Academic Entrepreneurship

Dr. Harman was appointed assistant professor in the Department of Seed Investigations at Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in 1970, where he now holds the rank of professor. In 1993, together with two colleagues, he formed a company, TGT, Inc. (now BioWorks, Inc.) to commercialize biocontrol technologies. The company obtained a license from the Cornell Research Foundation to use patents from Dr. Harman’s work. The company is expanding production facilities to produce as much as one million pounds of these products annually to meet the expected demand in 1997-1998. Dr. Harman remains employed full-time at Cornell University, while providing guidance and leadership for research and technology development in the company. Dr Harman is the holder of 4 US-issued patents. He hopes that, in addition to providing new products for commercial agriculture, BioWorks will serve as a model for the commercialization of academic research.