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From harvesting nutrients from wastewater to treatments for fungal infections and bladder disorders, the University of Maryland's Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program, an initiative of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute in College Park, is funding 17 potentially commercial research projects led by Maryland companies and university faculty.

Total funding of $3 million is split between participating companies and the university institute, according to a university statement.

The projects and funding amounts are as follows:

American Dynamics Flight Systems of Jessup, validating the propulsion system for its next-generation, maritime-capable, high-speed vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft system: $135,150.

Aparna Biosciences of Rockville, developing therapeutics to treat fungal infections: $141,249.

Celek Pharmaceuticals of Rockville, evaluating the efficacy of a novel therapeutic for interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome: $159,500.

Cellphire of Rockville, establishing a quality system and manufacturing processes for the current Good Manufacturing Practice production of the company's freeze-dried platelet products for both diagnostic and therapeutic indications: $154,842.

Coil LLC of College Park, developing novel signal processing and programmable hardware technologies for audio and communications applications: $135,000.

Emerald Sky Technologies of Columbia, developing an integrated aircraft flight display and control system with a collaborative autopilot to help pilots maintain situational awareness and engage in the higher-level task of managing and directing a flight: $215,260.

Maryland Environmental Plastics of Easton, developing biodegradable, inexpensive seed pots to help restore vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay: $236,299.

Mastix Medica of Hunt Valley, developing a chitosan chewing gum to help control phosphorus levels in dialysis-dependent kidney disease patients: $143,941.

NanoRods of Germantown, developing a polymer coating for gold nanorods for potential cancer therapeutics, tomography or other biotech applications: $174,420.

Recovery Science of Hollywood, developing an exoskeleton device for hand and finger rehabilitation: $302,000.

Renewable Energy Solutions of Germantown, performance testing its small-wind, scalable, vertical-axis turbine for residential and other applications: $82,200.

Sensics of Columbia, developing video processing algorithms that optimize video streams to a high-definition, panoramic, head-mounted display for mass-corporate applications such as virtual design, training, medical pain management and therapy, remote presence and data visualization: $145,659.

Sherwin Williams of Crisfield, developing a fully functional and operational assembly system for automating the knot-gauging, straightening, combing, and contour-inserting operations of manufacturing paint brushes: $270,500.

Spiralcat of Maryland of Elkton, developing full-scale industrial modules to extract fertilizer nutrients as part of its system for harvesting water, energy and biofuel from waste sources, reducing runoff and air pollution in the Chesapeake Bay: $210,448.

TelCare of Bethesda, evaluating the effectiveness of its cellular communications-embedded glucose meter with two-way, personalized communication between patients and care managers to improve blood glucose testing compliance: $233,713.

Traffax of College Park, integrating its traffic surveillance system with the Regional Integrated Transportation Information System to distribute traffic data to Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.: $138,600.

Zymetis of College Park, developing low-cost solvent systems to reduce the crystallinity of native cellulose, reducing the need for enzymes in biomass digestion to produce ethanol and other biofuels: $108,085.

This program has supported research projects with more than 450 different Maryland companies since 1987.