Rice bioengineering alumnus Eugene Chung’s recent appearance at the BioNTX Tech Transfer Showcase has elevated his Rice-developed biotechnology company, Lift Biolabs, to the next level.
The Tech Transfer Showcase, hosted by bioscience and healthcare innovation trade organization BioNTX, supports emerging innovators by connecting them with potential funders and collaborators. Chung was recommended by Rice University's Office of Technology Transfer as a candidate for the 2025 competition. He was selected to present to an exclusive audience of industry leaders, investors, and potential collaborators at the iC³ Life Science Summit Sept. 16–17, 2025.
Chung, CEO and co-founder of Lift Biolabs, won second place in the pitch competition—underscoring his company’s potential to bring value to the industry.
Lift Biolabs is a biomanufacturing company that develops low-cost, nanobubble-based reagents to simplify the purification process for therapeutic and industrial biotechnology companies. Whereas traditional purification products are complex and costly to create, Lift Biolabs produces at scale with minimal infrastructure.
“Lift Biolabs has a dual meaning: first and foremost, it describes the buoyancy-based process, where you are lifting up the molecules you want to separate to purify the product,” said Chung. “But it also reflects our mission to lift up other biotech companies by giving them access to low-cost tools that make production more efficient and affordable.”
Earlier this year, Chung was awarded an Activate Fellowship, which empowers early stage entrepreneurs to bring their research to market. As the sole Rice-affiliated member of the 2025 cohort, Chung will receive funding, technical resources and mentorship throughout the two-year fellowship program.
The Activate Fellowship has been a catalyst for growth of his company, as it has provided opportunities to refine his brand’s messaging and get critical feedback from leaders in the industry.
Chung also credits his time at Rice, especially working in the lab of assistant professor of bioengineering George Lu, for his recent successes. The Lift Biolabs concept was developed at Rice, growing from an initial idea shared by Lu at the beginning of Chung’s doctoral studies.
“Biomanufacturing holds immense potential to advance the nation’s biotechnology infrastructure,” said Lu. “I see our innovative technology potentially playing a transformative role across multiple sectors—from industrial enzymes to critical supply chains, food and agriculture, and therapeutic manufacturing.”
Throughout the course of his PhD program, Chung worked closely with Lu to refine the technology and business model. “Eugene, one of the first graduate students in my lab, has been phenomenal,” said Lu. “He spearheaded this new direction from day one in the lab and helped translate our technology into real-world impact through entrepreneurship.”
Beyond the lab, Rice University provided Chung with the resources, opportunities and culture that nurtured his entrepreneurial spirit. He sought feedback on his presentations from the Rice Office of Innovation, and the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship IdeaLaunch helped him examine his technology for market fit.
“I always sensed a strong spirit of entrepreneurship at Rice, with faculty spinning off their own companies and doing exactly what I hoped to do,” said Chung. “The culture and people surrounding me at Rice always made me feel like I could create a company. The faculty expertise, resources and support systems have given me confidence throughout my journey.”