TTO logo 2011
TTO Monthly Newsletter

April 2011 - Vol 7, Issue 9   

What's Inside
Tech Spotlight
Today at the TTO
CU Technology in the News
People
CU Resources
The Student Connection
Upcoming Events
Innovation in the News
External Resources
Parting Quote
Links

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Spotlight On:

Biotechnology of the Month:

  

Biomarkers Predicting Response to Schizophrenia Treatment  

 

Physical Sciences Technology of the Month:

 

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Preparation of Noble Metal Catalysts  

Recently at the TTO

OPXBIO, Dow Chemical Team to Develop Bioacrylic

CU licensee OPX Biotechnologies Inc. has partnered with Dow Chemical Co. in an effort that could result in the industrial-scale production and eventual commercialization of acrylic products made from corn and cane sugar. OPX signed a joint development agreement with Dow to prove the technical and economic viability of an industrial-scale process to produce acrylic acid from a fermentable sugar feedstock and have the resulting product have equal performance qualities to that of petroleum-based acrylic acid.

 

BioSIPs: A Conversation with Julee Herdt and Kellen Schauermann

Making a major leap from research and development to green building material and commercialization of a product, CU professor Julee Herdt and former CU grad student Kellen Schauermann are innovators in developing cleaner, stronger, healthier ways to construct buildings. Herdt and Schauermann currently have the first BioSIP prototype building construction underway with a team of CU grads and students, and have founded BioSIPs Inc., a green building material design and architecture firm.

 

BDEGP Early Stage Company Grant Awards Announced

BioAMPS International, Mosaic Biosciences, 2CTech and SuviCa (all companies based on technology developed at CU) recently received funding from Colorado's Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program. The company grant program (BDEG-Co), launched in 2007 by the State of Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), provides early-stage matching "seed" grants to enable the development and commercial validation of promising technologies that are licensed from Colorado research institutions by Colorado based start-up companies.

CU Technology and Licensee Companies in the News

FDA Expands Indication for Zostavax to Include Adults Ages 50-59

Merck announced in March that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an expanded age indication for Zostavax for the prevention of herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, in adults 50 years of age and older. In a large clinical study, Zostavax significantly reduced the risk of developing shingles by nearly 70 percent in adults ages 50 to 59, compared with placebo. Zostavax is the only shingles vaccine licensed for use in the U.S., and was developed by Myron Levin of the CU School of Medicine in a collaboration with Merck dating back to the early 1990's, including clinical trials conducted at the University of Colorado Hospital.

 

Boulder's miRagen Moving Forward on MicroRNAs

CU licensee miRagen Therapeutics was founded four years ago by some of the top researchers in the biotech and RNA fields including Michael Bristow, co-director of the University of Colorado Cardiovascular Institute in Denver; Marvin Caruthers, a co-founder of biotech giant Amgen; and Eric Olson, founder of the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

 

BiOptix Raises $9M in VC

Instrumentation firm BiOptix Diagnostics Inc. (founded based on technology from CU-Boulder) has raised $9 million to market its products and to establish a subsidiary in Russia to make disposable bionanosensors. The Russian Corporation for Nanotechnologies, or RUSNANO, invested in the Boulder-based company, along with Boulder Ventures Ltd., the Peierls Foundation and other private investors. miRagen specializes in therapeutics based on microRNAs, small ribonucleic acid molecules.

 

ARCA Plans $3M Stock Sale
CU licensee ARCA biopharma Inc. is selling $3M in stock to finance new heart-disease research. Broomfield-based ARCA plans to sell 1.68 million shares of stock and warrants directly to institutional investors. The offering is to close on or before Thursday, April 21. ARCA makes genetically targeted therapies for atrial fibrillation, heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.  

 

EndoShape Announces Series B Financing

CU licensee EndoShape, Inc. recently announced the close of its Series B financing. Volcano Capital and High Country Venture participated in the financing.  ESI will use these funds to develop medical devices based on its novel Shape Memory Polymer (SMP). ESI licensed the SMP technology from the University of Colorado.

 

CU Team Identifies New Colon Cancer Marker

A research team led by University of Colorado Cancer Center investigator Vasilis Vasiliou has identified an enzyme that could be used to diagnose colon cancer earlier. It is possible that this enzyme also could be a key to stopping the cancer.

 

Target For Lung Cancer Chemoprevention Identified at CU

A research team led by Paul Bunn, an endowed professor of cancer research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, has identified a biomarker for measuring the success of lung cancer chemoprevention, an emerging frontier in the fight against this disease that has long been stymied by a lack of measureable outcomes.

 

Silibinin Prevents Lung Cancer in Mice, According to Highlighted CU Study

Silibinin, a milk thistle extract, decreases tumor size in mice by inhibiting production of an enzyme that is overexpressed in certain types of lung cancer, researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center have found. The study will be the featured highlight in the Feb. 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a prestigious cancer journal. Rajesh Agarwal, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the CU School of Pharmacy, led the study.

People

CBSA Names Steve Orndorff Board Chair, Four New Board Members

The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) announced Steve Orndorff, President & CEO of Ariel Pharmaceuticals, as the new chairperson of the board of directors.  Orndorff assumes chairperson responsibilities from Rick Jory, Sandhill Scientific, Inc.  In other action, four new members were named to the CBSA board of directors.

 

CU-Boulder Professor Carl Lineberger to Serve on National Science Board

CU-Boulder's Distinguished Professor Carl Lineberger will have new responsibilities now that he has been nominated by President Obama to serve on the National Science Board. Duties of the Board include policy establishment for the National Science Foundation and science and engineering advisement to the President and to Congress. Professor Lineberger, a fellow of JILA (a joint institute of CU-Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology), is the third CU-Boulder faculty member to be appointed or nominated by the White House.

 

Colorado Researcher Honored for Work in Solar Energy

Arthur Nozik, a professor (adjoint) of chemistry and biochemistry at CU-Boulder and a research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will receive the Gustavus John Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest from the American Chemical Society's Northeastern Section at Harvard University April 14. He and his colleagues have identified processes in solar cells that could increase solar conversion efficiency by using more of the sun's energy to produce electricity or fuel. Federal energy officials say Nozik and fellow researchers at the university have reported a breakthrough that could lead to a 35% increase in the light-harvesting yield in solar cells and fuels.

 

Do you know of a recent award, new position or transition of interest to the CU tech community? Please send information to [email protected].

CU Resources

Federal Labs Gave Colorado Economy $1.5B Boost 

Colorado's federal labs contributed $1.5 billion to the state's economy and accounted for more than 16,000 direct and indirect jobs during the 2010 fiscal year, according to a study released March 31. The study, "Impact of Federal Research Laboratories in Colorado, 2009-2010," (PDF) was done at the behest of CO-LABS, a consortium of federally funded scientific laboratories, universities, businesses, local governments and community leaders. There are 24 federal labs in Colorado, ranging from large institutions such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to smaller organizations such as the Bureau of Reclamation Technical Services Center and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere.

 

UCCS Creates Entrepreneurship Minor 

Tom Duening, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and El Pomar Chair of Business and Entrepreneurship at CU-Colorado Springs, will lead a new program at the College of Business that will offer a minor in entrepreneurship. The new minor can be paired with any UCCS major and includes core business courses as well as courses specific to the development of entrepreneurs. The program will begin in fall 2011.

TTO's Learning Laboratory: The Student Connection

Rachel Ward, MBA Biotech Intern

Rachel is a first-year MBA candidate at CU-Boulder with concentrations in entrepreneurship and finance. She joined TTO's Anschutz Medical Campus team in September 2010; Rachel conducts detailed research in support of medical applications awaiting the TTO's approval for pursuing the patenting process. Prior to joining the Leeds School of Business, Rachel worked primarily in the medical device industry; as an employee of Boston Scientific, she helped lead a team of engineers in a non-conforming material remediation project. Rachel graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Miami.

 

Student Assistant Needed: Marketing/Communications

TTO is seeking a Marketing and Communications Student Assistant to help conduct market research on new technologies emerging from CU research, as well as drafting marketing materials and PR documents and communicating with high-tech companies to help bring CU inventions to market. A science/technical background is NOT required, but good writing and research skills are vital. Available starting April/May 2011, continuing into the 2011-12 school year. Applicants must be continuing CU students. To apply, email resume and cover letter to Lindsay Lennox.   


Upcoming Events

2011 Silicon Flatirons Annual Mile High Tech Entrepreneurship Conference: Going International 

April 22, CU-Boulder

2011 Silicon Flatirons Annual Mile High Tech Entrepreneurship Conference, Going International, will focus upon international-oriented issues facing a high-growth technology companies. Panels will focus on software-oriented high tech entrepreneurial activity in Europe, Brazil, China, and India; how offensive and defensive international considerations are germane to an emerging company's early planning; international opportunities that a business in the Front Range may use to help develop a product or take advantage of non-core services.

 

RETool: Session IV - The Promise of Energy Efficiency 

April 22, CU-Boulder

An intensive, four-day certificate program offered by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at CU-Boulder that provides an in-depth look at renewable energy technologies and policies. Participants may take all four courses to earn a RETool Renewable Energy Certificate, or may take courses individually.

 

CBSA Scientific Series: Personalized Medicine 

April 28, Scientific Education and Research Institute, Thornton

Hosted by the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), this program offers expertise in the field of personalize medicine with presentations by Larry Gold of CU licensee SomaLogic, David Brunel of Biodesix and Fred Mitchell of Beacon Biotechnology.

 

Boulder/Denver New Technology Meetup Group 

May 3, 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.

 

CCIA Panel: Exit Strategies 

May 11, HRO, Denver

Planning for the future ensures success today. Please join HRO, DeIoitte, and the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) as they host an overview and panel discussion on IPO and M&A exit strategies for venture-backed, cleantech and other private companies.

 

GoldLab Symposium 2011 

May 13-14, CU-Boulder

Topics to be discussed include the evolving nature of important acute diseases toward more chronic presentation, some recent appreciation of the nature of our genomes and phenotypic expression, healthcare delivery throughout the world, and the large healthcare components - including patients - that comprise this huge system.

 

Future Leaders of Research Event (Call for Sponsors) 

June 15, CU-Boulder

The inaugural CU-Boulder Future Leaders of Research Event brings together academia, industry, and government to offer a unique window into ground-breaking research at The University of Colorado and associated Federal institutions. Currently seeking posters and sponsors at all levels - click here for sponsorship info or here for info about submitting a research abstract.

 

Save the Date: 10th Annual Bard Center for Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition 

June 16, Hilton Garden Inn, Denver

The first Bard Center Business Plan Competition was held in 2002 and the event has been growing ever since. Over the past decade the contest has spawned hundreds of business plans, and winners and non-winners alike have implemented their plans and started successful enterprises.

 

To have your event featured here, please send an email to [email protected].
Innovation in the News

Colorado: Creating New Funding in a Post-recession Market

It's no secret that the pool of venture capital for Colorado startups has all but dried up since 2008. Unfortunately, there's no easy answer for Colorado entrepreneurs looking for funding to get their products to market. "We're working diligently to figure out other ways to help our companies," said Holli Baumunk, president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association. "We are exploring different options and different structures to determine what would work best for Colorado."

 

Boulder Innovation Center Reports Client Revenue Growth

While the funding environment remained somewhat murky in 2010, clients of the Boulder Innovation Center (BIC) recorded significant revenue last year, according to a report released by the local business incubator (PDF). The BIC assists Boulder-area startups in areas such as marketing, branding and business development, and also works to help create startups out of research developed at the University of Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines.

 

House Takes Up Patent Reform

In April House lawmakers took up a patent-reform bill that shifts the process to a first-to-file system and would allow the patent office to retain fees from filers. The moves are aimed at reducing a growing backlog of patent applications and spurring innovation. The bill, introduced by House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R., Texas) and dubbed the America Invents Act, is similar to legislation (PDF) passed overwhelming by the Senate in March. If approved, it would mark the first significant change in the nation's patent system in more than 50 years. (See also: Advancing Patent-Reform Bill Making Some Strange Bedfellows, House of Representatives Releases Details of Its Patent Legislation.)

 

U.S. Appellate Court Hears Myriad Human Gene Patents Lawsuit

On April 4 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit heard arguments in a landmark case centering on whether human genes should be patentable. Experts say a ruling could significantly impact the health care and biomedical research industries, including the practice of medicine. (See also: A Spectator's Guide to the Myriad Oral Argument; Myriad Gene Patent Litigation backgrounder.

 

Colorado Ranked 5th for Phase II SBIR Awards

Using figures provided by the 12 participating federal agencies of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, SSTI prepared a table showing FY09 Phase II award data for all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Statistics include award data and state rankings based on total awards. SSTI finds the top 10 states receiving Phase II SBIR awards in FY09 are: California (423), Massachusetts (291), New York (138), Virginia (128), Colorado (115), Maryland (112), Texas (87), Ohio (77), Pennsylvania (72), and New Jersey (66). The table is available here 

 

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

 

Pressure on U.K. Academics to Generate Alternative Income for Universities

University academics are increasingly being expected to develop links with businesses to boost their institution's income. The pressure to create alternative commercial funding streams is expected to rise as cuts hit the sector. For some academics the move to engage with business has been easy.

 

Ohio State Hires Exec to Turn Research into Business, Jobs

Ohio State University has been saying that it needs to make it easier to commercialize research. In March the school took a step toward that goal by naming a new vice president for technology commercialization.

 

Intellectual Ventures Creates a New Kind of Market from Scratch

When Don Merino joined longtime colleague Peter Detkin at Nathan Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures, the Bellevue, WA-based patent licensing company and invention incubator, Merino had a pretty good idea of the inefficiencies in the patent market. And that's what he and Intellectual Ventures have set out to get rid of.

 

Columbia University Turning IT, Biotech, and Cleantech Ideas Into Businesses

Like most universities, Columbia has faced some challenges transferring good ideas into marketable products. "Now we're experimenting with ways to reduce the time it takes to get deals done, and to increase the transparency of the assets that are available."

 

Biotechnology is New Breed of Business at Texas A&M 

The National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing is the brainchild of Brett Giroir, a brainy, politically savvy 50-year-old research manager who aims to put A&M at the center of a national effort to develop faster ways to create vaccines to fight disease pandemics and bioterror threats.


External Resources

The Search for Ingredients to Replicate Silicon Valley 

There are few successful venture capital communities in the United States. Silicon Valley is the one everyone knows, but Austin, Tex., and Boston are also prominent. Other emerging venture capital communities are in Boulder, Colo.; Chicago; and New York. But all of these are organically created communities. What causes their creation is debated.

 

State Governments: The Latest Venture Capitalists 

With venture capital firms scaling back, state governments are stepping in to fund early-state, high-risk startups.

 

Review of the Second Tier of Biotechnology Clusters in the U.S. 

Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington gear up to boost growth plans while trying to balance budget woes.

 

Venture Industry Cool To Easing Rules On Private Company Stock 

News that the Securities and Exchange Commission is considering easing limitations on the sale of stock by private companies is a further sign that the Obama administration is conducting a sweeping review of the ability of growing, young businesses to tap capital markets. But the SEC initiative could make staying private more compelling, which is not something the venture industry wants. (See also: SEC to Study Easing Rules on Shares of Private Companies.)
Parting Quote
"The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away."

Linus Pauling, American chemist

University of Colorado's Office of Technology Transfer Mission Statement

The mission of the CU Technology Transfer Office is to aggressively pursue, protect, package, and license to business the intellectual property generated from the research enterprise, and to serve faculty, staff, and students seeking to create such intellectual property.

(303) 735-3711
[email protected]
http://www.cu.edu/techtransfer