TTO Monthly Newsletter - February 2013

TTO Monthly Newsletter

Volume 9 ~ Issue 4 ~ February 2013

What's Inside

Tech Spotlight

Recently at TTO

CU Technology in the News

CU Research Highlights

Innovation in the News

Parting Quote

Links

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Spotlight On:

Biotechnology of the Month:

3D-Culture Models for High-Throughput Screening for Anti-Cancer Agents

Physical Sciences Tech of the Month:

Enhanced Performance of Ultrafiltration Membranes

*To view more CU technologies available for licensing and partnering, go to Tech Explorer.

Recently at TTO

Orphan Technologies to Develop New Treatment for Life-Threatening Metabolic Disorder from the University of Colorado

The University of Colorado has signed exclusive, worldwide licensing and collaboration agreements with rare-disease research-and-development firm Orphan Technologies Ltd to develop an enzyme replacement therapy for Cystathionine Beta-Synthase (CBS) -deficient homocystinuria, a rare, inherited metabolic disease that is often fatal at a young age. The collaboration was initiated in 2010 and includes sponsored-research funding by OT to continue development of the treatment approach pioneered by Jan P. Kraus, a professor of pediatrics at the CU School of Medicine. Orphan Technologies plans to begin first-in-human trials in 2014. Read full press release.

F5 Networks Acquires CU-Boulder Networking Startup LineRate Systems

F5 Networks has acquired Louisville-based LineRate Systems, a CU startup that's developing technologies around what's called software-defined networking, a computer networking approach that allows network behavior to be governed by high-level software programming, rather than by the low-level configurations of the network's devices, making networks easier to configure, manage, troubleshoot, and debug. The company was founded in 2008 by CU-Boulder researchers John Giacomoni (top right, computer science) and Manish Vachharajani (bottom right, electrical, computer and energy engineering). In 2008 LineRate received early-stage funding from TTO to support the development of its technology through TTO's Proof-of Concept Investment (POCi) program. (See also: 8 Enterprise Startups Creating A Brand-New, $4 Billion Market and 10 Next-Gen Networking Startups Ripe For The Plucking.)

TTO Signs Pact to Help Convert Biotech Research Into Bucks

The Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority (FRA) has entered into an agreement with CU TTO and the Innovation Center of the Rockies (ICR) to help commercialize Colorado biotech research and present the best technologies to investment professionals from around the world. Working within its statewide network of approximately 200 bioscience advisers, the innovation center will develop a pilot program with CU's tech transfer office to identify research and associated faculty teams with near-term commercial potential. The agreement expands the existing partnership between TTO and ICR dating back to 2006.

Impact: CU Technology + Licensees in the News

FDA Approves Sobi's Kineret® to Treat NOMID

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) announced last month that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Kineret® (a drug developed at the CU School of Medicine) for the treatment of neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID), an autoinflammatory disease that impacts newborns. Kineret® is the first and only FDA-approved therapy treatment for NOMID; the drug was approved 2001 to treat rheumatoid arthritis. (See also: Sobi Files to Expand European Kineret® Label to Include CAPS.)

GlobeImmune Begins Phase 1a Clinical Trial of its Chronic HBV Vaccine

CU startup GlobeImmune, Inc. announced the initiation of a Phase 1a clinical trial to investigate the safety and immunogenicity of GI-13020 in healthy volunteers. The GI-13020 Tarmogen®, which GlobeImmune is developing in collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc., expresses HBV antigens for the treatment of chronic HBV infection, which affects as many as 1.4 million people in the U.S.

MiRagen Therapeutics and Santaris Pharma Expand Global Alliance for MicroRNA Drug Discovery

Boulder-based CU startup miRagen Therapeutics and Denmark-based Santaris Pharma A/S announced they are expanding an existing partnership to discover and produce drugs to treat more diseases caused by microRNAs.

InDevR Spins Off Company, Raises Capital

Boulder bioscience firm InDevR Inc. (a CU startup) has spun off its virus-counter technology, forming ViroCyt LLC, a life-science company based in Denver. ViroCyt has raised $3M to expand the commercial market for the virus-counter technology.

Precision Biopsy Appoints CEO, Announces Successful Phase I Clinical Trials

Denver-based Precision Biopsy (a CU startup) announced that Amir Tehrani has joined as Chief Executive Officer to manage commercial expansion after the company successfully demonstrated the unique ability of its technology to accurately diagnose prostate cancer in patients in a Phase 1 clinical trial.

ColdQuanta Produces Bose-Einstein Condensate in Commercial Setting

CU startup ColdQuanta has achieved Bose-Einstein condensate in a commercial setting, the first time outside of a university or government research lab setting that it has been achieved. Boulder-based ColdQuanta was formed in 2007 with the primary purpose of facilitating the commercial creation of Bose-Einstein condensate, a new form of matter created just above absolute zero, with potential applications in a wide range of research and commercial settings, ranging from atomic clocks to improved navigation of submarines and spacecraft, and even quantum computing.

Pipeline: CU Research HIghlights

New Marker of Drug Response May Speed Pace of Lung Cancer Prevention Trials

Open Source Human Bacteria Sequencing Project Becomes Largest-Ever Crowdfunded Science Effort

Implantable MyoElectric Sensors: Working Toward a Breakthrough in Prosthetic Technology

Researchers Reveal New Hepatitis C Secrets that Could Lead to Treatment

Swarm of Ping Pong Ball-Sized Robots Turns Into 'Liquid that Thinks'

Physicists' Research Creates 'Recipe Book' for New Liquid Crystal Materials

Researchers Discover Chemical that Fends Off Harm to Organs

People

TTO Welcomes Allison Gamble, IP Associate

Allison joined the TTO as a temporary intellectual property associate in November 2012, and has now been hired for this permanent position (replacing Joe Davidek, who left TTO in late 2012). Allison assists the patent team with signature documents, invoicing, and governmental compliance. She graduated from CU in 2011 with a B.A. in Classics, and is now pursuing an M.A. in Classical Antiquity. Following graduation from CU, Allison worked as a paralegal for the litigation firm of Elkus Sisson & Rosenstein in Denver. She is an avid skier and snowboarder and enjoys nothing more than a hike in Chautauqua with her German Shepherd, Wolfgang.

TTO's Nathan Chen Named CU President's Employee of the Year

Nathan Chen, database administrator and IT manager for the CU Technology Transfer Office, received the annual President's Employee of the Year Award. Nomination letters described him as a "quiet, effective leader" whose thoughtful, intelligent technical work has led to the establishment of a database that has boosted efficiency in the office.

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.

Learning Laboratory: The Student Connection

Sam Humphrey joined TTO's system administration group as an intellectual property assistant in January 2013. He supports the patent team by creating, updating, and managing TTO's extensive patent database. He is from Mississippi and is a sophomore at CU-Boulder; he's currently working towards a degree in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Renewable Energy Systems.

Interested in a summer internship in tech transfer? Now recruiting CU science, JD and MBA students, contact us now!

Upcoming Events

Rocky Mountain Medical Technologies Conference

February 25, CU-Boulder

Hosted by CU-Boulder's Biomedical Engineering Society, this conference aims to provide a forum where professionals, companies, physicians, and students may network and promote the field of biomedical engineering, both in industry and academia. The event includes presentations and workshops, as well as highlighting recent advances in medical technologies. View agenda and register online.

Entrepreneurs Unplugged: Bart Lorang, CEO and Co-Founder, FullContact

February 27, CU-Boulder

Entrepreneurs Unplugged is a meeting place where faculty, students and community members with technical backgrounds learn about and get involved in entrepreneurship. In particular, the program offers students and faculty an opportunity to learn how a successful startup is created as well as an opportunity to network. Each Entrepreneurs Unplugged meeting features food, drink and - most importantly - an experienced entrepreneur to discuss his/her start-up experiences. Hosted by Silicon Flatirons, ATLAS and the Deming Center - register online.

CBSA BioTech Pharma Symposium 2013

February 28, Four Seasons Hotel, Denver

This half-day symposium hosted by the Colorado BioScience Aassociation (CBSA) brings together biotech professionals working in academia, government and industry for presentations from national notable speakers addressing key industry topics. View agenda and register online.

VCIR Winter 2013

March 5-7, Hyatt Hotel, Beaver Creek

VCIR Winter showcases the rocky mountain region's most promising emerging growth companies for an audience of over 300 venture investors, CEOs, entrepreneurs and service professionals. With significant networking time built into the conference schedule, VCIR Winter isn't just about finding new companies - it's also about connecting with the co-investors, entrepreneurs and service providers who together make the rocky mountain region an excellent location for investing and running companies.

Boulder New Technology Meetup

March 5, 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.

Tech Transfer Office Hours

March 6, CU-Boulder

Representatives from the Technology Transfer Office will be on-hand to meet one-on-one with members of the CU research community. If you have questions related to research commercialization, please stop by, have a donut or cup of coffee and get some information.

Entrepreneurs Unplugged: Ken Tuchman, CEO and Chairman, TeleTech

March 7, CU-Boulder

Colorado Life Science Night

March 13, Boulder Economic Council

This ongoing event provides a window into the Colorado life science research and technology community. Includes informal networking and pitches from local emerging biotech companies - register online.

RVC Angel Capital Summit 2013

March 19, University of Denver

Hosted by the Rockies Venture Club (RVC), this two-day conference brings together more investors and pitching companies than any other event in Colorado. Day 1 features in-depth classes on the issues surrounding private equity investments; on day 2, 35 companies will pitch on the same stage, then adjourn to breakout rooms to have deeper discussions with investors.

Entrepreneurship Conference: The Future of Entrepreneurial Finance

March 21, CU-Boulder

Silicon Flatirons' Annual Conference, The Future of Entrepreneurial Finance, analyzes the efficacy of existing solutions to startup finance. Several recent developments - including the rise of super angels, passage of the JOBS Act, critiques from within and outside of the venture capital industry, and the expansion of secondary markets for private securities - suggest that today's solutions to startup finance are not static. Join Silicon Flatirons as entrepreneurs, academics, policymakers, and startup financiers discuss how the future of entrepreneurial finance will look different than today.

Entrepreneurship Under the Microscope + TTO Boulder Awards Event

April 1, CU-Boulder Please save the date for Entrepreneurship Under the Microscope, TTO's annual celebration of CU-Boulder entrepreneurship co-hosted with the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. In what we think will be a great new format, we'll also present awards for Inventor of the Year, New Inventor of the Year and Physical Sciences Company of the Year during a fun networking event with CU-Boulder faculty and students, and members of the Boulder entrepreneurial community. The early-evening event (refreshments provided!) will feature the latest new inventions across campus, information on campus and community resources for entrepreneurship and a short keynote from Todd Woloson, a Managing Director at Greenmont Financial and the former President/CEO of IZZE until its sale to PepsiCo in 2006 (as well as the recipient of the 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Ernst & Young).

To have your event featured here, please send an email to TTOnews@cu.edu.

CU Resources

State Energy Collaboratory Involving CU-Boulder, NREL, CSU and CSM Expands Research Focus

To reflect its broader focus, the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, a research consortium including the University of Colorado Boulder, the Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has adopted a new name: the Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory. Since its launch in 2007, the collaboratory has focused its research efforts in biofuels and biorefining, photovoltaic energy generation, and wind power. The collaboratory institutions are now adding carbon management and energy-systems integration to their shared research portfolio.

CU Sequencing Facility Keeps Biotech Research Dollars in Colorado

Shortly after the Human Genome Project provided the first full genetic sequencing of the human genome, sequencing emerged as a tremendous opportunity to positively affect human health and wellness. As sequencing technology improved, shipment of U.S. sequencing business overseas has become more common for many researchers and companies wanting lower costs. But, not all sequencing work travels abroad and local companies are discovering that they can get better and timelier results by partnering with local university research institutes.

"Sequencing projects go overseas because of cost considerations, but I think companies are finding that the choices are limited, and their offerings are not really flexible enough to support novel ideas," says Dr. Jim Huntley, who is the director of the Next-generation Sequencing Facility at CU's BioFrontiers Institute. "We specialize in non-traditional sequencing applications. These are high-risk applications that some facilities are not comfortable doing. Here, we have expertise and knowledge to develop risky applications that the biotech industry relies on for commercialization activities."

Innovation in the News

White House Teams Up With Industry to Boost U.S. Entrepreneurship
Following up on President Barack Obama's State of the Union pledge to focus on American competitiveness and innovation, the White House announced the Startup America initiative, a program to support and celebrate U.S. entrepreneurs. Startup America aims to expand a number of federal programs to provide capital and mentoring services to entrepreneurs, and to create a nationwide partnership that will leverage private sector partners to provide entrepreneurial support resources.

Crowdfunding University Research and Tech Commercialization: 6 Sites that are Doing It

A piece in Forbes this week calls attention to a recent trend in technology commercialization at universities: the use of crowdfunding. The article focused on a collaboration between the University of Utah's Technology Commercialization Office and the crowdfunding site RocketHub, which resulted in the University Tech Vault, a portal specifically for projects that come out of the university. There are several other sites aimed at supporting donation-based crowdfunding for research projects, some of them created in partnerships with, or entirely around, universities. (See also: Scientists Pass the Hat for Research Funding.)

The Mile-High View: Colorado's Innovation Ecosystem

Podcast: the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development

W3W3 radio spoke with CID4's Rick Duke and Kevin Smith for a deep-dive update interview covering progress made and lessons learned by CID4 since its founding in 2009 to support the growing Colorado biotech startup community.

TechStars' David Cohen: "Boulder is for Startups."

In the Wall Street Journal's blog The Accelerators, David Cohen (founder and CEO of TechStars) discusses what makes Boulder uniquely great for tech startups. (See also: Cohen's Hitchhikers Guide to the Boulder Startup Community and the collaborative Colorado Startup Genome project.)

Study Finds Boulder Near Top for Patent Filings per Capita

A new report by Brookings says that Boulder is one of the most innovative areas of the United States. The report ("Patenting Prosperity: Invention and Economic Performance") said that for patents applied for from 2007 to 2011, the metro areas with the highest number per capita are San Jose, Calif.; Burlington, Vt.; Rochester, Minn.; Corvallis, Ore., and Boulder. (See also: Chancellor's Corner: The proof is in the patents.)

UCCS Goes Boldly into Entrepreneurial Future

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs is embarking on a new venture that could be the start of an entrepreneurial renaissance like no other in the region. UCCS has joined private citizens to create a nonprofit organization, the UCCS Development Corp., to launch startup firms, participate in public-private business ventures and attract investors.

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

Canada Rolls Out Start-Up Visa Program

Canada will launch a brand new program on April 1 to recruit innovative immigrant entrepreneurs who will create new jobs and spur economic growth. The Start-Up Visa Program will link immigrant entrepreneurs with private sector organizations in Canada that have experience working with start-ups and who can provide essential resources.

7 Major Pharmas Unite with Academics in €196M Discovery Effort

Europe's pharma community is revving up a drug-discovery engine. A new effort involving 30 partners - including Bayer, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen and 5 other large pharmas - has launched to spark discovery of new treatments, using a crowd-sourcing and open innovation approach.

Parting Quote

"I like to point out, not everything important gets invented at Stanford and MIT. There are a lot of very smart people here."

LineRate Systems CEO Steve Georgis, discussing the company's recent acquisition by F5 Networks.

University of Colorado's Office of Technology Transfer Mission Statement

The CU Tech Transfer Office provides patent and other commercialization support to researchers at CU's four campuses, and serves as a liaison for industry partners interested in commercializing CU technologies.

(303) 735-3711
ttocontact@cu.edu
http://www.cu.edu/techtransfer