CU-Boulder Technology of the Month:

CU1407B - MRDI: A Diagnostic Tool and Potential Therapeutic Target for Inhibition of Metastatic Cancer Progression

UC Denver Technology of the Month:

CU1270H - Improved Treatment of Inflammatory Lung Injuries by Inhibition of Urokinase

TechoShark Licenses CU Technology for Mobile Social Networking
The University of Colorado and TechoShark, Inc. recently executed an exclusive licensing agreement to develop and commercialize technology enabling mobile, location-aware social networking. The technology underlying hoozat, the iPhone application recently launched by TechoShark, was developed in the lab of Richard Han, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Available for download in the iPhone App Store, hoozat interacts with Facebook to allow users to both connect with friends and meet and learn about new people in real-time based on location. In January 2009 the company won a six-month, $100,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Science Foundation to develop the technology platform into a preference-aware mobile application linking a user's location with coupons from local stores and restaurants.

Biotricity Medical Options CU Bioelectric Power Technology
The University of Colorado and Biotricity Medical Inc. recently executed an option agreement allowing Biotricity Medical to develop technology for implantable biogenerators. These biogenerators provide a long-term (potentially inexhaustible) power supply to implanted medical devices such as pacemakers and insulin pumps, removing the need for repeated power replacement operations. The underlying technology was developed in the lab of Dr. Simon Rock Levinson, a professor of physiology and biophysics at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.

Snoasis Licenses CU Advanced Wound Healing Technology
Current growth factor products, which help speed wound healing and improve outcomes, cost between $200 and $2,500 per dose; when used in dental applications. A less expensive option, which requires drawing blood from the patient, is the use of autologous blood derived growth factors; costing between $150 and $400. Colorado-based Snoasis Medical has completed an agreement with the University of Colorado for the world-wide, exclusive dental rights to human platelet morphogen (HPM); a new growth factor solution (invented by Dr. Mark Roedersheimer, assistant research professor at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine) expected to be distributed at a fraction of the cost.

CU Receives Record $711M in Sponsored Research Funding in 2008-09
University of Colorado researchers across four campuses received more than $711M in sponsored research funding in fiscal year 2008-09, a record high that reaffirms CU's position as one of the top public research universities in the United States. Total sponsored research dollars received by CU's four campuses in 2008-09 exceeds the record-setting $661M the CU system received in fiscal year 2007-08, according to preliminary data provided by the university's institutional research officials. In fiscal year 2008-09 the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus together received more than $363M in sponsored research funding; the University of Colorado at Boulder received nearly $340M; and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs received nearly $8.7M.

TTO Initiates Second Licensing Associate Search
The CU Technology Transfer Office is seeking a Life Sciences Licensing Associate for its Anschutz Medical Campus office (Aurora, CO). The Licensing Associate has responsibility for the management and administration of a portfolio of intellectual property, which involves identifying, soliciting, and evaluating invention disclosures for patent and market potential, prioritizing investments in the portfolio, and negotiating and administering option and license agreements. Please review the full requirements - to apply, visit www.jobsatcu.com (posting #807777).

Archemix, miRagen Team on Therapeutics
CU licensee Archemix Corp. reports it is collaborating with miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., a Colorado-based biopharmaceutical company and another CU licensee, to develop therapies based on aptamers and microRNA. The deal includes an exclusive option for miRagen to negotiate for exclusive rights to further develop and commercialize certain aptamer-microRNA therapeutics coming out of the collaboration. (See also: Archemix, Dicerna Sign Agreement To Develop Aptamer-Dicer RNAi Drugs)

Viral Genetics Forms Anticancer Subsidiary to Exploit Metabolic Disruption Technology
CU licensee Viral Genetics is setting up a wholly owned subsidiary, MetaCytoLytics, to further develop an anticancer approach known as metabolic disruption technology (MDT) based on work by M. Karen Newell, professor of biology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. The company says that this will allow it to focus on its core autoimmune disease projects and primary immune therapy program against HIV.

UC Denver Researcher Receives $650,000 for Breast Cancer Research
Kate Horwitz, a breast cancer researcher at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and distinguished professor of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, has received $650,000 from the Avon Foundation for Women in support of her breast cancer outreach and research programs.

Ritter Picks GOP Lawmaker Marostica as Colorado Economic Development Chief
In late July Gov. Bill Ritter announced the appointment of former Republican state representative Don Marostica as Colorado's economic development director, where he replaces Don Elliman, whom Ritter appointed last month to the newly created position of Colorado's chief operating officer. As executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Marostica will oversee areas that have been key to Ritter's job-creation policies.

Boulder Summer MBA Interns:
 
Lindsay Holden is a second year MBA student at the CU-Boulder Leeds School of Business, with a focus in Sustainability and Entrepreneurship. She joined the TTO team in March as an intellectual property analyst. Lindsay also works with TTO and the Boulder Innovation Center (BIC) to assist two technology start-ups with product management, market analysis, and patent strategy.  Lindsay has a dual B.S. degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from CU-Boulder. Before attending Leeds she worked in environmental remediation. Lindsay hopes to continue to work in technology commercialization after completing her MBA.
 
Lauren Roberts is a second year law student at the University of Colorado, and began working with TTO at the end of May. Lauren works on a wide variety of projects, but the two largest ongoing projects she is assigned to are reviewing financial compliance of licensees and editing a guidebook for faculty-inventors at the University who wish to start their own companies using their technology. Lauren received a B.A. in history from New York University, but is a Boulder native.

CBSA BioBreakfast
August 19, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora
Both the University of Colorado and Colorado State University are enhancing their bioscience research and engaging in new endeavors to facilitate this growth. The August BioBreakfast will showcase two of these endeavors. Speakers: Mark Forsyth, CEO of the Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative, and Dr. Leslie Leinwand, Professor at CU-Boulder and Director of the Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology (CIMB).

2009 Colorado Renewable Energy Conference: Pathways to a Low-Carbon Footprint

August 28-30, Colorado School of Mines, Golden

This conference, hosted by the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES), will feature discussions and presentations on policy, transportation, photo-voltaics, wind power, biofuels, and more.

Colorado Alternative Energy: A Workshop on Opportunities

August 29, CU-Boulder

This fall`s event will spotlight the economic and employment growth areas surrounding alternative energy and the new energy economy.  Five speakers will present their organizations' efforts to promote alternative energy business, including representatives from the Governor's Energy Office.

Toy and Game Designers' Workshop

August 29, CU-Colorado Springs

The 2^nd annual Toy and Game Designers' Workshop hosted by UCCS will be held on August 29, 2009 at the Upper Lodge on the UCCS campus.  Workshop participants will hear presentations on topics ranging from concept generation and evaluation to attributes of good games and trade shows to protecting ideas as well as presentations on prototyping, working with an agent, marketing, and video game creation. Sponsored by the UCCS El Pomar Institute for Innovation and Commercialization (EPIIC).

Colorado Bioscience Business Roundtable
September 1, Denver Athletic Club, Denver

The Bioscience Business Roundtable (BBR) is a unified voice of leaders representing the biotechnology, life sciences, and biomedical research industries. This program has been designed to build bridges of understanding between government leaders, the business community and academia to promote three tenets: access to medical care, prevention of illness and the encouragement of innovation.

Boulder/Denver New Technology Meetup Group
September 1, 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.

Modern Energy Investor Forum

September 9-12, Westin Tabor Center, Denver

The Modern Energy Investor Forum is the foremost investor meeting in North America for Modern Energy. It brings together the pioneers of the Modern Energy sector with investors and analysts from around the world. This is a cost-effective and time-effective opportunity for companies and investors to meet and build relationships with each other.

Colorado Green Tech Meetup

September 10, 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.

Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference

September 17, Ritz Carlton, Denver

See the future of healthcare-and your role in shaping it-at the Rocky Mountain region's first and only life science investor conference. Hosted by the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), this event brings together leading investors, emerging companies and senior executives to cultivate partnerships within our industry.

TTO Faculty Seminar: Commercializing Renewable Energy Technologies

September 17, Engineering Center (Discovery Learning Center), CU-Boulder

Co-hosted with the CU-Boulder Renewable and Sustainable Energy Initiative (RASEI), this event will present industry and faculty perspectives on commercialization of renewable/sustainable energy technologies, as well as provide information on resources available to CU investigators working in these areas. Speakers will include a CU-Boulder faculty member and a perspective from the VC community, as well as RASEI Entrepreneurship and Business Development Director Trent Yang. This lunch seminar is free and open to CU faculty from all campuses - please RSVP via email.

Save the Date: ESPRIT Innovation Alliance Breakfast

October 6, Millennium Hotel, Boulder

As part of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce ESPRIT Entrepreneur celebration, TTO will host this event showcasing CU innovations at all stages of development, from lab to startup to successful company. Following these short presentations, there will be an opportunity to mingle with the researchers and entrepreneurs, as well as with TTO staff and other members of the CU innovation community. Details, agenda and registration will be available online after September 7.

Dean's Blog: New Perspectives
Leeds School of Business Dean Dennis Ahlburg discusses trends in business education and research.

Wind Research Center Launched in Boulder
Gov. Bill Ritter was in Boulder in mid-August to help launch a new wind research center that combines the expertise of people from labs, private industries and universities from the Front Range. "We're developing something here that's different," Ritter told a room full of researchers at the University of Colorado. "I believe that we're the best research corridor on renewable-energy research in the world." The Center for Research and Education in Wind (CREW), which kicked off its inaugural symposium August 14, is the third center created by the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory (CREC). The first, called the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2), works on creating better feedstocks for biofuels - like using switchgrass instead of corn - and making the refining process more efficient. The second, the Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion (CRSP), strives to push the limits of solar technology, working on techniques such as artificial photosynthesis.

Colorado Cleantech Trade Group Launches
The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA), formed to lead and catalyze the renewable-energy industry at the heart of Colorado's New Energy Economy, is now off the drawing board with more than 80 members and strong support from the Governor's Energy Office, the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

PhysOrg ranks Colorado 2^nd for Cleantech
In June, PhysOrg provided a list of the top five cities that offer opportunities for cleantech companies hunting for a home base, with Denver ranked 2^nd. (View the full report.)

Cleantech Incubator Forms in Denver
CleanLaunch, a new Denver-based clean-tech startup incubator, is the legacy of a group of technology incubators that began in 1989 with the launch of the Boulder Technology Incubator (BTI), and later became CTEK Venture Centers. The incubator will serve entrepreneurs developing clean technologies.

Colorado Ranks High in Patent Production as Innovation Flourishes
Last year, the state ranked 11th per capita for patent production at 1,848, owing its creative energy to a diverse corporate sector boasting innovators with Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies, among others. It also can credit self-motivated homemakers and retirees who have proved that necessity and annoyance are powerful mothers of invention.

Recommended Reading: Government Accountability Office's July Report
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released its July 2009 Report to Congressional Committees, "Information on the Government's Right to Assert Ownership Control over Federally Funded Inventions." The full report is available here.

Roundup: University, Community, State, National and International Initiatives

Oregon Innovation Efforts to Continue with Reduced Funding
The legislature approved a budget agreement for the 2009-11 biennium last month, preserving partial funding for Oregon innovation efforts and passing legislation aimed at green job creation.

VCs Hammer Entrepreneurs as Dreaded "Down Rounds" Surge
Venture capitalists have tightened the screws on entrepreneurs, scooping up much larger chunks of ownership of companies in return for investments.

Playing to Win: Business Plan Competitions
Business plan competitions can earn you more than a plaque for the wall and a pat on the back - they can provide start-up money, experience and the attention your idea needs to get off the ground.