Muskegon Innovation Hub courts new biotech company combating invasive aquatic species

MUSKEGON — A startup biotech company that aims to counter invasive aquatic species has set up shop in the Muskegon Innovation Hub.

Muskegon-based GenPass LLC will use DNA testing to develop tailored plans for eradicating water milfoil, according to a statement.

Water milfoil is an invasive aquatic plant species that forms vast mats of vegetation under the water’s surface and can inhibit activities such as boating.

GenPass works with customers who own or manage lakes by taking samples of the milfoil to determine the specific variety of plant and how to best treat it.

Company owner Syndell Parks helped pioneer the technology while attending Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resources Institute as a graduate student.

Parks plans to use the business resources and services provided to tenants of the Muskegon Innovation Hub to grow its organization.

“My background with this business and this project has always been from the science end of things,” Parks said. “The team at the Muskegon Innovation Hub has been instrumental in helping me think like a businessperson by reframing what I know into information that’s useful for building the business.”

Muskegon Innovation Hub was previously known as the Michigan Alternative Energy Center (MAREC) before undergoing a rebranding process focused on attracting innovating companies from a variety of sectors, as MiBiz first reported.