Recently at the TTO

Commentary: Stanford University v. Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.

On June 6, 2011, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Stanford University v. Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. (PDF) ruling that the Bayh-Dole Act does not alter an inventor's ownership rights in his invention and federally funded contractors must obtain a legally-sufficient assignment from their employee inventors. Many universities, including the University of Colorado, supported Stanford's argument that the Bayh-Dole Act operated to automatically vest title to federally-funded inventions in federal contractors. Stanford argued that the automatic vesting would preserve the federal investment and prevent any inadvertent loss of title which could occur when federally-funded inventors collaborate with private parties. The Supreme Court rejected Stanford's argument finding no such explicit language in the Act to create the automatic vesting. (Read the full TTO commentary on this decision.)

Video: Cleantech at CU

Dave Allen (CU Associate VP for Technology Transfer) and Trent Yang (Entrepreneurship & Business Development Director, CU-Boulder Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute) go on ColoradoBiz TV to talk about the process involved with developing new technology from university research.

Biotechnology of the Month:

Diagnosis and Treatment of Myocardial Failure using Myosin Heavy Chains  

Physical Sciences Tech of the Month:

Low Energy, Low Temp Flash Sintering of Ceramics  

CU's Cleantech 'Research Rock Stars'

They are the men and women who make game-changing discoveries in their labs AND are engaged in seeing those discoveries translated into products to be used for the greater good. CU-Boulder's Bob Erickson, Gregor Henze and Al Weimer were recently recognized as "Research Rock Stars" by the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA), and featured in ColoradoBiz magazine (along with researchers from the Colorado School of Mines and Colorado State University. Tigon EnerTec (founded last year based on work by a CU-Boulder team) was also featured as Tech Startup of the month.

Two GlobeImmune Cancer Vaccines Well Tolerated

Good news for CU licensee GlobeImmune and its Tarmogen vaccine platform: the company released positive safety and immunogenicity data for GI-4000 and GI-6207, which treat lung adenocarcinoma and carcinoembryonic antigen-expressing cancers (such as colorectal and pancreatic cancers), respectively. The company is planning Phase II trials for both vaccines.

Can Pythons Provide Answers to Heart Disease?

The Burmese python is one of the largest snakes in the world. But despite its intimidating appearance, it has a heart. And that heart may provide clues to researchers in developing drugs that help counteract the effects of heart disease. SmartPlanet talked with Leslie Leinwand, professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biologyat CU-Boulder.

ALD NanoSolutions Awarded $749,000 Phase II SBIR DARPA Grant

CU licensee ALD NanoSolutions, Inc. has announced a $749,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop flexible hybrid inorganic/polymer multilayer gas diffusion barriers using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD). These multilayer barriers should produce unprecedented flexible barrier performance, enabling next generation technology in flexible organic light emitting diodes (FOLEDs) and thin film photovoltaics.

CU Researchers Discover New Process to Cultivate Adult Blood Cells

Researchers at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered a scientific process that could make blood drives a thing of the past. Yosef Refaeli and Brian Turner, co-founders of CU licensee Taiga Biotechnologies Inc., have developed a new method in which they use their proprietary blood stem-cell lines from cord blood to generate mature, adult red blood cells in the lab in 14 days.

CU-NREL Team Takes Solar Power to the Next Level

Making hydrogen from renewable solar energy is a greener way to go than producing hydrogen from fossil fuels.

White House Adviser on Technology and Innovation Phil Weiser Named CU Law Dean

The University of Colorado Boulder announced the appointment of Philip J. Weiser, senior adviser for technology and innovation to the National Economic Council at the White House, as dean of the University of Colorado Law School. CU-Boulder Provost Russell L. Moore said Weiser will begin his duties as dean on July 1, 2011. Prior to his White House appointment, Weiser was professor of law and telecommunications at CU, and founded the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship.

Don Elliman Brings Business Background to Hub of Science Research in Aurora

Colorado's former economic development chief has landed at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, where he's bringing his business acumen to the region's scientific mecca. As executive director of the Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology, Don Elliman Jr. aims to help scientists get their research out of the lab and into practice, as well as raise awareness of the work that's being done on the campus.

Pew Charitable Trust Singles Out CU Scientist

Chad G. Pearson of the University of Colorado School of Medicine is among the 22 "most promising scientists" in the nation and will receive $240,000 from The Pew Charitable Trusts to fund his research into cell biology. Philadelphia-based Pew Charitable Trusts named its 22 Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences on June 14. The competitive program provides research money for scientists early in their careers. Since the first Pew Scholars were named 27 years ago, 16 have been from Colorado.

Three CU Scientists Named 2011 Boettcher Investigators

Three University of Colorado researchers have been named to the 2011 class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program. This is the second year for the program, which supports early career scientists in their work toward making discoveries that improve human health. CU's 2011 Boettcher Investigators are: Zhe Chen, assistant research professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at CU-Boulder; Robert C. Doebele, assistant professor of medical oncology at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus; and Jing H. Wang, assistant professor of immunology at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

BioBoulder Networking 

June 21, Laudisio Italian Restaurant, Boulder

Join your colleagues in the biotechnology, medical device, bio-fuels and university community for an open networking event hosted by the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA).

CREED Entrepreneur Series - Cleantech Business Plans  

June 23, CREED Center, Golden

The CREED Entrepreneur Series brings you experts in the field to help you differentiate your business and succeed. The Series can help you accelerate your enterprise through a variety of classes, workshops, pitch practice sessions, and opportunities to meet with experts and investors.

Boulder/Denver New Technology Meetup Group 

July 12, 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.

CSIA Presents: 2011 Apex Awards 

July 12,  Newman Center for the Performing Arts, Denver

As Colorado's Technology Association, CSIA is proud to recognize Colorado's technology companies and professionals through the Apex Awards.

CU Resources

2011 UCCS Sports/Outdoors Business Plan Competition 

The El Pomar Institute for Innovation and Commercialization (EPIIC) is proud to announce the first annual UCCS Sports/Outdoors Business Plan Competition.  This competition is open to any United States college, university, community college, or technical institute student team. Applications are being taken through August 1, 2011. This is the first business plan competition in the world to be focused purely on Sports/Outdoors new venture concepts. This unique competition is intended to encourage innovation and outside-the-box thinking among students and others interested in healthy, sports/outdoor oriented lifestyles. In addition to sports equipement and apparel, the competition will also consider technologies related to sports performance, anti-doping detection, sport/fiteness statistical/analytical services, and other wellness products and technologies. Details online.

CU-Boulder Linguistic Institute 2011 

SolarTAC Aims for Solar Breakthroughs with New Facility Near DIA

SolarTAC - or Solar Technology Acceleration Center - is a facility intended to attract companies that want to build, test and research their solar technology, advancing the technology to the marketplace. Executives of companies involved in renewable-energy research gathered in early June for the grand opening of Solar TAC's 74-acre research facility (which broke ground in 2009) south of Denver International Airport. SolarTAC is a joint operation among six entities, including Xcel Energy , Abengoa Solar and SunEdison. SolarTAC will be open to research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and by national laboratories like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) located in Golden, Colo.

University Research Funding: The United States is Behind and Falling

In 2008, the United States ranked 22^nd out of 30 countries in government-funded university research and 21^st in business-funded university research. Not only does the U.S. lag behind other countries, but we are falling even farther behind. From 2000 to 2008, the U.S. ranked 18^th in the growth of government-funded university research, with countries like China, Korea and the United Kingdom significantly outperforming the U.S. Read the full report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

Colorado 4^th for SBIR Phase I Awards 

Compiling SBIR Phase I awards and proposal statistics by state for FY10, SSTI finds the 10 states with the most awards in FY10 were California (851), Massachusetts (517), Virginia (250), Colorado (218), New York (212), Maryland (196), Texas (185), Pennsylvania (184), Ohio (179), and Michigan (125). Colorado moved up two positions from FY09 to fourth place. View the full data table here.

Bioentrepreneur: Granting You Success

Non-dilutive funding from government programs (SBIR/STTR) can help startups move forward. These programs can help nascent companies build the relationships critical to their businesses and, most importantly, develop products and technologies that will ultimately benefit both the cancer community and overall public health.