Volume 10 ~ Issue 1 ~ July 2013      

Biotechnology of the Month:

Targeted Delivery of Doxazolidine: Novel Cancer Therapy Prodrugs 

Physical Sciences Tech of the Month:

Fast, Efficient Isothermal Redox to Split Water or Carbon Dioxide 

TTO is seeking a full time Licensing Associate with knowledge and experience in engineering, chemistry or materials science for its Boulder licensing group. 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.  

Apply online only.

Top News at TTO

Software-Defined Networking Company Built on 'Impossible' Technology Sells for $125M 

A decade ago, John Giacomoni was working as a professional research assistant in the Software Engineering Research Lab at CU-Boulder when the group took on a problem they couldn't afford to solve. Giacomoni was working in Professor Alexander L. Wolf's lab and their task was to build a system that could secure the campus from electronic attacks. As the scope of the project expanded, they soon discovered the specialty hardware they needed to continue was a budget buster. But necessity is the mother of invention, and the team had a need. Unable to buy the expensive hardware, Giacomoni became convinced he could build an affordable software solution for his costly hardware problem. Convincing others would turn out to be the real problem. "Funding agencies and investors, except for a handful of Boulder angels, universally said, 'No way; no how. You guys are crazy,'" Giacomoni remembered.

Ten years later, Giacomoni has proven he wasn't crazy - quite the contrary. The affordable solution he envisioned as a CU-Boulder research assistant became a reality with the help of former CU-Boulder Assistant Professor Manish Vachharajani. The pair went on to co-found a company based on the technology, LineRate Systems, which they sold earlier this year to F5 Networks. The acquisition price - nearly $125M according to filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission - was the largest exit of a networking infrastructure company in the Boulder area in years.

Evonik Industries Selects OPX Biotechnologies for Joint Development of Bio-Based Chemicals 

CU licensee OPX Biotechnologies, Inc. (OPXBIO) and Evonik Industries AG announced the two companies have entered into an agreement to jointly develop certain bio-based specialty chemicals. The joint-development agreement calls for OPXBIO to use its proprietary EDGE™ (Efficiency Directed Genome Engineering) technology to develop the bio-processes. (See also: Small Things have US Bio-Chemical Producer Thinking Big.)

Northwater Backs RedWave Harvesting Heat With Antennas 

Northwater Capital Management Inc., a Canadian private equity investor, is backing CU startup RedWave Energy's efforts to convert industrial waste heat into electricity using nanomaterials. Northwater invested $1M in 2013 and provided $2M last year through a Series A financing round; the company will seek funding through a Series B round this year after starting work on a prototype that may be tested in power-plant conditions.

CU Researchers Find Clinical Application in Stopping Tumor Survival in Low-Oxygen Environments 

As tumors grow, their centers are squeezed of oxygen. And so tumors must flip specific genetic switches to survive in these hypoxic environments. A series of studies funded to do only basic science and recently published in the journal Cell reports the serendipitous discovery of a druggable target necessary for the survival of tumors in these low-oxygen environments.

CU-Boulder Mechanical Engineering Students Patent Medical Device 

In partnership with University of Colorado Cancer Center investigator Wilbur Franklin, MD, five mechanical engineering seniors from CU-Boulder's Design Center Colorado filed a patent for a medical device that lets researchers quickly, easily and inexpensively isolate a patient's cancer cells for the genetic tests that allow doctors to target the disease. (Read more: Pneumatic Cell Collector: Precision Microdissection of Tissue for Improved Molecular Analysis.)

MicroRNA Cooperation Mutes Breast Cancer Oncogenes 

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Cell Death & Disease shows that turning up a few microRNAs a little may offer as much anti-breast-cancer activity as turning up one microRNA a lot - and without the unwanted side effects.

Low-Cost In-Vitro Fertilization Method Developed at CU may Help Couples in Developing Countries 

A new low-cost method of in-vitro fertilization developed at CU-Boulder that performed successfully in recent human clinical trials in Belgium may help thousands of infertile couples in developing countries. The study using the CU-Boulder technology showed that the low-cost of IVF for developing and "resource-poor" countries is feasible and effective, with baby delivery rates roughly the same as those achieved in conventional IVF programs. This proof-of-principle study, say the investigators, suggests that infertility care may now be universally accessible.

TTO Hires Temporary Licensing Associate in Physical Sciences & Engineering

Damon Waters began work in TTO's Boulder licensing group in July as a Temporary Licensing Associate. In this position, he is assisting in managing CU's physical sciences and engineering intellectual property portfolios. Damon is a knowledgeable tech transfer professional, with 12 years of experience spanning the University of Texas at Austin, a private R&D company in Boulder, and Boulder-based ThinkVillage, an IP investment and monetization fund. He has a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's in engineering management, both from Duke University.

CU-Boulder Professors Honored with Prestigious NSF CAREER Awards 

Two CU-Boulder faculty members have received prestigious CAREER Awards from the National Science Foundation; the NSF Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, Awards recognize talented young faculty members with grants to support outstanding research projects and to encourage the integration of teaching and research. Kevin Mahan, assistant professor of geological sciences, and Thomas Schibli, assistant professor of physics and JILA member, have both received grants beginning July 1; the pair join three other CU-Boulder faculty - engineering professors Abbie Liel, Matthew Hallowell and Mahmoud Hussein - whose CAREER Awards were announced earlier this year.

CU-Boulder Physics Professor Receives DOE Early Career Award 

CU-Boulder faculty member Ivan Smalyukh is among 61 scientists to receive a 2013 Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. Smalyukh, an assistant professor of physics and a founding fellow of CU's Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) has been awarded $750,000 over five years. Smalyukh will use the funding to study the self-assembly of nano-sized particles into colloidal composites, work that may enable cheaper and more efficient renewable energy technologies as well as more energy-efficient displays on consumer devices such as laptops and smart phones.

Keith Yzquierdo joined TTO's Boulder licensing group in April as an intern. His primary focus is to analyze potential intellectual property submitted by chemical, biological and mechanical engineering faculty, and perform prior art searches on submitted inventions. Keith also works on outreach to potential industry partners. In the past, he has worked as an engineer in consumer products, a yoga teacher, and a ceramic artist. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in mechanical engineering and the RASEI Graduate Energy Certificate, both at CU-Boulder, and hopes to work in the sustainable energy industry upon graduation.

Internship Opportunity: Life Sciences

Boulder/Denver New Technology Meetup 

August 5-6, 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 

August 7, 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.

CPIA Quarterly Meeting: Current Research at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics 

August 27, CU-Boulder

The Colorado Photonics Industry Association (CPIA) fall quarterly meeting has a unique agenda focusing on photonics research being performed in Colorado universities; this year it features work from CU-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP). The meeting also includes the annual Student Poster Contest where grad students present their research to judges from local companies. Register online.

CBSA BioBooster Series III: Advanced IP Issues 

September 10, Faegre Baker Daniels, Boulder

This three-part Rocky Mountain BioBooster series, hosted by the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) is designed to address critical issues facing mid-stage life sciences and medical device companies.

Colorado Technology Association APEX Conference 

September 11, Hyatt Regency Convention Center, Denver

Colorado's largest conference for in-state technology companies is back with a new name. The Colorado Technology Association's event, formerly DEMOGala, aims to give a "state of the state" view of the tech industry. Register online.

Entrepreneurs Unplugged: Larry Gold, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, SomaLogic 

September 16,  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. This month's event features Larry Gold, CEO of CU-Boulder startup SomaLogic. Hosted by Silicon Flatirons, ATLAS and the Deming Center - register online.

Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor & Partnering Conference 

September 18-19, Ritz-Carlton, Denver

Mark your calendar for the Rocky Mountain region's only life science investor and partnering conference - join leading industry investors and strategic partners for presentations by the region's most innovative life science companies. Register online.

Save the Date: Conference - Software Patents and Their Challenges 

October 8, CU-Boulder

As questions, ideas, and criticisms of software patents continue to mount, Silicon Flatirons will bring together a range of leaders in government, industry, practice, and business to discuss how law and policy in this area should evolve to best promote innovation.

Save the Date: Conference - The Future of Health Care Innovation 

October 16, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora

Co-hosted by Silicon Flatirons and the CU Denver|Anschutz Office of Institutional Planning, this conference will ask experts from industry, academia and government to address the changing dynamics of health care, facilitated by ongoing technological changes, that promise greater efficiencies, cost savings, and quality improvement. In particular, the conference will discuss developments in the areas of personalized medicine, tele-medicine, more effective use of big data and information technology, and changing models of care delivery.

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

BiOptix Announces Low-Cost Surface Plasmon Resonance Services for Colorado-Based Researchers

BiOptix, a company founded on CU technology, recently announced a unique research collaboration with the Biophysics Shared Resource Core Facility at CU's Anschutz Medical Campus.  The collaboration, which is supported by BiOptix, is offering low cost SPR services for Colorado-based researchers on the new BiOptix 404pi, a next-generation surface plasmon resonance platform designed and built in Colorado.  The BiOptix 404pi provides label-free analysis of protein-protein kinetics as well as protein-small molecule interactions. "We are proud to partner with and support the Biophysics Shared Resource Facility at the University of Colorado," noted Ken Wilczek, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for BiOptix.  "By offering the use of the new BiOptix 404pi to researchers based in Colorado, BiOptix can both support as well as foster scientific research and activity here in our home state."  Researchers from academia as well as industry, who are based in or have principal activities in Colorado, are invited to participate in the program.

Additional information about the facility as well as the program supported by BiOptix can be found online. 

Crowdfunding Touches Down in Biotech 

A year has passed since President Barack Obama enacted a law intended to spark business growth by encouraging "crowdfunding" of startups. Much of the law remains to be implemented, but that hasn't stopped crowdfunding sites Poliwogg and Microryza from employing different models toward raising money for biopharmas and researchers, respectively. (See also: Is Crowdfunding The Future For Biomedical Research and SEC: Startups Can Now Advertise they are Fundraising; Crowdfunding has to Wait.)

From Lab Bench to Innovation: Critical Challenges to Nascent Academic Entrepreneurs 

New technology innovations - and the startup companies formed to commercialize them - increasingly have their beginnings in university research labs. And it's more likely that PhD students, not faculty, form the initial idea for a new technology. While in later stages these ventures resemble typical technology startups, they experience a different early development process, decision points and potential conflicts that can make or break an innovation's chances of making it to market. "From Lab Bench to Innovation: Critical Challenges to Nascent Academic Entrepreneurs," a study released today by the Kauffman Foundation, examines the particular experience of nascent academic entrepreneurs (NAEs) and the implications of this experience for universities and policymakers. The study is among the few to focus specifically on this important group of entrepreneurs at the individual, rather than institutional, level.

Pharma R&D Model Needs Academic Tech Transfer Collaboration for the Future of Drug Innovation, Says Report 

A market research report on early-stage technology transfer collaborations & deals between academia and the pharmaceutical industry says a growing emphasis on academic and non-profit organization partnerships could rescue the pharmaceutical industry from the redundancy of an inefficient R&D model and plug the so-called "innovation gap". The report "PharmaSphere: Early-Stage Technology Transfer Collaborations - Enabling Platform Technologies & Deal Synergies between Academia and the Pharmaceutical Industry" argues that collaboration in drug development benefit's both parties, with academia constantly looking for sources of research funding - particularly as governments cut the amount of aid dedicated to federally-funded research - while the pharmaceutical industry would gain a partner to share in the high risks and substantial costs of bringing new medicines to market.

The Mile-High View: Colorado's Innovation Ecosystem

Hickenlooper Signs Advanced Industries Acceleration Act to Help Boost High-Tech Sectors 

Colorado's high-tech sectors are expected to get a significant funding boost from the Colorado Advanced Industries Acceleration Act signed in May by Gov. John Hickenlooper. HB13-1001, which was introduced the first day of the 2013 legislative session and had strong bipartisan support, is aimed at helping to foster growth in seven of the state's high tech sectors: advanced manufacturing, aerospace, bioscience, electronics, energy and natural resources, engineering and information technology. Under the new law, Colorado-based advanced industry sectors are eligible for proof-of-concept grants of up to $150,000, early-stage capital and retention grants capped at $250,000 and infrastructure grants of up to $500,000. The program builds on the Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant (BDEG) Program created by the legislature in 2006 to help grow the state's bioscience industry.

VC Investment in Boulder-Denver Area Companies Climbs to $111M in Q2 

Accera, a pharmaceutical developer based in Broomfield that's developing an Alzheimer's-fighting shake, led the pack of Colorado companies that received venture capital in the second quarter.

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

Motorola Mobility and Eight Leading U.S. Universities Sign Groundbreaking R&D Agreement 

Motorola Mobility's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group is entering into a groundbreaking new collaboration agreement with eight top U.S. research universities. The Multi-University Research Agreement (MURA) will dramatically streamline the generation of new joint research projects, and pave the way for closer cooperation on the development of fundamental new technologies. The signatories include Motorola, California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Texas A&M University, and Virginia Tech.

St. Louis Launches Initiative to Invest In - and Keep - Startups 

St. Louis' business, civic and political leaders launched the Regional Entrepreneurial Initiative, an ambitious effort to assist start-up companies in the region. And boosters are angling to raise $100 million for the initiative to help grow and retain emerging businesses in the region.

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