COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – A company that grew out of research conducted at the University of Missouri is manufacturing its first product.

Nanova Biomaterials Inc. began manufacturing a fluoride dental varnish called StarBright about a month ago at its northeast Columbia facility.

The company says the product has received Food and Drug Administration clearance. The company had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday at its $1.5 million plant in Columbia.

Hao Li, Nanova co-founder and Missouri associate professor, said the company hopes to have the dental varnish on the market in December.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that Nanova was in founded in 2007 and Nanova Biomaterials was created in 2013. It uses nanotechnology to produce particles with new properties. For example, the dental varnish contains more fluoride than other products on the market.