hope to disrupt the print industry. By partnering with advertising firms to create large-scale signs, billboards and other print media using our vibrant, carbon-uptaking hydrogels, we are poised to gain a unique and large-scale physical presence by being a powerful solution for eco-conscious companies. Our handheld bioprinter has a unique business model, and is an extremely important component in making MicroMurals accessible to the public. The novel handheld bioprinter has numerous advantages including being extremely portable, hand-held, easy to use, inexpensive, and especially accessible. It also retains enough precision for accurate, good resolution, and high-quality prints. We hope to create MicroMurals “ink” cartridges, which would contain colorful hydrogels secreted by the bacteria as a complementary product to the handheld printer. In order to further our mission statement of inspiring people to pursue interdisciplinary research in STEM and the arts, we also hope to develop kits geared specifically towards students. These kits will include the handheld printer, a set of cartridges, and an interactive manual which will provide students with a simple overview of our project and synthetic biology. MicroMurals will be partnering with schools to supply these kits in bulk for a considerable discount. Partnered schools will have their own portal for the MicroMurals app, in order to have a private feed of work/designs submitted by their students open to feedback from faculty or collaboration with peers. The Market Opportunity. . Unmet Needs. Since bio-art is an emerging field there are many avenues for value creation. The following infographic demonstrates ways in which MicroMurals satisfies the unmet needs of this market. SWOT Analysis. . To ensure the success of MicroMurals as a business, it must be put in the greater context of the current market and competitors. The following infographic demonstrates strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that help identify where we can anticipate challenges as well as strengthen the business model of MicroMurals. Consumer Analysis. . Micromurals presents a unique customer marketspace where the product targets both direct consumers as well as manufacturers. Our product will primarily target art enthusiasts who would like to delve deeper into creative ventures using bioart. These consumers can either design their art and have MicroMurals print their piece and send it back to them or they can purchase the 3D bioprinter designed by the company. This also enables other companies to be consumers of Micromurals as they can purchase the bioprinter to run their own in house bioart or other application operation. Lastly, the kits designed with the handheld printer will be available for purchase and would target the demographic of students between 10-20 years old. Schools are a major target market for our art kits. In the United States alone, there are over 26,000 secondary/high schools. If the kits containing a handheld bioprinter, refillable gels, and pigment cartridges are sold for a competitive price of $30 a kit, and an estimated 50% of the total schools in the U.S. bought around 10 kits, the net income from the kits alone would be $3,900,000. Market Segmentation. . The market for MicroMurals will be segmented into demographic, psychographic, behavioral, and geographic divisions. Since FDA approval is unnecessary for this product, Micromurals will be readily available in all parts of the US and based on consumer demand can be expanded to a more international market. Starting with demographic segmentation, occupation and income will play an important role in Micro Murals’ marketing strategy. The majority of consumers who require the use of Micromurals may occupy a position in a bioprinting, educational, or art industry. Moving onto psychographic segmentation, a large portion of micromural consumers could include individual artists, teachers, and bioprinting companies. Since MicroMurals sells the combined product or individual pieces to create the product it would appeal to the majority of consumers Behavioral segmentation could occur with the degree to which customers prefer the ability to customize their art. MicroMurals’ emphasis on customizability, user-friendliness and innovation allows consumers to use MicroMurals as a canvas for their own creative designs, supporting the artistic process of our users. Competitor Analysis. . MicroMural’s diversity in revenue streams and product lines increases its competition. Competitors include bio-art, 3D-printing, wall art, and eco-friendly art companies. Below is how MicroMurals compares to its competitors. Stakeholder Analysis. . MicroMurals has various stakeholders, from institutions to individual consumers, that all have varying levels of power and influence. The below infographic demonstrates this matrix and addresses the needs of each stakeholder. Risk Assessment. . Economic Factors. . Although not certain, many people believe that an economic recession is coming. A recession is marked by higher unemployment rates and lower consumer spending. If the United States goes into a recession, people might not want to pay for anything that is not an essential consumer good. Because MicroMurals is not an essential consumer good, a recession might negatively affect the demand for our product. Social Factors. . Some members of society may be worried about the safety and/or ethicality of bio-art. Many existing safety and security regulations are in place to mitigate risks associated with this field. Cornell iGEM must strictly adhere to those safety and security regulations, proper testing, and FDA and FASEB guidelines. Regarding the ethicality of MicroMurals, Cornell iGEM must ensure they are regarding living organisms as controllable, modular systems meant for engineering and designing. Regulations. . Because this product is categorized as Class 1 under the Code of Federal Regulations, it is exempt from premarket notification requirements. That being said, iGEM will ensure adherence to all FASEB and FDA regulations and guidelines. Competition. . Bio-art is a new and exciting phenomenon that a handful of companies are exploring. It will initially be difficult for MicroMurals to gain market share due to the already established players in the industry. But considering the high entry barrier, competition will be somewhat limited. Distribution. . Due to MicroMurals’ highly versatile nature, its stakeholders will vary from individual consumers to academic laboratories to large scale advertisements. Our operations will be multi-fold - with one part focusing on the mass-manufacturing and distribution of handheld bioprinters and MicroMurals ink cartridges that will be available for purchase by individual consumers, or in partnership with schools and universities as an education tool (alongside MicroMurals education kits). The next part is selling our custom MicroMurals prints (produced in-house) to users who request it and submit a design. The designs will be produced, printed and packaged in house, and shipped directly to the consumer. The final part focuses on selling our modified 3D-bioprinters to artists, research laboratories, art galleries and advertising firms. Marketing. . We hope to have promotional campaigns with established artists, where they recreate their pieces using our biotechnology, as well as print new pieces, to demonstrate the user-friendly nature and effectiveness of our product. Moreover, we hope to have promotional campaigns with laboratories, schools, and bio-artists and the general public, who use our product to also demonstrate the uniqueness and effectiveness of our project. In order to directly advertise to an art-oriented segment of the market, we will partner with retail stores such as Micheals and Jo Ann to take user designs and send them to our production team. Furthermore, sales representatives from our team will reach out to laboratories that are conducting research in the synthetic biology field and that need bioprinters. We will also partner with advertising agencies to print promotional materials on billboards and other marketing materials using our bioink. We believe MicroMurals will be extremely attractive to most advertising agencies due to its eco-friendly nature. Future. . MicroMurals has numerous milestones that we hope to achieve over the next ten years, ranging from continued product development, securing the patent, launching a limited release of our product, engaging in partnerships with stakeholders, and eventually launching to the entire United States (and eventually global) market.

Company Overview

MicroMurals is leveraging the rising bioart movement, and using science as a medium to create art. Through this novel application of synthetic biology, we hope to make our art-based approach to science available to users worldwide and inspire people to pursue interdisciplinary research in STEM and the arts! Through our proprietary technology, we have created numerous avenues for artists to showcase their talent, while also making it accessible for students and people around the world interested in understanding innovative ways in which art can interact with science.

The Problem

In response to the technological boom of the past few decades, educational trends are shifting to prioritize STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) education. Yet, this evidence-based, scientific-inquiry-driven education model often does not afford students the freedom to explore certain fundamental skills offered by the arts. By emphasizing a focus on exploring art, students are able to explore their own avenues of creative thinking and expression often not seen in following the rigor of following meticulous proofs and theorems. We hope to shift the paradigm from STEM to STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math). By presenting synthetic biology in the form of an artistic medium, MicroMurals is a tool to introduce audiences of all ages and backgrounds to the intersection of science, technology, art, and expression that can be explored in synthetic biology.

MicroMurals uses genetically engineered bacteria to produce hydrogel fibers that are fused to chromoproteins, and these colorful hydrogels are then 3D printed via our custom built bioprinter. By developing a practical application of synthetic biology for consumers with MicroMurals, we hope to encourage users to harness the many forms of synthetic biology for powerful applications. MicroMurals’ unique design allows it to not just provide the hydrogel creations with incredible structural stability but with the additional ability to uptake CO2. Rising levels of carbon dioxide represent a significant hazard to the health of the public and our environment. Our vision is for every print from MicroMurals to help in clearing up the air we breathe and helping the environment! MicroMurals itself is a microcosm of the multipurpose ability and limitless potential of synthetic biology, and we hope to soon launch MicroMurals across the world!

Products and Services

MicroMurals consists of numerous hardware and software technology components:

  • MicroMurals tackles the creation of colorful bacteria-based hydrogels by engineering E. coli to produce biofilm-forming proteins linked to chromoproteins. These hydrogels can be further functionalized for environmental applications (e.g. CO2, VOC uptake), which is a future research avenue of our product.
  • Our uniquely modified continuous flow bioreactor senses and controls the temperature, oxygen levels and pH of the bacteria, allowing them to thrive and produce the hydrogels that are our “microbial paints.”
  • We have repurposed a traditional 3D bioprinter with a biocompatible pumping system to extrude the inks and create the bioart.
  • As an alternative to the commercial 3D printer, we also decided to create a 3D handheld bioprinter to provide a mobile and user-friendly device for artists. This device will allow for easy access to bioprinting in the art industry and will act as a new tool that will hopefully become as common as paint brushes and colored pencils.
  • Finally, MicroMurals also has an integrated app where users/artists can upload designs, watch the art creation process through personalized livestreams, and engage with the community through a social media feed of other user submitted designs.

Business Model

  • Our primary model is a direct-to-consumer tool with in-house production and distribution. Users will be able to submit designs and request a print using our MicroMurals app, which will then be conveyed to our in-house production center. The production team will then begin the process of converting the submitted images into a 3D printer compatible matrix, following which our biocompatible 3D printer produces the final printed art piece. The piece will then be stored, packaged and shipped directly to the user.
  • The next revenue stream involves partnerships with art galleries, universities and schools. We hope to license our 3D-bioprinter technology to these larger organizations in order to allow them to produce their own forms of bioart. Through this partnership, we will be shipping the 3D printer and all the complementary technology in order to allow these organizations to print art in-house.
  • Once we successfully incorporate the CO2 uptake into the hydrogels, we hope to disrupt the print industry. By partnering with advertising firms to create large-scale signs, billboards and other print media using our vibrant, carbon-uptaking hydrogels, we are poised to gain a unique and large-scale physical presence by being a powerful solution for eco-conscious companies.
  • Our handheld bioprinter has a unique business model, and is an extremely important component in making MicroMurals accessible to the public. The novel handheld bioprinter has numerous advantages including being extremely portable, hand-held, easy to use, inexpensive, and especially accessible. It also retains enough precision for accurate, good resolution, and high-quality prints.
    • We hope to create MicroMurals “ink” cartridges, which would contain colorful hydrogels secreted by the bacteria as a complementary product to the handheld printer.
    • In order to further our mission statement of inspiring people to pursue interdisciplinary research in STEM and the arts, we will also be creating kits, geared specifically towards students. These kits will include the handheld printer, a set of cartridges, and an interactive manual which will provide students with a simple overview of our project, and synthetic biology.
    • MicroMurals will be partnering with schools to supply these kits in bulk for a considerable discount. Partnered schools will have their own portal for the MicroMurals app, in order to have a private feed of work/designs submitted by their students open to feedback from faculty or collaboration with peers.
Business Model Canvas PDF

Market Opportunity

Unmet Needs

Since bio-art is an emerging field there are many avenues for value creation. The following infographic demonstrates ways in which MicroMurals satisfies the unmet needs of this market.


SWOT Analysis

To ensure the success of MicroMurals as a business, it must be put in the greater context of the current market and competitors. The following infographic demonstrates strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that help identify where we can anticipate challenges as well as strengthen the business model of MicroMurals.

Consumer Analysis

MicroMurals presents a unique customer marketspace where the product targets both direct consumers as well as manufacturers. Our product will primarily target art enthusiasts who would like to delve deeper into creative ventures using bio-art. These consumers can either design their art and have MicroMurals print their piece and send it back to them or they can purchase the 3D bioprinter designed by the company. This also enables other companies to be consumers of MicroMurals as they can purchase the bioprinter to run their own in house bioart or other application operation. Lastly, the kits designed with the handheld printer will be available for purchase and would target the demographic of students between 10-20 years old. Schools are a major target market for our art kits. In the United States alone, there are over 26,000 secondary/high schools. If the kits containing a handheld bioprinter, refillable gels, and pigment cartridges are sold for a competitive price of $30 a kit, and an estimated 50% of the total schools in the U.S. bought around 10 kits, the net income from the kits alone would be $3,900,000.

Market Segmentation

The market for MicroMurals will be segmented into demographic, psychographic, behavioral, and geographic divisions.

Since FDA approval is unnecessary for this product, MicroMurals will be readily available in all parts of the US and based on consumer demand can be expanded to a more international market.

Starting with demographic segmentation, occupation and income will play an important role in MicroMurals’ marketing strategy. The majority of consumers who require the use of MicroMurals may occupy a position in a bioprinting, educational, or art industry.

Moving onto psychographic segmentation, a large portion of MicroMurals consumers could include individual artists, teachers, and bioprinting companies. Since MicroMurals sells the combined product or individual pieces to create the product it would appeal to the majority of consumers.

Behavioral segmentation could occur with the degree to which customers prefer the ability to customize their art. MicroMurals’ emphasis on customizability, user-friendliness and innovation allows consumers to use MicroMurals as a canvas for their own creative designs, supporting the artistic process of our users.

Competitor Analysis

MicroMural’s diversity in revenue streams and product lines increases its competition. Competitors include bio-art, 3D-printing, wall art, and eco-friendly art companies. Below is how MicroMurals compares to its competitors.

Stakeholder Analysis

MicroMurals has various stakeholders, from institutions to individual consumers, that all have varying levels of power and influence. The below infographic demonstrates this matrix and addresses the needs of each stakeholder.

Risk Assessment

  • Economic Factors
    • Although not certain, many people believe that an economic recession is coming. A recession is marked by higher unemployment rates and lower consumer spending. If the United States goes into a recession, people might not want to pay for anything that is not an essential consumer good. Because MicroMurals is not an essential consumer good, a recession might negatively affect the demand for our product.
  • Social Factors
    • Some members of society may be worried about the safety and/or ethicality of bio-art. Many existing safety and security regulations are in place to mitigate risks associated with this field. Cornell iGEM must strictly adhere to those safety and security regulations, proper testing, and FDA and FASEB guidelines. Regarding the ethicality of MicroMurals, Cornell iGEM must ensure they are regarding living organisms as controllable, modular systems meant for engineering and designing.
  • Regulations
    • Because this product is categorized as Class 1 under the Code of Federal Regulations, it is exempt from premarket notification requirements. That being said, iGEM will ensure adherence to all FASEB and FDA regulations and guidelines.
  • Competition
    • Bio-art is a new and exciting phenomenon that a handful of companies are exploring. It will initially be difficult for MicroMurals to gain market share due to the already established players in the industry. But considering the high entry barrier, competition will be somewhat limited.

Distribution

Due to MicroMurals’ highly versatile nature, its stakeholders will vary from individual consumers to academic laboratories to large scale advertisements. Our operations will be multi-fold- with one part focusing on the mass-manufacturing and distribution of handheld bioprinters and MicroMurals ink cartridges that will be available for purchase by individual consumers, or in partnership with schools and universities as an education tool (alongside MicroMurals education kits). The next part is selling our custom MicroMurals prints (produced in-house) to users who request it and submit a design. The designs will be produced, printed and packaged in house, and shipped directly to the consumer. The final part focuses on selling our modified 3D-bioprinters to artists, research laboratories, art galleries and advertising firms.

Future

MicroMurals has numerous milestones that we hope to achieve over the next ten years, ranging from continued product development, securing the patent, launching a limited release of our product, engaging in partnerships with stakeholders, and eventually launching to the entire United States (and eventually global) market.



Business Plan