32Atps is crowdfunding its research

32Atps, a biotech spin-out of Utah Valley University, is looking to raise $5,000 on Experiment, a crowdfunding platform squarely aimed at scientific research.

Based on initial research by Carol Lynn George, adjunct faculty at the university’s biology department, the company aims to exploit biochemical reactions in cells to generate electricity and power consumer electronics devices such as mobile phones. 32Atps and George want to use the money raised to further research the concept.

As of the time of writing – September 11, 2014 – the company has raised just over half its goal at $2,930 with nine days left to go.

The company previously secured an Sbir grant to fund the initial research, but needs the additional cash to, according to the campaign page, “cover the rental of bench space in a life science incubator that provides shared capital equipment (reducing our capital outlay as much as possible) and the reagents needed to test a number of methods for generating biological energy.”