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CU Tech Transfer Monthly Newsletter

October 2014       

What's Inside
Tech Spotlight
Top News
CU Technology in the News
CU Research Highlights
Upcoming Events
CU Resources
Innovation in the News
Parting Quote
Links

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Spotlight:

 

Biotechnology of the Month: 

 

Adjustable, Modular Frame Adapter for Head Stabilization and Positioning in Medical Imaging Devices 

 

   

 

 

Physical Sciences Tech of the Month:  

 

Natural Language Processing (NLP) Toolkit 

 

 

 

 

 View more CU technologies available for licensing and partnering on Tech Explorer.


 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently Issued Patents:   

 

Use of neurotoxin therapy for treatment of urologic and related disorders  

 

Endoscope apparatus, actuators, and methods therefor

 

Three-dimensional structure of complement receptor type 2 and uses thereof    

 

Degradable thiol-ene polymers   

 

 

Browse more recently issued patents on  Tech Explorer. Not all issued patents are available for licensing. 

 

Top News at CU Tech Transfer 

Kate Tallman

The University of Colorado has named Kathryn (Kate) Tallman associate vice president for technology transfer for the institution's four-campus system. Tallman, who has served in the position as interim since July 2013, will lead CU's Office of Technology Transfer, which manages and commercializes intellectual property resulting from research at CU. "Kate Tallman has done a superb job directing our Technology Transfer operation and I am confident she will continue to lead TTO as its permanent leader," said CU President Bruce D. Benson. "Technology transfer not only brings the leading-edge work of our faculty to markets and to new companies, but also improves lives through discovery and innovation." 

 

CU Tech Transfer Seeks Director for CU Denver, CU Anschutz  

CU Tech Transfer is conducting a search for a new director for its licensing operation at CU's Denver and Anschutz Medical Campuses. The director is a key part of the CU Anschutz industry collaboration team that is led by the Executive Director of Biotechnology Relationships (ED) who works at the direction of the CU Anschutz Chancellor. The Director will partner with and support the ED in the strategic process of reshaping the campus' industry research collaboration, technology commercialization and innovation activities. This position has been filled since 2007 by Rick Silva, who will soon move to a new role at CU Tech Transfer's system administration office, where he will support campus-led venture development initiatives, as well as connecting CU's sizable portfolio of startup companies to national venture capital resources.  

 

Sneak Peek: CU Tech Transfer Performance Metrics

CU Tech Transfer has released its performance metrics for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. Please follow the link aboveto a short presentation summarizing our performance, and look for our full annual report later this month.  

 

Upcoming at CU: Technology Transfer, University Commercialization Efforts, and Patent Strategies  

Hosted by CU's Silicon Flatirons, this conference will take a look at university licensing practices and evaluate alternative strategies that universities can pursue. Most notably, in an era increasingly focused on "open innovation," there is an opportunity to re-think how university licensing entities operate. From the institutional perspective, this conference will also investigate how tech transfer can best be woven into faculty research. What models of technology transfer can best build up the trust and engagement of faculty, staff, and students-as well integrate with the communities. CU Tech Transfer head Kate Tallman will serve as a panelist, along with CU faculty and local and national tech transfer experts. October 22, CU-Boulder - register online.  

 

Upcoming Deadline: Advanced Industries Accelerator  

CU researchers and early stage companies are eligible to apply for proof-of-concept funding thru the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries Accelerator (AIA) program. OEDIT accepts applications for its state-level, competitive process three times per year; the upcoming deadline is November 1, 2014. Please see OEDIT website for application details, and contact Treci Saenz no later than October 24 to receive log-in information to submit your proposal (please provide your OCG/OGC proposal number). NOTE: For researchers applying to this state-level, competitive process, no institutional matching funds are provided - applicants must use their own funding or funding through a corporate sponsor for the match requirement. CU Tech Transfer also runs competitions for AIA funding preallocated to CU twice per year, with one competition focused on biomedical technologies and one competition focused on all other technologies - the next preallocation competition will begin in early winter for biomedical technologies.  

Impact: CU Technology + Licensees in the News

Nature: Academia and Industry: Companies on Campus 

Successful academia-industry partnerships require common interests, trust and good communication. For each of these, proximity helps. Housing industry labs in academic settings benefits all parties, say CU-Boulder's Jana Watson-Capps and Thomas Cech.

 

Novel 3M Restorative Dental Material Developed at CU-Boulder 

A novel dental restorative material that should make life easier for dental care experts and their patients, which is based on technology developed by a team of University of Colorado Boulder engineers, was unveiled this month by the 3M Company. Based on work by a team led by Professor Christopher Bowman of CU-Boulder's chemical and biological engineering department, a team from 3M ESPE developed the new polymer, which makes it possible for dentists to fill cavities with a single application that is then cured with light to achieve the desired strength and shape. See also: 3M Unveils Tooth Restorative Developed at CU-Boulder.

JPL Creates BEC with ColdQuanta System
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) recently announced that it has achieved BEC, (Bose-Einstein condensate) in its Cold Atom Lab in Pasadena California. At the heart of the NASA funded system in this lab is CU startup ColdQuanta's RuBECi� and Physics Platform.

Pipeline: CU Research Highlights
Biomedical Research Lands CU-Boulder Researcher Coveted $3.7M NIH Award

CU-Boulder Associate Professor Amy Palmer of the BioFrontiers Institute was awarded a coveted Director's Pioneer Award from the National Institutes of Health this week, a five-year, $3.7M grant made to select researchers showing exceptional creativity in solving pressing biomedical and behavioral research problems. Palmer, a faculty member in the chemistry and biochemistry department, is studying how metals, including zinc, affect the health of humans.

CU-Boulder Researcher Using NIH Grant to Develop Cost-Effective Detection of Cancer, Heart Disease
Andrew Goodwin, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at CU-Boulder, has received the National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award, which is awarded for bold research ideas of unusually broad impact. Goodwin has proposed a new biomolecular detection method using sound, which he hopes will result in new, cost-effective technologies for detecting cancer and heart disease.

Turning Oxide Semiconductors into Metal-Like Conductors
CU-Boulder's Prashant Nagpal has recently created thin-film or porous membranes made of hollow transparent conducting oxide (TCO) nanotubes which combine the attractive optoelectronic properties of oxide semiconductors with metal-like conduction. These materials could add the much needed boost to the device efficiencies of photovoltaic and photochemical cells for making solar fuels from water or carbon dioxide.
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Upcoming Events

Webinar: Research Commercialization Introductory Course 

Now thru November 20, online

Presented by the National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer (NCET2), this is a very popular online course designed to help science and engineering researchers better understand how research commercialization works. Learn more about intellectual property, patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks, licensing agreements, employment agreements, consulting agreements, tech transfer, creating and funding companies, and federally funded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs

 

Rocky Mountain Cleantech Open - Finals 

October 17, McNichols Civic Center, Denver

The Cleantech Open is a not-for-profit organization that runs the world's largest accelerator for cleantech startups. Our mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today's most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges.

 

Conference: Technology Transfer, University Commercialization Efforts, and Patent Strategies 

October 22, CU-Boulder

This conference will take a look at university licensing practices and evaluate alternative strategies that universities can pursue. Most notably, in an era increasingly focused on "open innovation," there is an opportunity to re-think how university licensing entities operate. From the monetization perspective, it bears inquiry whether and how research efforts can lead to results oriented around greater levels of collaboration with outside parties and open innovation. From the institutional perspective, this conference will also investigate how tech transfer can best be woven into faculty research. What models of technology transfer can best build up the trust and engagement of faculty, staff, and students-as well integrate with the communities.

 

CBSA Regulatory Symposium 

October 22, Westin Hotel, Westminster

The Regulatory Symposium, a signature event of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) and Faegre Baker Daniels, examines common and not-so-common regulatory considerations and hot topics for life science companies. 

 

ESPRIT Entrepreneur 

October 22-23, St. Julien Hotel, Boulder

Now in its 30th year, Esprit is the region's top event for entrepreneurial success. Join the Boulder Chamber for this two day event celebrating Boulder entrepreneurship - new this year is the Esprit Venture Challenge, in which Boulder startups can compete for prizes and the honor of being crowned Venture of the Year.

 

Colorado Springs New Technology Meetup 

October 24, UCCS Lodge, Colorado Springs

This ongoing event provides a forum for technologists and entrepreneurs to showcase the new (especially web-based) technology developing in the southern Colorado tech community. Five companies have five minutes each to demonstrate their new technology, followed by five minutes for Q&A from the audience.

 

Colorado Cleantech Awards Celebration 

October 27, McNichols Civic Center, Denver

CCIA's Colorado Cleantech Awards Celebration dinner is an annual event where the cleantech community will come together to honor the creativity, innovation, and dedication to a cleaner energy future put forth by Colorado's entrepreneurs, educators, corporate innovators, volunteers and policymakers.

 

NREL Industry Growth Forum 

October 28-29, Marriott City Center, Denver

The Industry Growth Forum is the premier event for clean energy startups to maximize their exposure to receptive venture capital, corporate investors, and strategic partners. The Forum features presentations from 30 emerging clean energy companies, provocative panels led by thought leaders, one-on-one meetings, and organized networking opportunities.

 

CPIA Focus On University Technology 

October 29, CU-Boulder

Hosted by the Colorado Photonics Industry Association, the annual meeting is an opportunity to learn about current photonics and optics research conducted at all Colorado research universities, and to interact with other photonics companies and the researchers and students who will help fuel the next generation of photonics products.

 

CU New Venture Challenge 7: Pitch Night 

October 29, CU-Boulder

Have a cool idea but needs some teammates to help? Want to find a great mentor? Come to Pitch Night, pitch your idea, and make some connections! The New Venture Challenge is CU's cross-campus entrepreneurship championship. It is an entrepreneurial flight simulator, giving the people in the CU community with an interest in starting a business a chance to give it a try while learning about the process through events, workshops, and mentors.

 

Boulder New Technology Meetup 

November 4, CU-Boulder

This ongoing event provides a forum for technologists and entrepreneurs to showcase the new (especially web-based) technology developing in the Boulder 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 

November 5, 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.

 

CU New Venture Challenge 7: Technology Expo 

November 5, CU-Boulder

Learn about CU technologies that offer a potential platform for your NVC business plan in this year's new R&D track! CU researchers will talk about their technology and its commercial applications, and CU Tech Transfer will be on hand to talk about other CU technologies available for the NVC competition. Networking reception to follow. The New Venture Challenge is CU's cross-campus entrepreneurship championship. It is an entrepreneurial flight simulator, giving the people in the CU community with an interest in starting a business a chance to give it a try while learning about the process through events, workshops, and mentors.

 

Colorado BioScience Association Awards Dinner 

November 6, Marriott City Center, Denver

The CBSA will present awards for Lifetime Achievement, Rising Star, Company of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Business Partner of the Year. Keynote speaker: Davis Phinney, an Olympic medal-winner in cycling who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2000 at the age of 40.

 

SoPE Colorado Chapter Meeting 

November 6, Copic Insurance, Denver

The Society of Physician Entrepreneurs (SoPE) is a global biomedical and health innovation and entrepreneurship network helping doctors and other health professionals get their ideas to market. Members include entrepreneurs, service providers, investors, industry partners, academics and others interested in biomedical and health innovation.

 

VC 101: A Primer on Venture Capital 

November 12, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora

Learn how to increase your probability of starting a successful startup - featuring Louis P. Berneman, founding partner of Osage University Partners (OUP), a venture capital firm that specializes in university spinouts commercializing disruptive science. Osage has partnered with 65+ universities and research institutions to invest in innovative startups.

 

Energy Connections

November 13, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, Denver

Hosted by the Colorado Cleantech Industries Association (CCIA), this ongoing event introduces established companies to young companies to share issues and solutions, find common ground, and potentially develop partnerships.

 

CU New Venture Challenge 7: Mentor Matching Night 

November 13, Galvanize, Boulder

Get connected with NVC's amazing mentors. The New Venture Challenge is CU's cross-campus entrepreneurship championship. It is an entrepreneurial flight simulator, giving the people in the CU community with an interest in starting a business a chance to give it a try while learning about the process through events, workshops, and mentors.

 

Denver New Technology Meetup 

November 20, Galvanize, Denver

This ongoing event provides a forum for technologists and entrepreneurs to showcase the new (especially web-based) technology developing in the Denver tech community. Five companies have five minutes each to demonstrate their new technology, followed by five minutes for Q&A from the audience.

 

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

 

 

CU Resources

The Colorado Translational Research Imaging Center (C-TRIC) at CU's Anschutz Medical Campus offers molecular and structural imaging services for basic, pre-clinical and clinical studies. Using PET/CT and customized radiopharmaceuticals, specific biological processes can be studied. The CT scanner is available for studies requiring anatomic imaging of specimens, animals or humans.

Innovation in the News
The Mile-High View: Colorado's Innovation Ecosystem

 

Anschutz Medical Campus Takes Shape as a Veritable City of Health Sciences
Seven years after the former Fitzsimons Army post was redeveloped as a hub for health care, education and research, the campus is doing exactly what it was created to do: breeding companies based on research developed at the hospitals and school on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Colorado Springs Entrepreneurs Trying to Restart Local Tech Industry
Something is happening down in Colorado Springs, a city of 440,000 that sprawls between Pikes Peak on the west and Air Force bases on the east. Entrepreneurs are trying to create an environment that will help startups grow, which could add a new element to the city's economy and might even revive a once-flourishing tech industry.

Useful Stats: Federal Commitments to R&D By State, 2002-12
Between 2002 and 2012, federal R&D spending in Colorado more than doubled (see link for state-by-state details).

 

More than Money: the Exponential Impact of Academic Technology Transfer
Academic technology transfer in its current form began with the passage of the Bayh Dole Act in 1980, which allowed universities to retain ownership of federally funded intellectual property. Since that time, a profession has evolved that has transformed how inventions arising in universities are treated, resulting in significant impact to US society. While there have been a number of articles highlighting benefits of technology transfer, now, more than at any other time since the Bayh Dole Act was passed, the profession and the impacts of this groundbreaking legislation have come under intense scrutiny. This article serves as an examination of the many positive benefits and evolution, both financial and intrinsic, provided by academic invention and technology transfer.

How Smart Would Your Phone Be without University Research?
The Association of American Universities has launched a campaign showcasing the importance of federally-funded university research to the development of technologies like the smartphone. Click the link above for a tour of the university inventions that have gone into the making of the smartphone.

5 Key Insights Into How Investors Think
If investors aren't rushing to fund your startup, your idea might not be the problem--it could be your approach.

Parting Quote

"When an ecosystem exists and all of the elements are aligned, technology transfer can be truly transformational to a university and a community."

 

"More than Money: the Exponential Impact of Academic Technology Transfer." Technology and Innovation, Vol. 16, pp. 75-84, 2014.

 

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.

[email protected]
http://www.cu.edu/techtransfer