Xavier student wins entrepreneur challenge after creating STD testing solution

WINS THE BIG EAST STARTUP CHALLENGE FOR HIS IDEA FOR AN INNOVATIVE STD TESTING. SO HIS IDEA TO TRANSFORM THE TESTING PROCESS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS HAS ALREADY GOTTEN THE ATTENTION OF CINCINNATI INVESTORS AND WLWT NEWS FIVE’S LINDSAY STONE JOINING US FROM XAVIER’S CAMPUS TONIGHT WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS IDEA. HI, LINDSAY. HI, GUYS. YEAH, THE BIG EAST STARTUP CHALLENGE IS A STUDENT COMPETITION. THINK OF IT LIKE SHARK TANK. BUT FOR STUDENTS. AND A XAVIER STUDENT WON THIS YEAR WITH HIS REVOLUTIONARY IDEA THAT ADDRESSES A BIG PROBLEM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES. JUST LOOKING AROUND THE COLLEGE LIFE AND SEEING WHAT’S HAPPENING, IT’S A REALLY BIG ISSUE. ACCORDING TO THE CDC, 1 IN 4 COLLEGE STUDENTS HAS AN STD. IT’S A PROBLEM. XAVIER JUNIOR LANCE QSR HAS SPENT YEARS TRYING TO SOLVE. I BELIEVE IT’S SOMEWHERE AROUND 80% OF CASES OF STD CASES GO WITHOUT SYMPTOMS. SO THAT’S THAT’S A BIG THAT’S A HUGE PROPORTION OF PEOPLE WHO, IF THEY’RE GOING BY THAT KIND OF IDEA, THEY’RE GOING TO BE GETTING MISSED. THE CHEMISTRY MAJOR CREATED A CONCEPT FOR A COMPANY THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE STD TESTING PROCESS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, CALLED TEST. YOU. THE WAY IT WORKS IS YOU WOULD PICK UP A KIT AND YOU WOULD EITHER URINATE IN THE CUP, OR YOU WOULD TAKE SOME SORT OF SWAB SAMPLE. THIS INNOVATION REMOVES THE NEED FOR COSTLY LAB AND SHIPPING FEES. THE TESTS UTILIZE THE SAME TECHNOLOGY AS AN AT HOME COVID TEST. THIS IS TO ENSURE EASIER ACCESSIBILITY, LOWER COSTS AND CONFIDENTIALITY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS. TEST YOU IS ON A JOURNEY TO TRANSFORM THE TESTING. INDUSTRY. OUR GOAL IS TO INTRODUCE A LATERAL FLOW TEST THAT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES BOTH THE COST AND TIME REQUIRED FOR STD TEST RESULTS. RESULTS COME BACK IN JUST 20 MINUTES. KUSER’S IDEA TOOK HOME FIRST PLACE AT THE BIG EAST STARTUP COMPETITION. THERE’S A FOREFRONT IN THE TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO BE USING, WHICH IS A ANTIGEN ASSAY KIND OF TEST, VERY MUCH LIKE A COVID TEST THAT HE WANTS TO GO DEVELOP. BUT FOR STDS, NOBODY’S EVER DONE USE THAT TECHNOLOGY THEY’RE TESTING IS ALREADY BEING TESTED ON SOME COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN OHIO. FOR MORE AWARENESS. AND GETTING MORE PEOPLE TESTED. IS, OF COURSE, THE GOAL, BECAUSE GETTING ONE PERSON TESTED ISN’T JUST HELPING ONE PERSON. YOU KNOW, THE WAY PROMISCUITY WORKS. IT’S EXPONENTIAL IN THAT IF ONE PERSON CAN GET TESTED, YOU MAY HAVE JUST SAVED THREE PEOPLE FROM TESTING POSITIVE OF. AND QSR IS CONTINUING. TO DO RESEARCH ON THIS PRODUCT BEFORE HE TAKES IT TO OTHER MARKETS AND EXPAND HIS BUSINESS, ALL WHILE BEING A COLLEGE STUDENT. PRETTY IMPRESSIVE THERE. IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TEST U OR THE BIG E STARTUP CHALLENGE, HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE

A Xavier student University student won the Big East Start Up Challenge for his idea for innovative STD testing.His idea to transform the testing process for college students has already gotten the attention of Cincinnati investors.“Looking around the college life and seeing what's happening, it really it's a really big issue,” said Lance Kuo-Esser, a junior at Xavier University.According to the CDC, 1 in 4 college students has an STD. It's a problem Kuo-Esser has spent years trying to solve.“I believe it's somewhere around 80% of case of STD cases go without symptoms,” Kuo-Esser said. “So that's a huge proportion of people who, if they're going by that kind of idea, they're going to be getting missed.”The chemistry major created a concept for a company that will transform the STD testing process for college students, called Test-U.“The way it works is you would pick up a kit, and you would either urinate or urinate in the cup, or you would take some sort of swab sample,” Kuo-Esser said.The tests utilize the same technology as an at-home COVID-19 test. This is to ensure easier accessibility, lower costs and confidentiality for college students.“Test-U is on a mission to transform the testing industry,” Kuo-Esser said. “Our goal is to introduce lateral flow test that significantly reduces the cost and time required for STD test results.”Results come back in just 20 minutes. Kuo-Esser's idea took home first place at the Big East Start-Up Competition.“A forefront in the technology is going to be using, which is a antigen assay kind of test, very much like the COVID test that he wants to go develop,” said Michael Holloran, a professor of entrepreneurship and management at Xavier University. “For STDs, nobody's ever done use that technology there.”Test-U is already being tested on some college campuses in Ohio.“Getting more people tested is, of course, the goal because testing, getting one person tested isn't just helping one person,” Kuo-Esser said. “The way promiscuity works, it's exponential in that if one person get can get tested, you may have just saved three people from tested positive.”Kuo-Esser is continuing research on the test kits as he prepares to put this product out on the market.

CINCINNATI —

A Xavier student University student won the Big East Start Up Challenge for his idea for innovative STD testing.

His idea to transform the testing process for college students has already gotten the attention of Cincinnati investors.

“Looking around the college life and seeing what's happening, it really it's a really big issue,” said Lance Kuo-Esser, a junior at Xavier University.

According to the CDC, 1 in 4 college students has an STD. It's a problem Kuo-Esser has spent years trying to solve.

“I believe it's somewhere around 80% of case of STD cases go without symptoms,” Kuo-Esser said. “So that's a huge proportion of people who, if they're going by that kind of idea, they're going to be getting missed.”

The chemistry major created a concept for a company that will transform the STD testing process for college students, called Test-U.

“The way it works is you would pick up a kit, and you would either urinate or urinate in the cup, or you would take some sort of swab sample,” Kuo-Esser said.

The tests utilize the same technology as an at-home COVID-19 test. This is to ensure easier accessibility, lower costs and confidentiality for college students.

“Test-U is on a mission to transform the testing industry,” Kuo-Esser said. “Our goal is to introduce lateral flow test that significantly reduces the cost and time required for STD test results.”

Results come back in just 20 minutes. Kuo-Esser's idea took home first place at the Big East Start-Up Competition.

“A forefront in the technology is going to be using, which is a antigen assay kind of test, very much like the COVID test that he wants to go develop,” said Michael Holloran, a professor of entrepreneurship and management at Xavier University. “For STDs, nobody's ever done use that technology there.”

Test-U is already being tested on some college campuses in Ohio.

“Getting more people tested is, of course, the goal because testing, getting one person tested isn't just helping one person,” Kuo-Esser said. “The way promiscuity works, it's exponential in that if one person get can get tested, you may have just saved three people from tested positive.”

Kuo-Esser is continuing research on the test kits as he prepares to put this product out on the market.

Xavier student wins entrepreneur challenge after creating STD testing solution

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