Research: USF faculty develop solutions
to pressing issues
Molekule makes an impact THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF TECHNOLOGY created at USF is having a ripple effect on the state of Florida’s economy. Yogi Goswami, distinguished university professor and inventor of the Molekule air purifying system, is responsible for the creation of 47 jobs with an average salary of $70,000, generating valuable tax revenue for the state. The Molekule is manufactured in Lakeland, where dozens of employees help assemble parts for the five-line company – Air Mini, Air Mini+, Air, Air Pro and Air Pro RX. Patented at USF, the technology uses photo electrochemical oxidation to capture and destroy airborne bacteria and viruses, such as COVID-19. Several of the lines have received FDA 501(k) clearance as Class II medical devices, meaning they’re safe to use in operating rooms, emergency department waiting rooms and isolation units.
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Molekule has had a significant impact, helping lead a wave of new commercial and industrial development in the region. It’s been exciting to see the business’s manufacturing facility expand over the years ...”
– Phil Myers
“We started this business to help people. I invented the technology and developed the product for our son, who suffered from debilitating asthma and allergies, and then others known to us who had similar problems, so we started scaling up to help other people,” Goswami says. “Certainly, as a private company, we like to make a profit so we can keep people employed, but at the same time, the core philosophy is that we are here to help people with our technology.” Goswami conducted rigorous research for 20 years before he, his wife, Lovely, and children Dilip and Jaya formally founded Molekule in 2016. Today, eight doctoral and post-doctoral students conduct research and product development for Molekule at the USF Research Park. Several USF graduates are now full-time researchers with the family-owned business, including Goswami’s former student, Phil Myers, who’s been with Molekule for five years. Myers earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering at USF and is now the senior principal research engineer at Molekule, where he works on the Research and Development team, designing and implementing testing strategies for future products and technologies. “Molekule has had a significant impact, helping lead a wave of new commercial and industrial development in the
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region,” Myers says. “It’s been exciting to see the business’s manufacturing facility expand over the years and to be able to take advantage of the great talent produced at USF.” Molekule projects to more than double its production by the end of 2022 – enhancing its economic impact on the region and state. The product line has grown in popularity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and Molekule has paid it forward, donating thousands of units to hospitals and schools across the globe. The company has also contributed $500,000 for research at the Clean Energy Research Center at USF, for which the Florida High Tech Corridor has provided matching funds, accounting for a $1 million investment in USF research. This has helped fund undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral fellowship research, bringing Goswami’s and Molekule’s success full circle. - TINA MEKETA | USF News
