Innovator Spotlight: Dr. Jason Marion on Using Intellectual Property to Advance Water Quality Innovation

Eastern Kentucky University’s Dr. Jason Marion is advancing public health innovation with his groundbreaking water testing kit, ColiGlow®. This accessible, low-cost tool empowers users to detect E. coli contamination in drinking water without the need for a laboratory or expensive equipment. Through this innovation, Dr. Marion aims to promote safer water practices and expand access to clean drinking water resources. Notably, 10% of proceeds support drinking water quality initiatives in Western Kenya and Eastern Kentucky. As founder and CEO of Eastern Scientific, Dr. Marion continues to bridge science, entrepreneurship and community impact.

KYIPA is proud to showcase how Dr. Marion has leveraged intellectual property to protect and advance his innovation. In the Q&A below, he shares insights into the development of ColiGlow® and the role intellectual property has played in bringing his vision to life.

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How has IP (patents, trademarks, copyrights, etc.) played a role in your innovation journey?

The IP process, with respect to the patent application, has been particularly helpful in Eastern Scientific obtaining its STTR award for the 2024–2025 year from the USDA. As part of the application process, we were able to reference our PCT and USPTO applications, which demonstrated to the agency and its reviewers that we were committed to the novel ideas and methods described in our patent application and proposal. Without having submitted the patent application, I am unsure whether the USDA’s review process would have resulted in Eastern Scientific receiving funding.

As part of the patent application, there were elements that the USPTO determined were obvious extensions of existing published research in the public domain. In these cases, we obtained greater clarity that we were not infringing on other patents and established prior art, preventing potential competitors from patenting similar “obvious” ideas that could have threatened our ability to compete.

In addition to our pending patent application, our product trademark for ColiGlow® has also added legitimacy among consumers while reducing future market competition for similar products that make E. coli detection glow. Similar to the patent application, we also believe that this trademark helped our USDA STTR application lead to an award and may even help us with future awards.

What challenges or lessons have you learned working with IP?

I have learned that the process requires submitting necessary information early and that the time to receive decisions can be quite lengthy. I also learned that the patent process could be extraordinarily difficult without experts who know how to develop patent applications and claims. I am grateful for the legal expertise of the teams supporting my invention.

Do you have any advice for other Kentucky innovators navigating IP?

Due to the cost of the patent application process, it is important to first have conversations with KCV, KYIPA or technology transfer officers at universities for inventions arising from those institutions. When pursuing a patent application, being able to estimate the costs and examine the potential return on investment (ROI) is essential. Included in the ROI calculation should be how the process may increase a company's likelihood of securing funding while the patent process continues to move forward. Lastly, patience is essential, as the process can take several years and setting that expectation at the outset is important.