OFFICE OF RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION NEWSLETTER | September 2006
(Volume VI, No. 3)
ORA HOME | NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES | CONTACT US | PDF
|
OFFICE OF RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION NEWSLETTER | September 2006 |
|
What's Inside RESOURCES
|
RESEARCH & COMMERCIALIZATION NEWS UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI NEWS
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST
UM Technology Transfer Annual Report, FY 2001 Through 2006
Research Foundation to Help Move UM Inventions to Marketplace From the University of Missouri "Spectrum" August 2006, Vol. 33, No. 4 On the Web: http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/departments/ur/spectrum With the establishment of a new research foundation, the University of Missouri aims to improve its ability to form start-up companies from University technologies. At its July 21 meeting in Kansas City, the University of Missouri Board of Curators authorized President Elson S. Floyd to establish a University-affiliated, non-profit foundation. The process of technology transfer, or moving technologies from the University to the marketplace, is currently administered through a network of decentralized offices on each campus. Central policy, legal, accounting and database support is provided by the system. When faculty members disclose their inventions to the University, there are three potential outcomes: 1) ownership is waived by the University and returned to the faculty member; 2) the intellectual property is protected, marketed and a licensing agreement occurs with an existing firm; or 3) the new technology creates the opportunity for a new business. The research foundation comes into play with the third outcome. The University has reached a point where a foundation is needed to "focus its attention on nurturing those ideas that can become a business," said John Gardner, UM Vice President for Research and Economic Development. The foundation's purpose is to encourage and potentially sponsor University scientific investigations, in cooperation with the private sector, to establish new firms that utilize University research. "The foundation is one more tool to help the University spawn businesses as well as technologies," Gardner said. It also could prove to be a valuable tool in stimulating Missouri's economic growth. In addition, the foundation will identify and manage any risks and conflict of interests that may occur between the University's economic development mission and that of teaching, research and service. The foundation also would pursue research, development and marketing in those instances where it would be in the best interest of the University not to be involved on a daily basis, such as in some international business. Governance and oversight will be provided by a board, with the UM President serving as chair. The Vice President for Research and Economic Development will act as the operating officer. Any proceeds from the foundation would be dedicated to further supporting the research and economic development mission of the University. "Combined with a community of interested and willing investors, professionals, and management expertise, the University of Missouri is stepping up to help create an innovation-based economy for Missouri's future," Gardner said. l
UM-St. Louis Faculty Start-Up Company Honored for Work on Prevention of Cervical CancerTwo scientists from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and NanoVir LLC, a Kalamazoo, Mich.-based biotechnology company, have been honored with a Tibbetts award in recognition for their work in identifying a potential treatment to fight the virus that causes cervical cancer. NanoVir was nominated for the national award by UM-St. Louis. James Bashkin and Chris Fisher have been seeking antiviral compounds that specifically target human papillomavirus (HPV) 16, the viral type most often associated with cervical cancer, the second leading killer of women by cancer worldwide. Targeting the DNA of HPV rather than more traditional antiviral targets, the scientists identified a series of compounds that dramatically reduce the viral DNA load of cells harboring the virus. “I'm excited to have NanoVir recognized by such a prestigious award from the Small Business Technology Council. NanoVir's excellent progress toward treatments for human papillomavirus can be directly attributed to our funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,” said Fisher, co-founder of NanoVir and lead biologist on the project. “I also must acknowledge the support and entrepreneurial spirit of the Kalamazoo community, including Southwest Michigan First and Western Michigan University, as well as the University of Missouri-St. Louis.” About the Tibbetts Award The Tibbetts Award is given annually by the Small Business Innovation Research program of the U.S. Small Business Administration to small firms, projects, organizations and individuals judged to exemplify the very best in SBIR achievement. Fisher and Bashkin will receive the award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in September. “It is a great honor to receive the Tibbetts award,” said James Bashkin, co-founder of NanoVir and associate research professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UMSL. “I am extremely grateful to our co-workers and colleagues at the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center and the chemistry department at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Without their contributions, we would not have made such dramatic progress with anti-HPV drug candidates.” There currently are few antiviral treatments for HPV, the primary cause of a positive Pap smear and the virus that causes more than half the deaths attributed to cervical cancer. In laboratory tests, the scientists compared their experimental compounds to two other drugs used to treat persistent HPV infections; in both cases the NanoVir compounds outperformed alternative treatments. According to Bashkin, who also served as lead chemist on the project, knowledge of Merck’s new vaccine makes it easier to communicate the impact of NanoVir’s antiviral agents. “Our treatment is designed to fight HPV infections and prevent cervical cancer for those who already have the virus. The fact that our approach is completely complementary to vaccines is quite clear to physicians and potential investors, which augers well for our future,” he said. About NanoVir, LLCNanoVir is a biotechnology company that utilizes novel chemical and biological approaches to develop DNA-targeted therapies for treatment of disease. NanoVir was founded by Fisher and Bashkin in 2003. l
UMSL's International Business Program Ranked 8th by U.S. News & World Report The International Business Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis achieved its highest ranking in U.S. News & World Report's list of best undergraduate international business programs. The eighth place ranking for 2007 marks the fourth consecutive year in which the program has been listed in the magazine's top 20. The rankings were released today. Allan Bird, director of the International Business Program at UMSL, said it's an honor for the young program to receive the ongoing recognition. "We've seen a good amount of growth in the program over the last several years," Bird said. "Through our efforts, the program's reputation continues to soar throughout the community, and this ranking is valuation of those efforts." UMSL's College of Business Administration strives to enrich and improve its offerings each year, said Keith Womer, the college's dean. "This year the college has hired eight new faculty members, who were attracted to the university in part because of the program's continuous ranking," Womer said. "As part of our ongoing mission, we are constantly looking at ways to improve upon the program." UMSL's International Business Program began in 1999 as a collaboration between the College of Business Administration and Pierre Laclede Honors College at UMSL. Program highlights include:
As a component of the top-ranking program, UMSL launched the International Master's of Business Administration program last year, and this week 25 international students arrived on campus to begin their second year of the program. The MBA program created partnerships with international universities and gives students enrolled in the two-year graduate program the opportunity to spend their first two semesters studying abroad. They spend the following summer interning in the same country, and then return to UMSL in the fall for a year. To learn more about the International Business Program at UMSL, visit the College of Business Administration's Web site at www.umsl.edu/divisions/business. l
Brazilian and U.S. Companies Developing Airplane Biofuel August 28, 2006 SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazilian biofuel company, Tecbio, has linked up with NASA and U.S. aerospace firm Boeing to develop a biokerosene aviation fuel, Tecbio's President Expedito Parente told a seminar on Monday. The alternative vegetable-oils based fuel to power airplanes was invented by Tecbio in 1980 and flight tested in Brazil in 1984 before being abandoned. It attracted fresh interest after oil prices rose to record levels this year. "We are starting to resurrect biokerosene ... the scenario today is different," Parente said, adding that the partnership with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Boeing was still at an early stage. A memorandum of understanding was signed earlier this month. Parente told the seminar in Sao Paulo that he expected to get the fuel patented in 2008. Based in Fortaleza, capital of the northeastern state of Ceara, Tecbio has a biofuel project in the state of Piaui, also in northeast Brazil.
Patient-specific Cancer Treatment Created August 28, 2006 URBANA, Ill., (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have found a way to make some cancer cells self-destruct by using the molecule caspase-3 to initiate cell death. Caspase-3 normally exists as a proenzyme, meaning further processing is required to make the final, active enzyme, the researchers said. That processing is normally performed by other caspases and serves as a signal that something has gone wrong with a cell and cell death or 'apoptosis' is desired. Paul Hergenrother and colleagues at the University of Illinois-Urbana say they've used the synthetic compound PAC-1 to trick procaspase-3 into processing itself, generating caspase-3 and causing cell death. They demonstrated, in a variety of cancer cell types, that cell death is correlated with the amount of procaspase-3 present in the cells, with more procaspase-3 resulting in cell death at lower concentrations of PAC-1, while healthy cells remain unaffected. The researchers say the variability of procaspase-3 levels in the cell lines means some patients would be more responsive to such therapy than others. As such, they say their finding potentially offers a novel opportunity for individualized cancer therapy. The study appears in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. l
China Calls AIDS Vaccine "Effective" in Early Test By Allen T. Cheng Bloomberg News August 22, 2006 Online at: http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/health/15328688.htm China's government said its first human trial of an AIDS vaccine showed it was effective in protecting against the HIV-1 virus and did not produce any serious side effects among 49 volunteers who received it. All participants showed signs they had "become immune against the HIV-1 virus" after it had been administered for 15 days, the State Food and Drug Administration said in a statement on its Web site during the weekend. "Initial trials of this vaccine show that it is clearly effective," the regulator said. "However, we need to push forward with more clinical trials in order to make sure that this vaccine can be used widely." China is adding 70,000 HIV-AIDS cases a year, and the epidemic may worsen as the number of sexually transmitted infections increases, according to a study released in January by United Nations AIDS, the World Health Organization, and China's Health Ministry. About 25,000 Chinese died of HIV-AIDS last year, the study said. Researchers have estimated development of a safe, effective vaccine is at least 10 years away. None of the people involved in the test program had shown any "ill effects" after a 180-day monitoring period, the regulator said in its statement. "If this was proven to be effective, it would be a massive step forward in the combat against AIDS," said Robert Pollard, China managing director for Synovate Health Care, a market research firm. The vaccine has been under development since 2003 and was part of China's national science "863 project," the regulator said. Second-phase trials may involve as many as 300 volunteers, while 500 people may take part in a third phase, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. l
Congress Boosts Development Funding, but Federal Research Still Headed Down in 2007 AAAS R&D Funding Update August 9, 2006 Before leaving Washington for a month-long summer recess, Congress brought large proposed increases for select physical sciences funding agencies in the President's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) closer to reality, and supported Administration plans to boost development investments for new spacecraft and weapons technologies. But although Congress would add money to proposed cuts in some basic and applied research programs, the federal investment in basic and applied research would still decline in fiscal year (FY) 2007 under separate House and Senate plans that must be reconciled in the fall. On the flip side of the ACI increases, Congress is still on track to keep the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget flat or declining for the second year in a row, to slash homeland security R&D funding for the first time, and to make steep cuts in other federal research portfolios. The August Summary Report on R&D in FY 2007 Appropriations provides an update of federal R&D in FY 2007 congressional appropriations so far. l
USPTO Releases For Public Comment DRAFT Five-Year Roadmap for IP Protection and Policy High Quality, Timely U.S. Patent and Trademark Reviews Head List of Objectives for Fostering American Innovation and Competitiveness On August 24, 2006, the Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) released for public comment a draft five-year strategic plan designed to foster American innovation and competitiveness at home and around the globe. The draft plan, for which public comment - including suggestions, questions, and other input - is being solicited, identifies quality and timeliness of the patent and trademark review processes as primary goals for the plan that will guide the agency from 2007 through 2012. l A copy of the USPTO's draft proposed five-year strategic plan can be found at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/strat2007/ .
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Office of Research Administration supports and advocates research and technology transfer by faculty, graduate students and staff. The ORA provides services in conjunction with external and internal sources of funding for research, along with services related to commercializing discoveries through technology transfer. The goal of this newsletter is to inform the campus community of grants received, to highlight the accomplishments of our faculty, graduate students and staff, and to share with you a calendar of important events and deadlines. Please direct any comments or questions regarding the newsletter to Tamara Kratochvil (kratochvilt@umsl.edu). | University of Missouri- Office of Research Administration Fax: 314-516-6759 |