TTO Releases FY 2006 Annual Report
The University of Colorado Office of Technology Transfer has released its 2006 Annual Report. The report covers TTO activities from the period between July 1 2005 to June 30, 2006. It is available in HTML format on our website, or download it now in PDF format by following this link.
Six Biomaterials Licenses Recently Executed
The University of Colorado has executed six new non-exclusive license agreements with two companies. Santa Cruz Biotechnologies, a company with a long-standing relationship with the university, has added to their catalog two progesterone receptor monoclonal antibodies developed in Dr. Dean Edwards’ laboratory. Additionally, ImmuQuest, a large British corporation, has licensed three monoclonal antibodies produced in Dr. Edwards’ lab and one developed by Dr. David Siegel and Dr. David Ross.
An additional twenty requests for monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies developed in HSC laboratories are currently being evaluated. These licenses are the result of TTO marketing campaign that is conducted twice a year to a broad group of companies in the United States and Europe. TTO is currently marketing biological materials, which include monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies as well as cell lines and transgenic mice. For additional information regarding biological materials, view the TTO Biological Materials Bulletin. If you have any questions about how to license biological materials, or to have your biological materials added to our list, please contact Lindsay Polak at lindsay.polak@cu.edu or Susana Read at susana.read@cu.edu.
Big Ideas for the Big 12
Two years in the making, the Big 12 Center for Economic Development, Innovation and Commercialization (CEDIC) was set up by Austin businessmen Ron Kessler and Pike Powers to develop conversations between the universities in the athletic conference in areas besides sports. After discussions with the academic elites of the Big 12, CEDIC moved forward and sponsored a business venture competition this past spring. The organization is set to move forward this coming March with a conference in Kansas City to showcase some of the 12 universities' technologies and faculty and put some concepts in front of venture capitalists. CU TTO's Dave Allen was interviewed in this Daily Camera article.
CU's Cleantech Innovation Challenge set for March
For the second consecutive year the Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Center for Entrepreneurship will host the Cleantech Innovation Challenge March 1-2 at the Four Points by Sheraton Denver Southeast in conjunction with the Sustainable Opportunities Summit. The goal of the competition is for teams to capitalize on emerging market conditions and propose business concepts to produce financial reward while enhancing ecological sustainability.
New from the TTO: When to Disclose Your Invention
The TTO has created a new Bulletin to help inventors determine when to disclose their invention to tech transfer. The Bulletin provides step-by-step guidance for deciding whether an invention should be disclosed, and when. Covered topics include marketability, patentability, and publication questions.
Correction: November Newsletter
The November TTO newsletter inaccurately reported that Dr. Alan Weimer and Dr. Alan Mickelson, both of CU-Boulder, received Proof-of-Concept funding from the TTO. This was an error, and the TTO apologizes for any confusion it may have caused.
CU Technology and Licensee Companies in the News
ApopLogic ColoradoBiz Tech Startup of the Month
CU spin-off ApopLogic, headed by President and CEO Richard Duke, was featured in ColoradoBiz Magazine as November’s Tech Startup of the Month. ApopLogic was launched in 2005 to develop the drugs Fasaret and Breceptin, both cancer therapeutics.
Colorado Biotech Companies Snapped Up by Out-of-State Buyers
Buyers have spent $4B to acquire Colorado-grown life sciences companies in the past six months. Whether that's good for the state's economy depends on whom you ask. The biggest biotech story: Myogen Inc., which is based in Westminster and develops drugs for hard-to-treat heart and lung conditions, will sell to Gilead Sciences Inc. for $2.5B.
New CU-NIST Optical Atomic Clock Demonstrates Most Precise 'Ticks' Ever
Using an ultra-stable laser to manipulate strontium atoms trapped in a "lattice" made of light, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado at Boulder have demonstrated the capability to produce the most precise "ticks" ever recorded in an optical atomic clock. The JILA strontium lattice design, described in the Dec. 1 issue of Science, is a leading candidate for next-generation atomic clocks that operate at optical frequencies.
GlobeImmune Announces Positive Interim Results from Hep-C Study
CU spin-off company GlobeImmune, Inc. on October 30 announced positive interim results from Study GI-5005-01, a Phase 1b study of GI-5005 in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The data were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Zenwa Receives STTR Award to Develop CU Polymer Waveguide Arrays
CU optionee Zenwa, Inc. of Massachusetts is the recipient of an STTR grant to further develop its polymer waveguide technology. CU technology in this same field was optioned to Zenwa in September. Zenwa will direct $90,000 of its grant to CU as sponsored research. The projects’ goal is to demonstrate an innovative new form of 3D lithography to be used for fabricating imaging arrays and photonic-crystal waveguides in thick photopolymers that are cheaper, higher performance, lighter, more flexible and have capabilities that are not currently possible with current "stack and draw" manufacturing.
UCDHSC School of Medicine Awarded $2.5 Million to Train in Biomedical Informatics
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center’s School of Medicine has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. National Library of Medicine to train nine students in its Computational Bioscience Program over the next five years.
UCCC Researchers Look Closely at Saliva for Life-Saving Information
Glen Weiss, MD, chief fellow of hematology/medical oncology at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, received funding from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer to conduct a pilot study in which samples of saliva are collected from healthy people who are current, former smokers or never smokers, and from people who have been diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, who are current, former smokers or never smokers. If differences between the two groups of samples are found, researchers will work to define consistent genetic markers that could be used for routine saliva screening for lung cancer.
Squid-Inspired Design By CU-Boulder Innovators Could Mean Better Handling Of Unmanned Vehicles
Inspired by the sleek and efficient propulsion of squid, jellyfish and other cephalopods, University of Colorado at Boulder researcher Kamran Mohseni has designed a new generation of compact vortex generators that could make it easier for scientists to maneuver and dock underwater vehicles at low speeds and with greater precision.
New Veterans Hospital Closer to Reality
A new Veterans Affairs hospital in Aurora is a presidential signature away from reality after Congress passed legislation Friday that provided the green light and $98 million for the project. The bill, shepherded through Congress by Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., authorizes $52 million in federal funding and another $46 million in "reprogrammed" money from previous Department of Veterans Affairs budgets. The new 1.4 million-square-foot hospital will be adjacent to the Fitzsimons campus in Aurora, and will replace the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Denver.
Health Sciences Center Cites Impact, Seeks More State Funds
Armed with a new study on its economic impact, the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center is gearing up to ask state lawmakers to restore $24.4 million in cuts they made in lean budget years. CU argues it's a good investment and worth the additional funding, which it wants lawmakers to phases in over three years, starting in 2007. (Read UCDHSC Chancellor M. Roy Wilson’s Denver Post opinion piece on this issue here.)
Plans Under Way for School Focused on Public Health
Three Colorado universities are working to open a joint school of public health in 2008, and project backers are busy raising money and seeking the necessary government approvals. The universities say the school is designed to put the state at the forefront on such public health issues as biosecurity, infectious disease, health education and administering public health programs in communities.
People
CU Names New VP for Academic Affairs and Research
University of Colorado President Hank Brown, in accordance with the Board of Regents, named Michael Poliakoff, Ph.D., as the system administration’s vice president for academic affairs and research, effective Jan. 29, 2007. The VPAAR position is responsible for the development and updating of systemwide administrative policy for academic affairs and research. In addition, the position promotes the university’s systemwide collaborations on teaching, research, creative work, technology transfer and public service.
Rick Silva to be Interim Director of Fitzsimons Business Incubator
Starting January 2007, Rick Silva, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Technology Transfer for UCDHSC will serve on a part-time basis as the interim Director of the Fitzsimons BioBusiness Incubator until a permanent director is identified. Previous FBBi Director David Drake recently left to pursue other opportunities. Rick will continue his work with the TTO on a part-time basis as well.
Gov-Elect Ritter Appoints Biotech Veteran Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Initiatives
Governor-Elect Bill Ritter on Demeber 11 announced two new staff additions, including Kenneth C. Weil as deputy chief of staff for policy and initiatives. Mr. Weil served as co-chair of the Ritter for Governor campaign, overseeing the policy team and chairing the finance committee. Previously he was the founder and president of Rose Biomedical Research and Rose Biomedical Development Corporation.
CU Researcher Wins Innovation Award for Automated DNA Synthesis
Marvin Caruthers, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder, was awarded The Economist’s Innovation Award in Bioscience for the development of automated DNA synthesis – in essence, the ability to “print out” arbitrary strands of genetic material.
Replidyne Names Key Personnel
CU spin-off Replidyne Inc. on November 15 appointed J.C. Lee as vice president of manufacturing and Sabrina B. Oei as director of investor and public relations. Lee possesses more than 20 years of experience, including stints with Roche Bioscence/Syntex and Cellegy Pharmaceuticals. Oei previously managed global communications for Roche Pharmaceuticals' licensing and business development department, Pharma Partnering, based in Basel, Switzerland.
CU-Boulder Faculty Inventors Elected AAAS Fellows For 2006
Three University of Colorado at Boulder faculty members have been elected fellows of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science for 2006. The AAAS fellows are Professor Kristi Anseth of the chemical and biological engineering department, for her innovative materials science research, Professor Daniel Baker, director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, for research and leadership in solar-terrestrial physics, and Deborah Jin, a fellow of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and adjoint professor in CU-Boulder's physics department, for advances in the study of quantum gases.
UCDHSC Physician and Inventor Wins International Award for Diabetes Work
George Eisenbarth, MD, PhD, executive director of the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, was recognized November 18 at the Sorbonne in Paris for his accomplishments in medical research concerning childhood diabetes. In his early work, Eisenbarth and colleagues discovered that type 1 diabetes was a chronic autoimmune illness. He proposed the now standard model of type 1 diabetes, which recognizes a genetic predisposition for the disease and a predictable series of stages that it follows.
ULEHI Board Member and CEO of Small Software Firm Reveals How She Lands Deals with Denver’s Fortune 500
Many local executives complain that it's nearly impossible to do business with the Denver area's few Fortune 500 companies. But Barbara Mowry, CEO of Westminster-based Silver Creek Systems, apparently bucked the odds. Mowry, who was interviewed by the Denver Business Journal November 13, is a board member of CU’s University License Equity Holdings Inc. (ULEHI), which helps faculty entrepreneurs build companies from CU research.
ARCA Discovery Names Biotech Veteran as New CEO
ARCA Discovery, Inc., a privately-held CU spin-off company developing genetically-targeted therapies for heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases, announced November 6 that Richard B. Brewer has been appointed President and CEO. Mr. Brewer, a pioneer in the biotechnology industry with more than 30 years of experience successfully developing and commercializing drugs in heart diseases, will replace ARCA's founder, Michael Bristow, M.D., Ph.D. as President and CEO, and join the ARCA Board of Directors.
Do you know of a recent award, new position or transition of interest to the CU tech community? Please send information to TTOnews@cu.edu.
Spotlight On:
CU Boulder Technology of the Month:
CU1582B – A Novel Antibacterial Polymeric Coating for Orthopaedic Hardware: Synthesis and Application
UCDHSC Technology of the Month:
CU1256H – A New Global Assay of Coagulation and Fibrinolysis: The CloFAL Assay
CU Company of the Month:
Taligen Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company founded in March 2004 to develop and commercialize technology from the University of Colorado for the treatment of serious inflammatory disease. The Company employs innovative technologies to manipulate complement proteins of the immune system to inhibit inflammation and to target inhibitors of inflammation to specific sites of tissue injury. By targeting the complement system, Taligen's technology inhibits inflammation proximally, or upstream in the inflammatory cascade, such that blockade at a single step results in the down-regulation of multiple effector mechanisms. In August 2006 Taligen announced that it has successfully attained the development milestone required to trigger the funding of the second tranche of its Series A Preferred financing. The $3.75M Series A is led by Sanderling Ventures, Tango and High Country Venture. The milestone was demonstrated in vivo efficacy of its lead compound TA106.
Upcoming Events
Technology Transfer Fifth Annual Awards Event
January 24, 2007, 5:30 pm, Tivoli Brewery, Denver
The fifth annual TTO awards dinner will be held on January 24, 2007 at the historic Tivoli Turnhalle at CU’s downtown Denver campus. This event, sponsored by Faegre & Benson LLP, celebrates people and companies that are illustrative of the outstanding year experienced by technology transfer at CU. Speakers will include Dr. Michael Bristow and Dr. J. William Freytag, both of Myogen.
The Digital Broadband Migration: The Next Wave of Innovation
February 11 – 12, 2007, CU School of Law, Boulder
Although still in a formative stage of change, the future of telecommunications will be radically different than what the drafters of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 envisioned. This Conference will examine the emerging world of telecommunications, taking special care to evaluate the rhetoric and realities of convergence; network management, security, and interoperability; digital rights management; and the role of entrepreneurship and established firms in promoting innovation. Co-sponsored by the Association of Denver Telecommunications Professionals, the Federal Communications Bar Association, and the University of Colorado Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program. Info and registration online.
2007 Sustainable Opportunities Summit
February 28 – March 2, 2007, Sheraton Four Points Southeast, Denver
Innovators in large and small companies have discovered that the global movement in sustainability opens up ways to make money and boost shareholder value. New products, new services, and new ways of doing business all represent opportunities for savvy companies. Join industry leaders at the second annual Sustainable Opportunities Summit. Corporate leaders will learn from innovators about their business strategies to improve practices, capture new markets, and communicate their activities in sustainability. Entrepreneurs will hear from experts in a range of fields, from green building to clean technology to natural foods, about new business opportunities, and meet potential collaborators. Investors will learn about industry trends, cutting-edge technologies, and new business models. This event is part of EntrepreneurshipWeek USA, sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation.
Cleantech Innovation Challenge
March 1 – 2, 2007, Sheraton Four Points Southeast, Denver
The Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Center for Entrepreneurship is pleased to announce the Cleantech Innovation Challenge. The inaugural event held in 2006, the Sustainable Venturing Business Plan Competition, has been renamed the Cleantech Innovation Challenge. This international event is designed to be the premier student competition showcasing emerging opportunities in the cleantech sector. A minimum of $25,000 in prize money will be awarded to the winning teams. The top-ranked team with a clean energy technology business plan will be invited to present its business plan at the 20th annual National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Industry Growth Forum in Fall 2007. The NREL forum is widely recognized as the premier investor venue for the clean energy industry. Eligibility, registration and info available online.
To have your event featured here, please send an email to TTOnews@cu.edu.
Innovation in the News
Energy Learning Curve for Ritter
Colorado's energy industry is divided in its reaction to Bill Ritter's victory in the governor's race. Oil and gas companies are unsure of Ritter's next move. During his campaign, Ritter said he's open to raising severance taxes that companies pay on production - leading to concern among the industry players. On the other hand, the renewable industry will mainly benefit from Ritter's leadership on the issue, said Craig Cox of the Interwest Energy Alliance, which lobbies for the wind and solar energy industries.
YouTube for Test Tubes
Lights, camera, pipette... online journal aims to put science in pictures. The newly launched Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) strives to stamp out misunderstandings about how experiments are performed. The fledgling online journal, which started up this month, consists entirely of videos of scientists performing basic molecular-biology protocols.
U.S. Patent System Goes on Trial
In a case that hinges on the meaning of "obvious," at least one thing is obvious: the U.S. Supreme Court has grave doubts about one of the key criterion used to decide if an invention deserves a patent. The case of KSR International Co. vs. Teleflex Inc., argued November 28 in the Court, should provide an answer about what makes an invention obvious--and hence undeserving of a patent. And it won't be an outcome that makes everyone happy.
Maine Ponders Mega Investments for R&D, Tech
A Washington think tank's $1M study of Maine's economic outlook sees too much pessimism and lays out a blueprint for what it calls a "new prosperity." The 150-page report, which was conducted by the Brookings Institute for a nonprofit anti-sprawl group called GrowSmart Maine, recommends spending $390 million to revitalize towns, preserve open land and farms, support research and development and create clusters of same-sector businesses to offer Mainers more job choices.
Connecticut Takes a Lead in Stem-Cell Research Aid
Doling out $20 million to 21 research projects, Connecticut is moving faster and further than other states to take the most controversial form of stem-cell research, that involving tissue from human embryos, from the political arena to the laboratory. The money will flow beginning next year, and is just a start: the state has allocated $100 million over the next decade.
Penn State Invests $190 Million in New Materials Nano-Bio Research Complex
In the single largest investment in the school’s 150-year history, Penn State University is in the midst of planning for a new state-of-the-art research building complex that will feature a multidisciplinary approach to nano and biomaterial sciences.
External Resources
