Using nanoparticles to deliver drugs directly to tumors is a novel technology developed by NanoMedTrix, LLC, a UI spin-off founded by Jose Assouline, an adjunct associate professor in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. The targeted delivery of these nanoparticles to treat diseases such as bladder cancer led to a two-year, $2 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Cancer Institute.