As President Obama riffed on new jobs and manufacturing during his recent State of the Union speech, one comment may have caught the attention of Northern Coloradans who were listening closely.

“If we want to make the best products, we also have — have to invest in the best ideas,” he said. “We’re … devising new materials to make batteries 10 times more powerful.”

The mention may have struck some as a reference of CSU chemistry Professor Amy Prieto’s work with non-toxic materials and citric acid to make a more efficient battery. After all, the White House honored Prieto last year with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Nominated by the National Science Foundation, Prieto was one of 96 scientists who received the award at a White House ceremony last month. She owns Fort Collins-based Prieto Battery, which aims to commercialize an environmentally friendly battery that lasts longer and charges faster.

Prieto Battery appreciated Obama’s remark about batteries in his speech, but there’s no way to know exactly what he was referencing, Katie Hoffner, the company’s marketing veep, said in an email.