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The global essential oils market has been estimated to be US$10.6b in 2021 rising to US$16.0b in 2026 [(Markets, 2021)1] as a result of growth in awareness to preventative healthcare, improvements in the standard of living, along with an increase in the demand for aromatherapy products. With the potential availability of relevant plant materials in Tobago, it is appropriate to develop a strategy for the introduction of Plant Extracts Industry in the island.
The burgeoning of small gourmet chocolate boutiques worldwide serves as a key driver for niche and ultra-niche marketing of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), branded as (a) geographical indication (b) estate origin or (c) based on unique genetics. Over 90% of the cacao farms globally, are small with an average size between 2 and 5 hectares and can benefit from supplying to the gourmet boutiques.
Vector-borne diseases have since the 17th century been the leading cause of death by disease more than any other causes combined, even preventing development in the tropics (Gubler 1998). Of all insect vectors, Aedes aegypti proves to be the deadliest as it is the primary vector of the four most notorious vector-borne diseases – chikungunya (chik-V), Zika (Zik-V), dengue fever and yellow fever viruses. Control of the spread of Aedesborne diseases is primarily reliant on the control of the vector responsible for their spread. Traditionally, vector control relied on environmental hygiene and the elimination of breeding sites (Gubler 1998), shifting only in the 1980s to the use of synthetic chemicals in the form of carbamate, organochloride, organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides (Norris, et al. 2015). However, the evolution of Aedes aegypti resistance to synthetic chemicals have made control of the spread of the vector and its diseases increasingly difficult. This led to the exploration of innovative and alternative methods in the control of Aedes aegypti.
Globally, STEM scientists are the apex of novel innovation and cutting-edge research and development. While, patents are inextricably linked to innovation, research, and development, both undergraduate and graduate STEM students rarely invent, and those that do almost never invent twice. The thesis of this presentation is three-fold: (1) The understanding, value, benefits, and basics of intellectual property (IP) creation and invention are fundamentally missing in STEM curricula; (2) There are few (if any) incentives for STEM researchers to create and file patent applications within the University environment; and (3) Patent filling assistance programs (pro se) provide pro bono outreach and education to applicants. The key tenants of this presentation are reduced to practice as it relates to pro se patent filings of West Indies inspired invention to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2021 and 2022. Three examples of West Indies conceived and awarded IP by a lead inventor domiciled in Anguilla, BWI (Patent Nos. 10,934,168, 11,219,255, and 11,298,375). Further, a permanent patent filling, titled: “Innocuous Sterilant using Hemocyanin and Functionalized Fullerenes with Broad-Spectrum Intracellular and Interstitial Microbiocidal and Radical Scavenging Effects for Packaged Matter, Biologics and Organics including Liquids, Gases, Tissue, Organs, Cells, and Limbs with Copper Mediated Oxygenation for Viability and Preservation” is under review and awaiting a first office action offering broad evidence of origination of IP in the West Indies. As case studies for this presentation, two pieces of IP are examined: The permanent patent and a recently filed provisional application that teaches a minimally invasive and unassisted robotic surgical method for atomic scale manipulation of funtionalized nanoparticles to perform high precision “nano surgery”.
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