Tech NewsOffice of Technology Commercialization, The University of Texas at Austin

Winter 2012-13

Dan Sharp to head OTC

Colloquium on Commercialization

OTC initiatives Research news Awards and achievements

Dan Sharp to head OTC

Licensing news

I AM HONORED to be named director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at The University of Texas at Austin. I accepted

the position because of my strong affinity for UT, as well as the opportunity and challenge of taking the research performed at UT and intelligently transfer-ring it to the private sector in a way that maximizes the benefits to UT, Texas, and the United States. The faculty and staff at UT are globally recognized for their scientific contributions, and those contribu-tions lead to fundamental technological innovation.

By way of example, one of the 2012 UT Inventors of the Year, Dr. Grant Willson (Chemical Engineering and Chemistry & Biochemistry) was awarded the Japan Prize on January 30 for his research related to semiconductor films. Similarly, one of the 2011 Inventors of the Year, Dr. John Goodenough, is also a Japan Prize recipient for his work with lithium-ion batteries. I am delighted to work with the OTC staff and UT faculty to bring these types of technol-ogies from the UT lab bench to the private sector.

It is the responsibility of OTC to protect the re-search performed at UT through a variety of in-tellectual property forms and to disseminate that intellectual property intelligently to the world out-side UT. UT is, and will continue to be, a valuable source of research and technology for the private sector. The work done in UT labs can create jobs for Texas and the United States. It is our collective responsibility to facilitate commercialization and innovation throughout the state and the country.

I am eager to embark on this challenge at UT along with all of the OTC staff. o

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First program in the Colloquium series:

Taking research to the market: Startup to IPOThe Office of Technology Commercialization’s annual Colloquium opened on Oct. 19, 2012, with “Startup to IPO: Creating and Sustain-ing Investment-Quality Companies.” Members of The University of Texas at Austin research faculty and staff attended a full-day program designed to answer questions about the chal-lenges of forming a startup and the commer-cialization process. A team of experts—includ-ing attorneys, investment bankers, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and university research scientists—explained the complexities of startup licensing at the university.

In the opening session, Kenneth Jenkins, part-ner at Kilpatrick Townsend of San Diego, Calif., and Dean M. Munyon, director and share-holder at Meyertons, Hood, Kivlin, Kowert & Goetzel, of Austin, Texas, discussed the critical first steps of maximizing the value of intellec-tual property (IP). Munyon focused his presen-tation on patent law and its procedures, while

Jenkins presented patent law fundamentals and shared some of his experiences with past clients. Jenkins and Munyon helped attendees understand how best to secure their IP while interacting with the industry.

Business law experts Alex Allemann, share-holder at Winstead Attorneys of Austin, Texas, and J. Robert Suffoletta, partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati of Austin, Texas, explained the legal steps startups should take, from corporate formation to exit plan. Suffolet-ta spoke in depth about initial funding sources and outlined pros and cons for startups.

The program continued with Ron Nixon, founding principal of The Catalyst Group Inc. of Houston, Texas, moderator of the panel on building value and financing. The panel fea-tured Cliff Atherton, managing director of GulfStar Group in Houston, Texas, and Bill Zartler, founder and managing partner of Den-ham Capital in Houston, Texas.

Nixon mentioned the importance of choosing the right investor for each stage and the benefits of knowing all the options available to startups. Zartler and Atherton discussed in detail the

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concerns investors have before committing to a project and the difference between common and preferred equity.

Rudy Garza, partner at G-51 Capital Manage-ment of Austin, Texas; Clint Bybee, co-founder and managing director of ARCH Venture Part-ners in Austin, Texas; Jay Cohan, investment partner at Western Technology Investment in Portola Valley, Calif.; and Mark Fernandes, managing director of Sierra Ventures in Menlo Park, Calif., shared their insights on what inventors can do to put their best foot for-ward when pitching to professional venture capitalists.

The “Startup to IPO” workshop closed with Bob Metcalfe, professor of inno vation at the Cockrell School of Engineering, leading a panel of UT Austin professors who have successfully managed university startups. Bob Hardage, senior research scientist at the Bureau of Eco-nomic Geology; Thomas Milner, professor of biomedical engineering; and Preston Wilson, asso ciate professor of mechanical engineering,

Startup to IPO Friday, October 19, 2012 9:00am–6:00pm

Inventor Award Ceremony & Reception Thursday, December 6, 2012 6:00–8:00pm

What You Need to Know About Patents Thursday, February 7, 2013 3:00–6:00pm

Funding & Licensing Strategies Wednesday, April 10, 2013 3:00–6:00pm

2012-13 Colloquium lineup Coming February 7, the next program in the series:

“What you need to know about patents”

Expert panelists—including Bruce Kisliuk, USPTO deputy commission-er for patent administration, and Kevin Meek, IP attorney and partner at Baker Botts—will provide an overview of patent protection to UT faculty and research teams. The program deals with topics directly relevant to UT Austin researchers: patenting strategies, patent law basics, and real-world examples of how to patent university research successfully. Dan Sharp, associate VP for research and OTC director, will moderate. Cocktail hour and networking will follow. o

shared their experiences in developing new technology and the commercialization process. The panel emphasized how essential it is to commercialize and how OTC has facilitated the process of commercialization. o

2012-13 Colloquium on Commercialization

Are you a UT researcher interested in attending? Email webmarketing@otc.utexas.edu �

Preston Wilson (left) and Bob Hardage (right) describe startup strategies.

1 VP for Research Dr. Juan Sanchez talks

with faculty attendees.

2 Conference goers at the AT&T Execu-

tive Center focus on the presentations.

3 IP attorney Dean Mun yon gives an

overview of the patent process.

4 Dan Sharp, associ-ate VP for research

and director of OTC, moderates the event throughout the day.

5 Houston VC Ron Nixon explains

how to build value for startups.

6 Guests network at the cocktail recep-

tion following the event.

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Dr. S.V. Sreenivasan Department of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. C. Grant Willson Department of Chemical Engineering/ Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

“It is never more evident than on occasions like this that what starts here changes the world.”

—William Powers Jr., President, The University of Texas at Austin

T HE OFFICE OF Technology Com-mercialization (OTC) announced this year’s inventors of the year. C. Grant

Willson and S.V. Sreenivasan were recognized at the second annual Inventor Award Cer-emony & Reception on Dec. 7, 2012, the second program in the 2012-2013 Colloquium on Com-mercialization series. Willson’s and Sreeniva-san’s tremendous research contributions, along with the company founded on their research, Molecular Imprints Inc. (MII), were instrumen-tal in their selection for this honor.

C. Grant Willson is a professor in the Depart-ments of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry & Biochemistry at UT Austin. His career is decorated with numerous awards and achieve-ments, such as the 2007 National Medal for

Technology and Innovation, awarded by President George W. Bush, the Japan Prize, and the Rashid Engineering Re-gents Chair. Willson’s research focuses primarily on the syn-thesis of organic compounds that have applications in engi-neering and microelectronics.

S.V. Sreenivasan, a professor in the Depart-ment of Mechanical Engineering, also enjoys many accolades in his academic and busi-ness careers. Sreenivasan’s many accomplish-ments include the 2010 O’Donnell Award in Technology Innovation from The Academy of

Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas ( TAMEST) and the Eli H. and Ramona Thorn-ton Centennial Fellow in Engineering. Sreeniv-asan’s research areas are in high throughput nanomanufacturing as applied to terabit density data storage, nanoelectronics, photonic devices, and emerging biomedical and clean energy applications.

SREENIVASAN’S AND WILLSON’S research findings form the basis of their

company, Molecular Imprints, Inc. (MII). The compounds synthesized by Willson and his team, in concert with Sreenivasan’s nano-manufacturing innovations, have led to their company’s best-selling products, Jet and Flash™ Imprint Lithography (J-FIL™) and the IntelliJet™ Drop Pattern Generator. These innovations can be applied to creating hard disk drives with vastly more memory, imprinting features onto semiconductors with lower cost and higher reliability, replicating imprint templates with a lower cost of ownership, improving the perfor-mance and efficiency of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and improving the performance and lowering the fabrication costs of LCD displays.

Since they co-founded MII in 2001, Willson and Sreenivasan have worked closely in collab-oration with OTC to facilitate the growth and maturity of their company and their inventions. The relationship between MII and UT Austin is widely touted as a model for technology transfer. o

“I congratulate Dr. Sreenivasan and Dr. Willson for their momentous contributions to society, the full scope of which we won’t know for many decades to come.” — President Powers

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Inventors with U.S. patents issued in fiscal 2011-12.

Manish AiryUS Patent No. 8,130,862

Jeffrey AndrewsUS Patent No. 8,135,349

Eric AnslynUS Patents No. 8,101,431 and

8,105,849

Sanjay BanerjeeUS Patents No. 8,188,460 and

8,198,707

Vishal BangUS Patents No. 8,043,998 and

8,138,127

Allen BardUS Patents No. 8,188,243 and

8,211,279

Carolyn BayerUS Patent No. 8,304,248

Angela BelcherUS Patents No. 8,088,982 and

8,201,724

John BiskupUS Patent No. 8,093,911

Phillip BookertUS Patent No. 8,060,532

Alan BovikUS Patent No. 8,164,039

Larry BrittonUS Patent No. 8,211,837

Douglas BurgerUS Patents No. 8,055,881; 8,127,119;

and 8,180,997

Chan-byoung ChaeUS Patents No. 8,165,533; 8,190,209; 8,204,142; 8,217,835; and 8,284,863

Robert Heath, Jr.US Patents No. 8,130,862; 8,130,862;

8,135,349; 8,165,533; 8,165,533; 8,190,209; 8,190,209; 8,200,212; 8,200,212; 8,204,142; 8,204,142; 8,217,835; 8,217,835; 8,284,863;

and 8,284,863

Gyeong HwangUS Patent No. 8,036,864

Lizy JohnUS Patent No. 8,041,931

Stephen KecklerUS Patents No. 8,055,881; 8,127,119;

and 8,180,997

Nathaniel KempUS Patent No. 8,125,648

Eunha KimUS Patent No. 8,125,648

Jihoon KimUS Patent No. 8,108,030

Sang-hyun KimUS Patent No. 8,217,835

Seyoung KimUS Patent No. 8,198,707

Sunmin KimUS Patent No. 8,193,010

Jin-Sam KwakUS Patent No. 8,135,349

Kwangseok LeeUS Patent No. 8,093,098

Tao LiUS Patent No. 8,041,931

Chongyang LiuUS Patent No. 8,211,279

Haiming LiuUS Patent No. 8,180,997

Douglas LloydUS Patent No. 8,211,951

Jie LuoUS Patent No. 8,211,361

Allan MacDonaldUS Patent No. 8,188,460

Chuanbin MaoUS Patent No. 8,201,724

Mia MarkeyUS Patent No. 8,164,039

Bryan McCloskeyUS Patent No. 8,017,050

John McDevittUS Patents No. 8,101,431 and

8,105,849

Jason MeiringUS Patent No. 8,017,174

Karri Michael-BallardUS Patents No. 8,101,431 and

8,105,849

Timothy MichaelsonUS Patent No. 8,017,174

Thomas MilnerUS Patents No. 8,036,732; 8,125,648;

and 8,164,834

Ramadass NagarajanUS Patents No. 8,055,881 and

8,180,997

Dean NeikirkUS Patent No. 8,101,431 and

8,105,849

Quoc NguyenUS Patent No. 8,211,837

Jung Hwan OhUS Patent No. 8,164,834

Dharmendar PalleUS Patent No. 8,188,460

Ho ParkUS Patent No. 8,017,050

Nicholas PeppasUS Patent No. 8,304,247

Gary PopeUS Patents No. 8,043,998; 8,138,127;

8,188,012; and 8,211,837

Eric QuinnellUS Patents No. 8,037,118 and

8,078,660

Nitya RanganathanUS Patents No. 8,127,119 and

8,180,997

Ted RappaportUS Patent No. 8,200,212

Leonard Register IIUS Patent No. 8,188,460

Gary RochelleUS Patent No. 8,070,856

Mehul SampatUS Patent No. 8,164,039

Karthikeyan SankaralingamUS Patents No. 8,055,881 and

8,180,997

Mukul SharmaUS Patents No. 8,043,998 and

8,138,127

Jason ShearUS Patents No. 8,101,431 and

8,105,849

Seijoon ShimUS Patent No. 8,135,349

S.V. SreenivasanUS Patent No. 8,016,277

Yuyu SunUS Patent No. 8,211,361

Earl Swartzlander, Jr.US Patents No. 8,037,118; 8,078,660; 8,099,447; 8,161,090; and 8,166,091

Emmanuel TutucUS Patent No. 8,188,460 and

8,198,707

Philip VargheseUS Patent No. 8,111,394

Upali WeerasooriyaUS Patents No. 8,188,012 and

8,211,837

Eric WhiteUS Patent No. 8,060,532

C. Grant WillsonUS Patent No. 8,017,174

Miao WujiamUS Patent No. 8,188,243

Decai YuUS Patent No. 8,036,864

Xiaojing (John) ZhangUS Patent No. 8,193,010

Ray ChenUS Patent No. 8,189,968

Xiaonan ChenUS Patent No. 8,189,968

Zhaobin ChenUS Patent No. 8,211,361

Byung ChoiUS Patent No. 8,016,277

Nicolaos ChristodoulidesUS Patents No. 8,101,431 and

8,105,849

John CullinaneUS Patent No. 8,070,856

Manfred FinkUS Patent No. 8,111,394

Robert FlakeUS Patent No. 8,093,911

Pierre FlorianoUS Patents No. 8,101,431 and

8,105,849

Antonio ForenzaUS Patent No. 8,130,862

Benny FreemanUS Patent No. 8,017,050

Caleb FunkUS Patent No. 8,211,951

Ashwini GopalUS Patent No. 8,193,010

Paul GratzUS Patent No. 8,180,997

Bob HardageUS Patents No. 8,040,754; 8,164,979;

and 8,243,548

THERE IS NO mistaking the importance of the bridge between university research and the marketplace. In concert with our researchers, entre- preneurs, industry partners, and other partners, OTC works to make the

bridge safer through patent protection and stronger with more quality patent fil-ings. Celebrate with us the accomplishments of our UT Austin researchers who were issued new U.S. patents in fiscal year 2011-2012.

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OTC inventors pitch to investors at the 2012 Angel Capital Association Summit

ON MARCH 6, 2012, angel investors from across the country gathered on the sixth floor of the Hilton Austin Hotel for a large collection of events and

seminars known as the Angel Capital Association Summit.

national’s Terra Prime. As the inventor of Terra Prime, Dr. Yildirim pitched the clear benefits of Terra Prime by contrasting them with the short-comings of current primer materials for pavement.

In the “IT & Internet” track, asso ciate professor Dr. Sriram Vishwanath of the Depart ment of Electrical & Computer Engineering gave a presentation of his company, Vectura Lux, Inc. His inven-tion, Paralux™, would combat the rising problem of expo-nentially growing internet traf-fic. Its outstanding feature is its

use of multimode fibers to increase the speed and processing volume of data, increasing the overall data rate significantly.

Dr. Mark Wochner, research associate at Applied Research Laboratories, con-cluded the “Energy & Materi-als” track of the showcase with his presentation of AdBm Technologies. Dr. Woch-ner pitched his company by emphasizing the harm to the underwater ecosystem of

noise produced by under water construction and how his company’s bubble technology far out-performs the current solutions in the market.

Through OTC’s involvement in this conference, UT Austin inventors enjoyed exposure to new organizations, angel investors, other inventors, and firms from across the globe that will lead to new ventures and future success. o

An important feature of the summit was the inno-vative Technology and Investing Showcase, a series of one-hour meetings with top companies, uni-versities, and organizations in Texas and beyond. Attendees joined small group meetings in order to: ■ Find business development opportunities with

angel-backed companies ■ Discuss cutting-edge ideas with thought leaders

in venture capital and technology commercial-ization

■ Learn about emerging trends from the people creating them

In addition to sponsoring the event, the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) hosted UT Austin inventors who were there to pitch their companies and garner industry contacts and capital.

Danielle Applestone, a Ph.D. candidate in the Cock-rell School of Engineering’s Materials Science & Engineer-ing program, kicked off the “Energy & Materials” track of the showcase with a compel-

ling pitch for her company, Batt-rē, and the new anode she invented that out performs the ones used in most current commercial batteries.

Also presenting was Dr. Yet-kin Yildirim, director of the Texas Pavement Preservation Center and research assis-tant professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering, to present Terra Pave Inter-

Sponsoring regional and national partnerships “IP Boot Camp”: Texas Regional Independent Inventors Conference 2012Collaborating with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Invent Now, the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation, OTC sponsored the Texas Regional Independent Inventors Confer-ence 2012. The event took place on Sept. 14-15 on the UT campus and brought together inventors and patent experts to discuss cutting-edge inventions and how to bring them to market.

A crowd of inventors, research-ers, and budding entre preneurs filled the con ference center to hear the experiences of industry legends such as Bob Metcalfe,

National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee and professor of inno-vation at UT Austin.

Speakers at the conference discussed issues such as the new American Invents Act and its effects on inventors and their intellectual properties, but were also focused on discussing patent law basics and market-ing and branding strategies. Offering their insights were a diverse group of experienced inventors, entrepreneurs, and patent law veterans, including Bruce Kisliuk, USPTO deputy commissioner for patent admin-istration; John Love, patent

attorney at Cook Law Firm; Geneva Grainger, entrepreneur and inventor; and Dan Sharp, associate VP for research and OTC director.

The biggest hit with conference attendees was the unique oppor-tunity to approach inventing and patenting power houses through one-on-one sessions and break-out discussions. As one attendee remarked: “The guest and inde-pendent inventor speakers were outstanding. I was inspired by their talks. As an engineer who has designed Ethernet controller chips, I was awed to get to hear Bob Metcalfe speak.” o

Starting up faculty innovation: Longhorn Startup Studioco-founder of Kymyk Technologies LLC and professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry; Daniel Miranker, co-founder of Capsenta and professor in the Department of Computer Science; and Yetkin Yildirim, direc-tor of the Texas Pavement Preservation Center, research assistant professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering, and co-founder of Terra Pave International Inc.

THE SECOND STARTUP Studio took place on Dec. 11, 2012, and featured presentations

from startups Admittance, Lynx Labs, and Sili-con Audio. Special guests at the event included Dr. Tom Caven, VP of medical affairs and medical director of University Medical Center Bracken ridge Hospital; Bill Spencer, of Se-matech and Xerox Research; and Gordon Walton, Playdom VP and executive pro-ducer.

Longhorn Startup Studio is part of a larger program called the Longhorn Startup Program, which includes Longhorn Startup Seminar, for students seeking information about building startups, and Longhorn Startup Lab, which is an incubator for student teams seeking to build their own startup. o

WHEN BOB METCALFE joined The Uni-versity of Texas at Austin as professor of

innovation, he was asked to boost commercializa-tion at UT and forge stronger ties between faculty and the entrepreneurial community. Longhorn Startup Studio proposes to do just that with its focus on faculty research-based startups.

“If we are going to increase the quality and the number of startups, then we should focus more on professor-based startups, which are much more likely to be successful.” —Bob Metcalfe, Professor of Innovation Cockrell School of Engineering

Longhorn Startup Studio is sponsored by the Inno-vation Center of the Cockrell School of Engineer-ing and the Austin Chamber of Commerce, with OTC, the Austin Technology Incubator, and the Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs as its partners. The Studio enhances commercialization efforts by providing a casual dinner program where faculty and their research teams can present their work, receive feedback, and make business connections.

ON OCT. 17, 2012 the first studio was kicked off by three faculty members: Eric Anslyn,

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Over the past ten years...

OTC statistics, FY2011-12

PATENT APPLICATIONS

After assessing a disclosure for scientific and commercial potential, OTC may proceed to filing a patent application. OTC filed a total of 203 patents in FY2011-12. The majority of patent filings were US provisionals, but OTC also filed a significant number of PCT applications, which reserve foreign patent rights in countries that are members of the Patent Co operation Treaty.

ISSUED PATENTS

A total of 72 patents were issued world-wide to OTC in FY2011-12. From first filing date, a U.S. patent took an average of 4½ years to issue. Foreign patents averaged 9 years from filing to issuance. Thus, the patents issued this year represent patent applications filed several years ago.

INVENTION DISCLOSURESAn inventor’s first step in technology commercialization is to submit an invention disclosure, enabling OTC to evaluate, pro-tect, and license the technology. OTC received 169 invention disclosures in FY2011-12. Disclosures may include the work of several researchers, and often identify multiple departments or even colleges. Cockrell School of Engineering topped the FY11-12 disclosure count, with some 60% of disclosures naming one or more inventors from an engineering department. The College of Natural Sciences ranked second with 26%.

LICENSESOTC executed 17 licenses and options for UT technologies in FY2011-12. Exclusive licenses give the licensee the sole right to commercialize the technology; non-exclusive licenses— commonly used with software products—may be issued to multiple licensees. OTC also executes options, which allow a potential licensee to evaluate a tech nology prior to licensing.

Bridging innovation:OTC

leads USPTO

initiative

The Office of Technology Commercialization at the University of Texas at Austin spearheaded an initiative with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) in support of the USPTO Patent Examiner Technical Train-ing Program (PETTP)—a program launched by the USPTO to update their super visors and senior patent examiners on technical developments, the state of the art, emerging trends, maturing technologies, and recent innovations.

ing program are highly beneficial to commer-cialization efforts: an expedited process via streamlined patent examination, fewer delays and quicker final disposition, a reduction of the need for Request for Continued Examina-tion Practice, and assistance to the USPTO in identifying allowable subject matter and issuing strong, valid patents.

More information on the PETTP may be found at http://www.uspto.gov/patents/pettp.jsp

ADDITIONAL INITIATIVES WITH the USPTO include:

■ Austin Chamber of Commerce’s Texas Global IP Summit and OTC’s University IP Symposium: featuring James Pooley, deputy director general for innovation and tech-nology at the World Intellectual Property Organization (Geneva, Switzerland); LEE Soowon, commissioner of the Korean Intel-lectual Property Office (Daejeon, Korea); and David Kappos, under secretary of com-merce for intellectual property and director of the USPTO.

■ 2011-12 Colloquium on Commercialization: The USPTO presented in the capstone event in OTC’s Colloquium on Commercializa-tion series, “What you need to know about patents.” The event was geared towards UT research faculty and staff seeking a “crash course” on patents for commercializing their research.

■ Texas Regional Independent Inventors Conference: OTC sponsored the Texas Re-gional Independent Inventors Conference on September 14-15, 2012. See page 13 for info.

■ 2012-13 Colloquium on Commercializa-tion: Join OTC on February 7, 2013 for our next patent event: “What you need to know about patents.” See page 3 of this newsletter for more details, or visit www.otc.utexas.edu/Events/Colloquium/ o

THE GOAL OF the USPTO’s training program is to develop patent examiner

and faculty relationships in order to streamline the patent process and enhance technology commercialization efforts. The benefit of such a program for universities: discoveries and inventions will be better protected, which will lead to further scientific research and ultimately advance technology transfer and commercial-ization efforts.

Once the PETTP program was launched, David Kappos, under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the USPTO, recognized the need for additional training by experts across many areas of re-search. As a result, Kappos invited OTC to host the first university-led training webinar for pat-ent examiners.

BASED ON THE model and the success of the UT Austin webinar, OTC proposed

a joint initiative between the USPTO and the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM, a national association of technology transfer professionals) to leverage expertise from across the nation and join the PETTP initiative.

OTC led a pilot program to develop best practices and invited key universities such as Columbia, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foun-dation (WARF), and others to test-drive the initiative. The pilot was successful; Kappos per-sonally announced the initiative and extended an invitation to participate in the USPTO train-ing program to almost 2,000 tech transfer pro-fessionals at the 2012 AUTM Annual Meeting.

The initiative is a “win-win” for all involved: for the USPTO, it helps improve the strength and quality of U.S. patents and adds support for a stronger patent system. From a university’s perspective, the results of an expanded train-

1,860 U.S. and foreign

patent applications

1,400 invention

disclosures

525 patents issued

275 licenses signed

$115MM

licensing revenue

65 startup

companies

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AI game bots pass Turing test on Turing’s 100th

Computer sciences professor Dr. Risto Miikkulainen and his team have created an artificially intel-ligent video game “bot” that was judged to be more human-like than half the people it played against.

http://ow.ly/gWrxx

Bureau of Economic Geology wins award from RPSEA Unconventional Resources Program

The Bureau of Economic Geology was awarded a grant from the Re-search Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) for its project called “Understanding and Manag-ing Environmental Roadblocks to

Shale Gas Development.” http://ow.ly/h4zvl

Preparing for pandemics

Dr. Lauren Ancel Meyers, associate professor in the Section of Integra-tive Biology, led the development of a set of mathematical models and programs that will help determine how quickly and how far a disease

can spread. The Texas Pandemic Flu Toolkit was developed to enhance decision-making during time-sensitive pandemic situations. http://ow.ly/f8hZX

The new drilling frontier

Department of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering professor Dr. Eric van Oort is going to the new drilling frontier: offshore. With the industry becoming more and more complicated, robotic devices

that are operated by state-of-the-art facilities are now necessary to move forward in deep water. This is the future of the oil industry. http://ow.ly/gWvIC

Bittner develops nerve repair method that drastically reduces recovery time

Dr. George Bittner has pioneered a method of reconnecting severed nerves that reduces recovery time and restores more limb functional-ity than current methods allow. Within minutes of waking up from

surgery, experimental rats are already able to move their affected limbs. After two to four weeks, 98% of

Researchers collaborate on simulations to develop longer-lasting heart valves

With a four-year, $2.48 million grant, biomedical engineering professor Dr. Michael Sacks has set out to develop simulations that will ultimately create longer-lasting heart valves. The bioprosthetic

heart valves currently on the market have a life span of only 10 to 15 years. Dr. Sacks and professors from other universities are simulating the wear and tear on new heart valves in order to find ways to make them more durable. http://ow.ly/f7T5I

Developing new vaccines for emerging diseases is focus of $6.5 million contract

Dr. George Georgiou, professor, Biomedical Engineering and Chem-ical Engineering Departments, and team are recipients of a $6.5 million grant to accelerate the processes of developing and evaluating vac-

cines for emerging diseases. Time is of the essence with emerging diseases, but the current processes for developing and testing vaccines against them are time-consuming and expensive. http://ow.ly/f7ZeN

Humphreys’ team demos successful GPS spoofing

This summer, the FAA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security invited Dr. Todd Humpheys to White Sands, N.M. to demonstrate GPS spoofing of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Spoofing

prevents a vehicle from telling the original operator that it is off-course and under someone else’s control. The demonstration shows how vulnerable UAVs are to GPS spoofing and that measures need to be taken to improve their security. http://ow.ly/f8g6F

An old drug teaches researchers new tricks

Dr. Kim Raab-Graham is leading a team in the investigation of the effects of the drug rapamycin on Alzheimer’s disease. Rapamycin is normally used in transplants so that the body does not reject the new

organs, but Dr. Raab-Graham’s team is finding that the new drug is effective in reducing non-convulsive seizures in rats. This leads the team to search for a way to make a drug like rapamycin without its immuno suppressant properties. http://ow.ly/fg2Ey

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tsthe rats in the study will have recovered 60% to 70% of their leg function. Dr. Bittner hopes that, in the near future, this method will be used on more chal-lenging human cases. http://ow.ly/ffRTj

Varghese leads $1.3M program to fundamentally rethink scramjet engine design

The UT Austin Center for Aero-mechanics Research received a grant of $1.3 million from the U.S. Air Force to reengineer the Scram-jet engine to be more efficient at the molecular level. Director Philip

Varghese will seek to understand how molecular vibra tions affect turbulent flows. http://ow.ly/f8llj

UT Austin Marine Science Institute researcher speaks on UN panel on coastal hypoxia

Dr. Peter Thomas, Marine Science Institute senior research scientist, was sponsored by the National Oce-anic and Atmospheric Administra-tion (NOAA) to speak to the United Nations as part of a panel of experts

on the issue of coastal hypoxia (dead zones) in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Thomas’s research has given him special insight into oceanic hypoxia and assessing its impact. The panel met during the 39th session of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection. http://ow.ly/f88tT

50-year cholera mystery solved by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Stephen Trent, associate pro-fessor of molecular genetics & microbiology, and his team have discovered that the cholera virus changes the electrical charge of its surface from negative to neutral.

This renders our natural defenses useless, because they have a positive charge that would normally bond with a virus to kill it. This new insight will spark the development of anti biotics that allow the body’s immune system to do its job. http://ow.ly/fg5hd

Changes in developmental timing were crucial in evolutionary shift from dinosaurs to birds

Scientists have long understood that modern birds are the descendants of dinosaurs, but a new insight lies in their developmental cycle speeds. Dr. Tim Rowe, director of the UT

Austin High-Resolution X-Ray Scanning Facility and study co-author, used CT scans to find striking simi-larities between mature bird skulls and baby dino-saur skulls. The researchers found that because birds mature faster, their skulls retain many characteristics of immature dinosaur skulls. http://ow.ly/fEvmY

BWF announces Sullivan as a 2012 Investigator in Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund has tapped Dr. Chris Sullivan, associ-ate professor of molecular genetics and microbiology, to receive its prestigious recognition. This fund awards him $500,000 to pursue his

research on the herpes virus. http://ow.ly/ffY2C

Faculty team develops improved drug delivery

Keith Johnston, Jennifer Maynard, and Thomas Truskett led a team of researchers in the Department of Chemical Engineering to de-velop an innovative way to deliver protein-based drugs to patients. The

development of a more tightly packed protein cluster means these drugs can be injected in smaller, thinner needles than ever before. http://ow.ly/f859m

Waggoner Center receives $3.3 million grant to develop medications for alcohol/drug addiction

The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism awarded $3.3 million to Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research-Director R. Adron Harris and his team of researchers. The team is

researching which regions of the brain are affected by alcohol and drugs and what medications could block those effects. http://ow.ly/f8cE2

Stopping cancer in its tracks

Dr. Kevin Dalby, professor in the Medic inal Chemistry Department of the College of Pharmacy, has spent his academic career exploring the nuances of cancer. Many factors can cause normal cells to lose their

regulators and become cancerous, which means that specialized approaches are paramount in combat-ing the disease. Dalby’s research in protein kinases focuses on how to stop faulty signals before the dam-age multiplies. http://ow.ly/gWttm o

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this? Follow us on Twitter at @utotc

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14 | TechNews TechNews | 15

George Geor-giou, UT Austin professor of biomedical engineering and chemical en-gineering, was elected to the

Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academies. Georgiou’s impressive number of significant contributions to the medical field were instrumental in his selection. He is only the third UT Austin faculty member and the second Cockrell School faculty member to have been elected. http://ow.ly/fjXKG

Keith Johnston was inducted as a Fellow by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engi-neering (AIMBE)

on February 22, 2012. The chemical engineering professor in the Cock-

rell School of Engineering was inducted for his seminal contribu-tions to the utilization of super-critical processes and nanoparticle technologies in drug delivery. This induction puts Dr. Johnston in the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the nation who are recognized by their peers for outstanding work in academia, industry, and the government. http://ow.ly/fjY53

Brent Waters, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Sci-ence in the Col-lege of Natural Sciences, was

awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) by President Barack Obama on July 31, 2012. This honor is given by the U.S. govern-ment to the most outstanding young science and engineering research professionals. Award

recipients are selected based upon their innovative research in the science and engineering fields as well as their commitment to service in the community. http://ow.ly/fk2zG

John Good-enough, the UT Austin mechani-cal engineer-ing professor credited with the develop-ment of the

lithium-ion battery, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the country’s most prestigious scientific organization. Dr. Good-enough’s contributions in energy storage technology over his life-time are what set him apart from his peers. He is one of 17 current members of faculty at UT Austin to have received this award. He also received the National Medal of Science from President Obama this year, along with Dr. Allen Bard. http://ow.ly/fpj6Q

14 | TechNews

Nicholas Peppas received the 2012 Found-ers Award from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for his

groundbreaking work in polymer chemistry, bioengineering, phar-maceutical sciences, and advanced drug delivery. http://ow.ly/fpsNb

Jonathan Pil-low has been granted a 2012 McKnight Scholar Award by the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuro-

science. An assistant professor at the Center for Perceptual Systems, Dr. Pillow will use this grant to continue developing statistical models and analyses to determine what information is contained in neurons from different regions of the brain. http://ow.ly/fpsAH

Jim Chelikowsky won the Ameri-can Physical Society’s highest computational physics award, the Aneesur Rahman Prize

for Computational Physics. A professor in the Departments of Physics, Chemical Engineering, and Chemistry & Biochemistry, Dr. Chelikowsky received the award for his software meant to design and discover materials for low-cost energy applications. http://ow.ly/g3gVl

Allen Bard, director of the Center for Electrochemistry, received the National Medal of Science from President Barack

Obama this year. This award is the highest honor that the United States government can bestow on

a scientist, engineer, or inventor. Dr. Bard is widely regarded by his colleagues as the “father of mod-ern electrochemistry.” His work can be seen in action everywhere from medical equipment to semi-conductors. http://ow.ly/gWgvN

Lorenzo Alvisi was awarded the prestigious Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt

Foundation. The professor in the Department of Computer Science received the award based upon his contributions to his field through-out his career and as an endorse-ment to produce more cutting-edge research in the future. http://ow.ly/gWidB o

TechNews | 15

Faculty Awards and Achievements

YEAR AFTER YEAR, The University of Texas at Austin is recognized as one of the best public universities in the world. This is due in no small part to our outstanding fac-

ulty who are known across the globe as the leading experts in their fields. OTC is proud to call ourselves partners with these faculty members as we help carry out the university’s commercialization mission. Join us in congratulating our faculty as we highlight some of their many awards and achievements.

16 | TechNews TechNews | 17

James Earl (Jim) Brown III, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Identifies and evaluates technologies suitable for new venture formation o

Wick Johnson, Licensing SpecialistBiochemistry, molecular biology, drug delivery, biotechnology, cellular biology—particularly the pathology of metabolic disease, drug discov-

ery, drug formula tion, chemical biosensors, and bioassays

days” in adults. These deficien-cies in the current treatments are a major factor in the 293,000 deaths caused by whooping cough worldwide.

Jeffrey Riley, chief executive officer of Synthetic Biologics Inc., points out the urgent need for a new therapy: “A steady increase in outbreaks of pertus-sis has become a serious threat to some of the most vulnerable members of our society, espe-cially infants, and to individuals who are unvaccinated or whose vaccine failed to provide lasting immunity. Across the nation this year, doctors have reported twice as many cases of pertussis as there were in 2011. The risk to individuals and to public health caused by outbreaks of pertus-sis support the pursuit of a new therapeutic option such as our mAb therapy.”

When the companies brain-stormed with the university

OTC licensee in search to silence whooping coughto decide who to work with, Dr. Jennifer Maynard, the Lau-rence E. McMakin, Jr. Centenni-al Fellow and associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, was chosen. She was selected to lead the research efforts at the university because of her extensive experience in targeting the pertussis toxin.

Synthetic Biologics is leading the charge to develop a monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy called SYN-005 to neutralize the toxin, essentially taking the teeth from the tiger.

Intrexon Corporation will con-tribute to the effort by providing their mAbLogix™ and LEAP™ platforms, which are designed to neutralize specific pathogens efficiently.

This collaboration will bring us closer to a treatment to protect infants and adults from this dangerous disease. o

The University of Texas at Austin has become part of a research effort to combat the deadly, rapidly rising disease of pertus-sis, better known as whooping cough. OTC has signed a patent

licensing agree-ment and three-year sponsored research agreement with Synthetic Bio-

logics Inc. and Intrexon Corpo-ration. These three entities will pursue additional research.

Antibiotics and vaccines exist to treat and prevent pertussis today, but the real threat that keeps these treatments from being more effective is the toxin produced when the B. pertussis bacteria infects a host. While an-tibiotics are effective against the bacteria itself, they do nothing to neutralize the toxin it produces, leading to the need for me-chanical ventilation in infants or persistence of the “cough of 100

Les Nichols, Licensing SpecialistEnergy explora tion, chemical pro-cesses, mechanical systems, material science, chemical synthesis, nuclear process management/ enhancement,

filtration/separation processes, MEMS, clean energy, nanotechnology, photovoltaics, metrology processes, and enhanced construction materials

Max Green, Licensing SpecialistElectro-mechanical systems, material science, MEMS, clean energy, nano-technology, biofuels, photo voltaics, energy storage, OLEDS, and advanced

aerospace tech nologies

Jitendra Jain (JJ), Licensing Specialist

Software, copyright, open source, wireless communications, micro-processors, networks, computing tech-nologies, semiconductor, educational,

animation, security, internet, high-energy physics, and advanced artificial intelligence systems

Tom Baughman, Licensing SpecialistDrug discovery, drug formula tion, biochemistry, drug delivery, bio-technology, cellular and molecular biology, chemical biosensors, bioas-

says, and medical application of nano technologies

The

OTC

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amTerra Pave, UT-backed company, develops eco-friendly road material

Terra Pave International, Inc., a startup company backed by technology from UT Austin, has devel-oped a new, “greener” product—Terra Prime—to replace MC-30, a dangerous chemical used to create roads and parking lots. The new material is safe, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly.

Its use would prevent millions of gallons of petro-leum solvent from evaporating into the atmo-sphere each year and would also reduce the risk of petroleum solvents penetrating and damaging irrigation systems. Thus far, the company has raised $1.65 million from investors to help it break into the multi billion-dollar road construction industry. o

AdBM Technologies: The answer to the invisible problem

Associate professor Preston Wilson and research-ers Dr. Kevin Lee and Dr. Mark Wochner have developed a bubble curtain system that reduces the impact of under water noise from drilling, under-water construction, and other human activities offshore.

For ocean animals, underwater noise is more than a nuisance. Noise stresses and drowns out count-less species that use sound to signal, hunt, and navigate. The question for many companies that conduct their business offshore has been: What can be done to decrease their environmental im-pact, and yet continue with their business? AdBM’s solution is: bubbles. o

1 @UTAustin is one of the top 10 colleges for budding entrepreneurs http://ow.ly/dwkrr

2 @UTAustin is one of five schools chosen to improve video delivery over wireless net-works http://ow.ly/cXZ1I

3 #FoundingFathers - To celebrate the 4th of July, let’s look at some of our founding fathers’ brilliant inventions http://ow.ly/br1ei

4 Z Machine produces six times the world’s energy to create white dwarf star http://ow.ly/dgHZv | video: http://ow.ly/dgI56

5 Do you live in one of @WashingtonPost’s top 20 #tech #startup hub cities? Check this list to see! http://ow.ly/fCmae

6 “The GPS dot is going to be a wonderful and terrible thing,” says @UTAustin prof Todd Humphreys http://ow.ly/c8QNE

7 Looking for the Next Big Thing? Ranking the top 50 #startups http://ow.ly/eapWc

8 #UTAustin joins bid for role in battery research center ow.ly/8YxJ0

9 #UTAustin student: How wind energy can power desalination in Texas http://ow.ly/9cACV

Selected OTC startups

Top 10 tweets of 2012

10 “There are greener pastures,” says Cockrell School prof, on retreat from clean tech investments http://ow.ly/bGAt8

18 | TechNews

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