Inside a tube, shot through by powerful lasers, microscopic organisms are revealing secrets about biodiversity, water health, and possibly even offering a pathway to treat deadly pathogens. For students like Anaya Harry and Michael O'Cain, research opportunities like this at UNC Asheville have meant more than just lab hours — it's led to real scientific impact. The instrument making all of this possible is the Smart Soil Organism Detector (Smart SOD), a one-of-a-kind tool now expanding research opportunities in ways that reach far beyond the classroom.The Smart SOD was developed over seven years and released six months ago by SoilTech, a startup company that’s hosted on the campus of UNC Asheville. That on-campus presence gives students a unique advantage: the ability to work directly alongside a real company, gaining experience that extends beyond a traditional research lab. UNC Asheville Assistant Professor of Biology Camila Filgueiras, who is also the head of the UNC Asheville Natural Enemy Management & Applications (NEMA) Lab and a co-owner of SoilTech, has made that hands-on industry access integral to the student experience.