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TTO's Learning Laboratory: The Student Connection
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TTO Welcomes Fall Interns
Kelli Brensdal is pursuing her JD at CU's School of Law, and is focusing on intellectual property law. She has a B.S. in chemistry from Carroll College in Helena, MT, as well as a M.S. in organic chemistry from CSU. Kelli is helping the Boulder team evaluate biological and chemical inventions, focusing on patentability analysis and aiding the inventors in obtaining intellectual property rights. Dustin Newberger is a sophomore business student at CU-Boulder. His areas of interest include Marketing, Management, and Information systems, as well as possibly attaining the international business certificate. Dustin is assisting the TTO marketing team in drafting press releases and marketing materials, as well as in researching markets for CU inventions.
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| Today at the TTO |
BioRelix Licenses CU Riboswitch Technology
The University of Colorado recently executed an exclusive license with BioRelix, Inc. for riboswitch technology developed by Robert Batey, CU-Boulder Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. BioRelix, founded in 2005 and based in New Haven, CT, was established to discover and develop novel and highly potent anti-infective compounds against pathogens resistant to currently available drugs. Riboswitches are short stretches of messenger RNAs that bind small metabolites and control genes required for the survival of many disease-causing bacteria; novel riboswitch technology may be used to defeat bacterial resistance to currently available antibiotics. BioRelix previously licensed jointly owned University of Colorado - Yale University riboswitch technology through a license with Yale, as well as another CU-owned riboswitch technology.
Taligen Options Four CU Technologies
Taligen Therapeutics, a company focused on autoimmune diseases and which has licensed a variety of technologies from the University of Colorado, recently optioned 4 technologies developed in the UC Denver labs of V. Michael Holers and Joshua Thurman. These technologies primarily relate to complement and bleeding disorders, viral infections like Epstein-Barr Virus, and the identification of new peptides and antibodies useful for the treatment thereof. Additionally, one of the optioned technologies utilizes knowledge gained in these studies to design novel imaging particles that can be used in real-time MRI imaging of clots and other bleeding disorders.
Electric Power Research Institute Licenses CU Hydrogen Sensor Technology
TTO recently executed an exclusive license agreement with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) sensors with improved selectivity for hydrogen. This technology, developed by Will Medlin of the University of Colorado at Boulder (with collaborators at Sandia National Laboratories), enables real-time hydrogen detection in various industrial settings (see U.S. Patent 7,340,938). Sublicenses are available from EPRI.
CU-Boulder Launches Cross-Campus New Venture Challenge
The CU New Venture Challenge (CU NVC) is a cross-campus collaboration of various centers and departments on campus consisting of a business plan/new venture challenge and supported by a year-long program of events. The events include introductory business workshops provided by the Deming Center, the Silicon Flatirons Center's entrepreneurial crash courses, a series of faculty seminars and panels hosted by the CU Technology Transfer Office, and other networking opportunities. The CU NVC is designed to encourage entrepreneurship at the University, facilitate collaboration across the various disciplines, and foster a supportive environment for the creation of viable startups to emerge from the University and surrounding community. The rules, requirements and lineup of events for the year are available on the CU NVC website (www.cunvc.org).
On November 6, the CU NVC will host a Pitch Day and Poster Session, an opportunity to present your ideas and search for partners to join you in your venture. At this evening event, individuals interested in promoting their technology or business ideas will have prepared a poster display and will have up to 2 minutes to announce their idea. Following the announcements (informal oral pitches), attendees have the opportunity to meet with the presenters and view their posters. Registration is required - please contact Jill Rennert for more information -- 303-492-0426 or jill.rennert@colorado.edu.
TTO Accepting Proposals for Renewable Energy Proof of Concept Grants
The CU TTO has set aside $200,000 to support Proof of Concept grants (POCg) of up to $50,000 to support the further development and validation of promising CU-Boulder renewable energy technologies. Proposals are sought in all areas related to the development of renewable and sustainable energy sources as well as efficient utilization of energy. The fall application deadline is Friday, October 24. Information about the Renewable Energy POCg program, selection criteria, application requirements, and the application form are available online; for questions, contact Kate Tallman, 303-492-5732.
Reminder: Deadline for State Matching Funds for Early Stage Bioscience Companies
The Early-Stage Bioscience Company Grant Program is one of the funding initiatives in the HB 1001 legislation, and is intended to accelerate the commercialization by Colorado start-up companies of bioscience technologies developed at research institutions in Colorado. The program provides for a 1:1 match of eligible company funds, up to a total grant amount of $250,000. To be eligible for a grant, a company must be an Early-Stage Bioscience Company as defined in the OEDIT Program Rules, have a license to commercialize bioscience technology from a Colorado research institution, and have secured at least a 1:1 match of the grant amount requested, sourced from other grants or third party investors. More information is available online, including a link to the Rules and Application and accompanying forms. The deadline for this application round is Sunday, November 30. | |
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CU Technology and Licensee Companies in the News |
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ARCA Biopharma to Merge with Nuvelo
CU licensee ARCA biopharma, Inc. is merging with Calif.-based Nuvelo, Inc., creating a larger, publicly traded company with a portfolio of experimental drugs designed to treat cardiovascular disorders, the companies announced in late September. The announcement comes two days after ARCA's application to the U.S. FDA for approval to sell its drug Gencaro (bucindolol hydrochloride), a heart-failure treatment, was accepted for review. The combined company will also continue the development of Nuvelo's NU172, a novel short-acting anticoagulant developed using CU's SELEX aptamer platform. The combined company will retain the ARCA Biopharma name and be based in Broomfield.
Greasing the Wheels of Innovation
The 3-year-old Boulder Innovation Center (BIC) works with startups and innovations from the University of Colorado and connects them with advisors - typically entrepreneurs and business professionals who have been through the ups and downs - to help get to that next stage. Recently, with a new executive director at the helm, the BIC is broadening its reach in order to have a greater impact on the entrepreneurial community it serves.
Biovitrum to Exclusively License Kineret® from Amgen
Biovitrum AB and Amgen announced today that they have entered into an agreement under which Biovitrum will obtain from Amgen a worldwide exclusive license to CU-developed Kineret® (anakinra) for its current approved indication, as well as obtaining two other marketed biologic therapeutic products from Amgen. The financial terms of the transaction include an upfront payment of approximately $130M.
Avigen Initiates Opioid Withdrawal Trial in Partnership With NIDA
In October Avigen, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for neurological care, announced the launch of an exploratory study of the company's pipeline product, AV411 (ibudilast), for the treatment of opioid withdrawal symptoms, an application licensed from CU. The study is largely funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Taiga Biotech Receives Second SBIR Grant
In September, CU licensee Taiga Biotechnologies, Inc.. received its second SBIR grant, from the Department of Health and Human Services, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The grant will be used to further develop the company's proprietary technology for generating cell based therapies for the treatment of human disease.
UC Denver Breakthrough Could Help Heal Spinal Cord Injuries Without Pain
Researchers at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine led by associate professor of neurosurgery Stephen Davies say manipulating embryo-derived stem cells prior to transplanting them holds the key to using stem cell technologies for repairing spinal cord injuries in humans, a discovery published in the September 2008 Journal of Biology. The end result of this research, Davies hopes, will be a fast, relatively pain-free spinal cord recovery process that paves the way for victims of paralysis to recover the use of their bodies. CU and NIST Scientists Create First Dense Gas of Ultracold 'Polar' Molecules
Scientists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder, have applied their expertise in ultracold atoms and lasers to produce the first high-density gas of ultracold molecules-two different atoms bonded together-that are both stable and capable of strong interactions. The long-sought milestone in physics has potential applications in quantum computing, precision measurement and designer chemistry. |
| People |
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Bush Picks CU-Boulder Chancellor for National Science Board
President George W. Bush has nominated University of Colorado Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson to serve on the National Science Board, an independent group of advisers to both the President and Congress on broad national policy issues related to science and engineering research and education. It's also an oversight body for the National Science Foundation. Peterson is among seven scientists nationwide to be nominated by the president; the nominations are now awaiting confirmation from the U.S. Senate.
UC Denver's Michael Bristow Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Heart Failure Society of America
Michael Bristow, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine and co-director of the Colorado Cardiovascular Institute at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine (and a co-founder of Myogen, Inc.), has been named the 2008 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Heart Failure Society of America, recognizing a lifetime body of work by an individual who has made a significant and sustained contribution to the field of heart failure.
CU-Boulder Professor Named One of Popular Science Magazine's 'Brilliant 10'
Popular Science magazine has named University of Colorado at Boulder chemical and biological engineering Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth as one of its "Brilliant 10" for 2008, honoring her as one of the nation's top young scientists in the November 2008 issue.
Fitzsimons BioBusiness Partners Finds Director
In early November, Dr. Michael Artinger will take the position of Director at Fitzsimons BioBusiness Partners (FBBp), a business development program of the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority dedicated to supporting and promoting the growth and success of early-stage bioscience businesses at the Colorado Science + Technology Park at Fitzsimons. Michael has extensive experience as a biotechnology entrepreneur, executive, and business development professional.
CU-Boulder Launches New Graduate Program in Optical Sensing and Imaging with NSF Grant
A new graduate program in computational optical sensing and imaging is being established at the University of Colorado at Boulder this fall with the awarding of a $3.2M million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation. The new industry-supported program will be directed by Rafael Piestun, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UCB.
CU-Boulder Professor Wins $900,000 Grant from NIH
University of Colorado at Boulder Assistant Professor Michael Stowell has received a three-year, $900,000 award from the National Institutes of Health for a unique research project targeting brain cell communication. The grant is part of the NIH's $42M Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration program (EUREKA) for innovative research projects potentially having an extraordinarily significant impact on many areas of science.
UC Cancer Center Researchers Win $599,999 Komen Grant
Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center (UCCC) led by UC Denver Professor of Pathology Steve Anderson have been awarded a $599,999 grant from the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure to investigate whether using a common diabetes drug can stop tumor growth in breast cancer.
UC Denver Cancer Researcher Receives $330,000 GrantSt. Baldrick's Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research, has awarded $330,000 over three years to fund Amy Keating, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the UC Denver School of Medicine, and her work researching pediatric astrocytoma. Part of a new funding program to further the research of promising young pediatric oncologists, these awards bridge the funding-gap between their fellowships and sources of funding available to more established researchers.
Series: Biotech in Colorado
In September, Startup Story Radio created a short series of podcasts on Colorado biotech:
David Allen, associate vice president of technology transfer at the University of Colorado, about the University of Colorado's role in the biotech industry in Colorado and the nation.
Bioscience Growth in Colorado
Chris Shapard, interim director of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) about BioWest and why biotech is thriving in Colorado.
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. |
| CU Resources |
CU-Boulder Energy Initiative Names New Leadership Council Members
The University of Colorado at Boulder's Energy Initiative, created in 2006 to help meet the world's sustainable and renewable energy needs, has announced a group of corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, advisers, scientists, policymakers and academics as members of its newly formed EI Leadership Council. Each private sector seat makes at least a $50,000 annual contribution to CU-Boulder's EI and a minimum two-year commitment to the council, Koval said. CU-Boulder plans to cap the EI private sector seats at 20, which will generate $1M annually for novel energy research on campus by funding seed grants in partnership with national laboratories. Colorado Springs Technology Incubator On a Growth Track
The Colorado Springs Technology Incubator (CSTI) has doubled the number of companies it hosts and expects to be at capacity by the end of next year, three years after moving to a building near the Colorado Springs Airport that boosted its space fivefold. The home for startup businesses has made other progress, too. It recently launched a network of wealthy individuals who invest in local startups, started a program to help entrepreneurs evaluate ideas for products or businesses, and signed an agreement to help turn technology developed at the Air Force Academy into marketable products. The incubator also has recently signed agreements to help turn technology developed at the academy into marketable products and to help the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office evaluate homeland-security technology. |
| Upcoming Events |
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2008 Colorado Bioneers Event
October 17-19, CU- Boulder
Bioneers is the preeminent international gathering of leading scientific innovators and environmental visionaries who offer practical solutions to the most pressing environmental and social issues of our time. The Colorado Bioneers companion event creates community opportunities for sharing, learning and action, and brings together the region's progressive ideas, people and organizations.
Entrepreneurs Unplugged
October 23, CU Engineering Center, Boulder
Ongoing networking event hosted by CU's Silicon Flatirons Center, providing faculty, students and community members with technical backgrounds the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship through the experiences of a successful local entrepreneur.
Homeland Defense Emerging Tech Day
October 27, Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs
This conference, sponsored by the Colorado Homeland Defense Alliance (CHDA), will feature presentations of technical papers and a presentation on "Bridging the Gap Between HS/HD Needs and Your Emerging Technology". Presentations from various government agencies will identify technology capabilities they have identified as high priority for Homeland Security/ Defense, and some ways to pursue business opportunities with them to mature these emerging technologies. For more information, contact Roger Neeland.
October 28, CU-Boulder
Hosted by the CU-Boulder IEEE, this meeting features short presentations from several people with a wide range of experience in power electronics and related fields, about what has worked - and not worked - in their professional careers.
21st NREL Industry Growth Forum
October 28-30, Denver
The upcoming 21st NREL Industry Growth Forum brings together the key players in the clean energy investment and entrepreneurial community. This year's event will highlight the investment and financing strategies that are driving the commercialization of quality renewable energy technologies. Details and registration online.
Panel Discussion: Do We Need a "Manhattan Project" To Solve the Energy/Climate Problem?
October 30, CU-Boulder
Addressing climate change will require dramatic reductions in anthropogenic carbon emissions. Will greater use of today's energy technologies take us to climate stabilization, or do we need a large-scale investment in new energy research and development on the order of the Manhattan Project? Panel discussion.
October 30, CU-Boulder
Hosted by the CU-Boulder IEEE, this talk will feature a presentation from Dragan Maksimovic, professor of electrical and computer engineering and co-director of CU's Colorado Power Electronics Center ( CoPEC).
Boulder/Denver New Technology Meetup Group
November 4, CU- Boulder
This ongoing event provides a forum for technologists and entrepreneurs to showcase the new (especially web-based) technology developing in Boulder/Denver tech community. Five companies have five minutes each to demonstrate their new technology, followed by five minutes for Q&A from the audience.
CU New Venture Challenge Pitch Day/Poster Session
November 6, CU-Boulder
The pitch day/poster session event is an opportunity to present your ideas and search for partners to join you in the CU New Venture Challenge. Individuals interested in promoting their technology or business ideas will have prepared a poster display and will have up to 2 minutes to announce their idea. Following these informal oral pitches, attendees have the opportunity to meet with the presenters and view their posters. For more info, please contact Jill Rennert, 303-492-0426.
CU New Venture Challenge Crash Course: Growing a Startup Amid Economic Turmoil
November 12, CU-Boulder
As part of its initiative to further information technology related-innovation and galvanize entrepreneurship in the region, the Silicon Flatirons Center is offering a Crash Course Series for Entrepreneurs to the outside community and students and faculty. This series provides focused discussion on legal and business topics that entrepreneurs will confront when launching new ventures - part of the CU New Venture Challenge.
Colorado Green Tech Meetup
November 13, CU-Boulder
An ongoing event to support eco-entrepreneurs and others people involved and/or interested in green tech: energy generation, transportation, construction, and efficiency technologies. Businesses and researchers present new technologies, and attendees may announce business news, job openings, fundings, etc.
2008 BioWest Conference
November 13-14, Grant Hyatt, Denver
Hosted by the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), this conference brings together bioscience executives from around the region. The conference program features keynote addresses and panel discussions, along with a venture competition. Full agenda and registration online.
Energy Initiative Research Symposium and Seed Grant Competition
November 17, CU-Boulder
The CU-Boulder Energy Initiative will host this research symposium, in which faculty, research associates, graduate students and scientists display research projects and ideas for tackling energy and related climate change or sustainability issues. Participants can learn about related research interests and expertise on the CU Campuses and at local federal laboratories, and a seed grant competition with awards up to $50,000 will be held following the symposium. Details and registration online.
Angel Capital Summit
November 21, Marriott City Center, Denver
Hosted by the Rockies Venture Club, the Angel Capital Summit provides the best forum between San Francisco and Chicago for investors and entrepreneurs to find each other. Forty entrepreneurs will present their businesses to hundreds of investors over the course of the day.
To have your event featured here, please send an email to TTOnews@cu.edu. |
| Innovation in the News |
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Universities That Turn Research Into Revenue
The economics of academic research changed back in 1980 when the U.S. Congress passed the Bayh-Dole Act, allowing universities to cash in on campus brainiacs. For the smartest of the bunch, those revenue streams mean big money. This Forbes article ranks the top 15 tech transfer offices in terms of rate-of-return on research funding.
Patient Power
The CF Foundation was the first patient charity to do something radical: pay for drugs to be invented and tested in people. Inspired by the CFF's success, patient groups with an entrepreneurial bent have become the drug industry's new power brokers.
New Study: States Must Harness Research of All Institutions
In a recent Higher Education Policy Brief, Tapping State College Research and Development Capacity in Support of State Economic Development (PDF), Daniel Hurley, director of state relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, advocates that the research and innovation capacity of all public colleges and universities be harnessed as states boost efforts to fund and stimulate research as part of an integrated economic development strategy.
New NIH Policy to Fund Meritorious Science Earlier
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a new policy in early October that aims to enhance success rates of new and resubmitted applications by decreasing the number of allowed grant application resubmissions from two to one. This policy is a part of a continuing series of changes to the NIH peer review system following an in depth review and a year long self-assessment that concluded in June 2008.
Roundup: University, Community, State, National and International Initiatives
Texas University Center Launches Biotech Park Project
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas is building a 13-acre biotech park in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The BioCenter at Southwestern Medical District aims to help researchers and entrepreneurs commercialize their biotech-related innovations.
UW Launches 'Dorm-cubator' for Student Entrepreneurs
The University of Waterloo is launching the world's first student residence designed to enable budding entrepreneurs to work with like-minded colleagues on mobile communications and digital media. The students come from the school of arts, engineering, mathematics and science, and will form project teams paired with an industry mentor to help them create effective technical and business strategies.
North Carolina Research Campus Attracts Biomanufacturing Park
Castle & Cooke North Carolina intends to close land agreements within 18 months for a biomanufacturing park set to be built near the North Carolina Research Campus. The park is expected to house drug or bioproduction firms that could benefit from NCRC's research efforts. |
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| External Resources |
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Report: Comparing the Presidential Candidates' Technology and Innovation Policies
This 18-page policy brief from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation compares and assesses the candidates' technology and innovation policies across a number of specific issues areas, including: taxes, R&D funding, education and workforce development, trade, patent and intellectual property, and energy and the environment. (See also: ScienceDebate 2008.)
Where Do Innovations Come From?
The authors of a recent ITIF report, Transformations in the U.S. National Innovation System, 1970-2006 (PDF), analyzed a sample of innovations recognized by R&D Magazine as being among the top 100 innovations of the year over the last four decades, and found that while in the 1970s almost all winners came from corporations acting on their own, more recently over two-thirds of the winners have come from partnerships involving business and government, including federal labs and federally-funded university research.
Why Clean Tech Is Taking Biotech's Shine
It's simple: Alternative energy is where the venture capital is these days. Plus, the skill sets are similar, and researchers are making the jump.
Integrating the Intellectual Property Value Chain
Building an IP portfolio can be a large expense for a young company operating on limited investment capital. Because of the crucial role of IP in a company's potential value, companies need to ensure that their investment in IP will yield a strategically targeted IP portfolio.
Top 10 Mistakes Biotechs Make (and How to Avoid Them)
As biotechs navigate the always-tricky drug development and approval world, mistakes are inevitable. From IP to marketing, there are endless ways a small, inexperienced company can run into problems. At the very least, these errors cost time and money; at worst, they can lead to the demise of a promising drug or even an entire company. |
| Parting Quote |
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"We must ensure that our research is addressing our national needs and taking advantage of new areas of opportunities and that the results of this research can enter the marketplace. We must also ensure that basic research money is allocated to the best science based on quality and peer review, not politics and earmarks. I am committed to reinvigorating America's commitment to basic research, and will ensure my administration funds research activities accordingly."
-2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain
"I believe that continued investment in fundamental research is essential for ensuring healthier lives, better sources of energy, superior military capacity, and high-wage jobs for our nation's future. As president, I will increase funding for basic research in physical and life sciences, mathematics, and engineering at a rate that would double basic research budgets over the next decade."
-2008 Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama | |
